bodhipooh wrote:
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dr_nick_riviera wrote:
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bodhipooh wrote:
I find it amusing, and quite ironic, that the same people clamoring for Old Colony to be redeveloped according to their wishes are the same type of people that would be losing their shit if the government suggested doing the same: taking someone's private land or property away to make way for "greater" good.

Plainly put, as highlighted by Monroe, that area is privately owned. If the owner wants to lease space to another supermarket (which he has) then so be it. Parks, parking decks (really!?) or any other public use idea would require a HUGE amount of money (to purchase the land, then to develop it) and the city has much bigger fish to try at the moment. Besides, VVP is literally three blocks away (not even a five minute walk) and Berry Lane Park will be a mile away. As for parking, there is plenty of that around there.

Agreed. I think the best best for that area is to replicate what was done with Metro Plaza, albeit with lower-rise buildings to better fit in with the area as well as a restored street grid. 99 Ranch is already coming in, but if a Whole Foods or another high-end store were to anchor the area, that's even better.

Who would be the best person to contact about future plans for the area? I wrote the Ward F councilwoman's office (where it technically falls into), but have yet to hear anything back.

I think you missed my point entirely. There is no one to contact at City Hall, or anywhere else. It is PRIVATE land. They can choose to hold on to it and rent to whomever they want, or they can sell it to someone, or whatever. But, unless people here are advocating for some eminent domain action, there is nothing for the city to do.

As for a Whole Foods, or any other type of supermarket, that it is very unlikely to happen. Usually, when a supermarket signs a lease, they make sure that no other such place can open in the same area by insisting on an exclusivity clause. Hopefully, whoever owns the land will go about attracting some additional new tenants. The McD was rebuilt a few years ago, and the DD is ALWAYS packed in the mornings. LOL.

dr_nick_riviera wrote:
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bodhipooh wrote:
I find it amusing, and quite ironic, that the same people clamoring for Old Colony to be redeveloped according to their wishes are the same type of people that would be losing their shit if the government suggested doing the same: taking someone's private land or property away to make way for "greater" good.

Plainly put, as highlighted by Monroe, that area is privately owned. If the owner wants to lease space to another supermarket (which he has) then so be it. Parks, parking decks (really!?) or any other public use idea would require a HUGE amount of money (to purchase the land, then to develop it) and the city has much bigger fish to try at the moment. Besides, VVP is literally three blocks away (not even a five minute walk) and Berry Lane Park will be a mile away. As for parking, there is plenty of that around there.

Agreed. I think the best best for that area is to replicate what was done with Metro Plaza, albeit with lower-rise buildings to better fit in with the area as well as a restored street grid. 99 Ranch is already coming in, but if a Whole Foods or another high-end store were to anchor the area, that's even better.

Who would be the best person to contact about future plans for the area? I wrote the Ward F councilwoman's office (where it technically falls into), but have yet to hear anything back.

bodhipooh wrote:
I find it amusing, and quite ironic, that the same people clamoring for Old Colony to be redeveloped according to their wishes are the same type of people that would be losing their shit if the government suggested doing the same: taking someone's private land or property away to make way for "greater" good.

Plainly put, as highlighted by Monroe, that area is privately owned. If the owner wants to lease space to another supermarket (which he has) then so be it. Parks, parking decks (really!?) or any other public use idea would require a HUGE amount of money (to purchase the land, then to develop it) and the city has much bigger fish to try at the moment. Besides, VVP is literally three blocks away (not even a five minute walk) and Berry Lane Park will be a mile away. As for parking, there is plenty of that around there.

Yvonne wrote:
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Monroe wrote:
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craigslistdiva wrote:
This area has so much potential. Wide open space to build just about anything (other than hair salons, nail salons, condos or pizza places!).
Why not utilize this space to make a park or something else that services the community? Maybe open a community center?

It would cost millions to purchase, and more millions to turn it into a park-just when a very expensive park, Berry Lane, is opening quite close. Not to mention other neighborhoods would scream because their older parks need renovation.

I don't recall the source, but I remember reading that Old Colony was trying to make space for 'medical arts' offices to move in-with the hospital so close it would seem a good fit for tenants.

Berry Lane is close? I guess, we have a different sense of geography. Berry Lane is probably several miles from Old Colony Square. There are a lot of people now in the Van Vorst area, it could use another park and that area could use a parking garage. Don't tell me they don't want a parking garage, from the town hall meetings, people all over the city has made that request including Ward E.

Monroe wrote:
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craigslistdiva wrote:
This area has so much potential. Wide open space to build just about anything (other than hair salons, nail salons, condos or pizza places!).
Why not utilize this space to make a park or something else that services the community? Maybe open a community center?

It would cost millions to purchase, and more millions to turn it into a park-just when a very expensive park, Berry Lane, is opening quite close. Not to mention other neighborhoods would scream because their older parks need renovation.

I don't recall the source, but I remember reading that Old Colony was trying to make space for 'medical arts' offices to move in-with the hospital so close it would seem a good fit for tenants.

craigslistdiva wrote:
This area has so much potential. Wide open space to build just about anything (other than hair salons, nail salons, condos or pizza places!).
Why not utilize this space to make a park or something else that services the community? Maybe open a community center?

tommyc_37 wrote:
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dr_nick_riviera wrote:
Is there anyone that can be contacted to put pressure on the owners of that lot to come to a redevelopment plan or sell to someone who will? I know there was this proposal from a few years ago, which ended up never coming to light for whatever reason: http://jerseydigs.com/one-bates-street/

The plaza is mostly abandoned stores at this point and a hangout for homeless. The only stuff left is a bodega, a Rent-A-Center and a Popeye's. A serious look should be taken at having some of the old street grid restored and having the whole area razed and redeveloped, like they're doing for the BJ's/StopRite plaza.

Even if each of the stores in this strip mall were rented out and thriving, the fact that it's 80% surface parking is a colossal waste of space in a dense urban neighborhood. There is no chance it lasts as is for another decade. We'll see something proposed for this, my guess would be in the next couple of years.

dr_nick_riviera wrote:
Is there anyone that can be contacted to put pressure on the owners of that lot to come to a redevelopment plan or sell to someone who will? I know there was this proposal from a few years ago, which ended up never coming to light for whatever reason: http://jerseydigs.com/one-bates-street/

The plaza is mostly abandoned stores at this point and a hangout for homeless. The only stuff left is a bodega, a Rent-A-Center and a Popeye's. A serious look should be taken at having some of the old street grid restored and having the whole area razed and redeveloped, like they're doing for the BJ's/StopRite plaza.

dr_nick_riviera wrote:
A serious look should be taken at having some of the old street grid restored and having the whole area razed and redeveloped, like they're doing for the BJ's/StopRite plaza.

meltedopsicle wrote:
That's unfortunate - I just started using that Chase recently instead of downtown since I drive more now and there's a parking lot.
/

hero69 wrote:
yeah..they need to a a major re-think for that property...its not too far from light rail.