On July 26th Township 9 will go before the Planning Commission to review the mixed use of residential, retail, and office use of 65 acres. Rezoning of 37 acres has been requested from heavy industrial to residential mixed use zones. This is another sleeper project that when compete will meet all the urbanism principles of smart growth. Township 9 has proposed 2,981 dwelling units and 147,000sf of retail. In May of this year the proposal went before the City Preservation Commission and received approval to move forward with demolition of the existing structures on the site.
I have to wonder what the city plans to do about the strip club on Richards and (I think) North 10th, as well as the plans to move the bus station down to Richards.
ReplyDeleteResidential is going to be a bit of a tough sale with those two properties in the immediate area.
I'm not sure where the "bus station to Richards" idea came from: the idea is that Greyhound will be part of the intermodal station. Richards was suggested as an interim location, but would also be dependent on light rail expansion: a transportation system like Greyhound is dependent on being close to other forms of public transit.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why they would have to do anything about the strip club; normally, pre-existing businesses in a neighborhood that was industrial but is slated for residential growth are grandfathered in. So if the strip club closes down, it wouldn't necessarily re-open as a strip club.
Although I'm not even sure it would be necessary to do away with a strip club: if you go to, say, San Francisco or Portland, there are strip clubs in the city; actually, rather a lot of them. While I'm sure some bluenoses might be offended by their presence, they aren't really the urban target market anyhow--let them move to places like Citrus Heights where they chase out strip clubs and other unsavory business. We're building a city here, not replicating the suburbs in taller forms.
Well if things go according to plan - the interim bus station on Richards would be moving in right around the time Township 9 would be rolling out their first phase. And "interim" could mean half a decade.
ReplyDeleteBut all that is still up in the air. What is for certain, is that the questions Carl raises are the exact sort of questions that a potential homeowner or a business owner would ask the developers of their project.
Maybe in a round about sort of way, TS9's less than savory location will be it's strongest asset. It probably has the best potential to offer a great new urban project at a relatively moderate price. Also consider the lack of obstacles in developing the land compared to the Railyards.
But there's no specific plan for where the interim bus station will go--or any specific date for when the old bus station has to be vacated. Once again, if there's no access to public transit, relocation to Richards doesn't make any sense for Greyhound--and the one or two peak-hour buses that run down Richards barely count. So, effectively, it's a theoretical worry that may not ever even happen.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in a round about sort of way...
ReplyDeleteAlso of note: three roundabouts in the street network. (couldn't help myself)
I remember hearing something about the Greyhound's interim location station adjacent to a police station on Richards. Does that sound right? It is possible that RT could increase frequency to Richards if Greyhound moves there. Hopefully they will do so if Township 9 gets built.
I love how this is urban housing right on the river and the Two Rivers Bike Trail. That will be a very nice ride to downtown (through old town).
True. But a development like TS9 raises these sort of questions. Especially considering the level of foresight required to even imagine this type of product in that location.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the strip club... Township 9 is just the first major project coming down the pipeline. If there's any success in that project at all, every land owner up and down Richards will be scrambling to be next in line. That is if they aren't already...
I know im going against the grain , but id much rather see the riverfront developed into a broad extension of the parkway (see Gold Rush Park )than more homes . Regardless of how well built and integrated it is .
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to have just about all the area north of Richards dedicated to & built into one of the nations premier urban park - complete with gardens , sculptures , trails & the like .
I think the concept of gold rush park(or the AR Pkwy extension ) serves the city and the region as a whole in a way that TS9 could never do . Not only that but I think it sets a bad precedent of such developments right up to the rivers edge .Once developed , its hard to get it back .
With the Railyards eventually being built out and dtwn drawing ever more attention I find it hard to believe this is more important for the city long term.
I suppose that part of why I like the idea of a build-out in the Railyards and Richards is that it takes a lot of pressure off of the existing downtown/midtown area--specifically, developer pressure to demolish older neighborhoods and replace them with tall buildings.
ReplyDeleteGold Rush Park and similar broad schemes seem hazardous to historic preservation on multiple levels: the parkway areas would demand destruction of the built environment there, including potential historic preservation sites, not to mention destruction of currently utilized and useful industrial infrastructure.
It also means that high-density development attention would be turned back into the central city, specifically areas like midtown, putting even greater pressures on land owners to knock down older structures and put high-rise buildings in their place.
Im sure that If the city and its people wanted to develop a more comprehensive plan for re use and preservation of historic structures it could be done . The riverfront in all honesty is this regions original historic “structure” and I don’t think paving it over for a development is the wisest choice .
ReplyDeleteIm not sure I see the value of TS9 outside of the people who live in it and the people close enough to utilize any of the retail / services that might be there . On the flip side an extension of the Parkway via GRP would serve as a regional draw not to mention if additions such as cultural and sports amenities were included .
Don’t get me wrong – its not TS9 per se that I am against – just its development so close to one of this cities and states most beautiful rivers .