Several people have asked about renderings of the new Fresh Market at 54th and College. The best I can do for now is this
color elevation. The top image is the view from 54th Street and shows the entrance for rooftop parking at far right. The bottom
image is the view from North College. (Click for a larger version.) As IBJ reported first in October 2006, the new grocery store calls for more than 40 rooftop parking spaces to maximize the relatively
small space. What do you think?
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Really adds to this vibrant corner. What a great area for this. Can't wait to buy my edamame and flax seed there.
I think a 2 story could work. The the corner of 52nd and college has a great old 2-story on the corner. Of course a grocery store would be much different than what is at 52nd, but I think they could figure something out (maybe by putting the parking underground, unless that isn't possible there).
Here is the link to the site plan on Kite's website. It would appear from this that they plan to have the building on the corner with surface parking to the north. If this is actually the site plan they are using it is okay, but I can't be for sure that this is what we end up with. Is there any one from Kite on this blog that might have some insight?
Also, urban planning in Indy has improved dramatically (though, needless to say, it still has a long way to go) the last 8 years but expect all that progress to be swept away under the Ballard administration. If you think Ballard gives a damn about the aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods, cultivating the creative class, or improving the quality of our built and natural environments, you are sorely mistaken. Just read how Brizzi introduced Ballard the other night: no more time spent on greenway projects, lights and cameras while the people of this community suffer from crime.
Expect massive cuts in arts funding, greenways, and other assorted cultural initiatives, not to mention a host of really pretty cheap and highly effective public assistance programs. DMD and DPR are going to be gutted.
Believe me, building setbacks are going to be the least of our concerns these next few years. Expect a sizable uptick in the brain drain and watch this City stall.
Sad days ahead for Indianapolis. And I thought we were just starting to turn the corner...
Ivo, keep in mind that those nodes up College are only a lot or two each way from the corner, and they're surrounded by 1-2 story homes (except for College Court Condos)...and that's the character that the neighborhood wants to preserve. Further, those lots carry a lower land value than land near downtown.
Indyguy, at least the front door will face the corner. The problem in grocery retail is that people don't want to walk around two sides of the building to get to their car...and stores don't want two entrances. And I'm sure that the neighbors on the adjoining street and alley didn't want parking lot lights in their windows at night. Considering all those design constraints, this is probably the only solution.
It also would be worse for all the other merchants on that corner by blocking the sight and access lines between the grocery store parking lot and the other businesses--effectively cutting off the kind of overflow business those businesses enjoyed when Atlas was open.
In reality, most people are still going to drive to the grocery store/stop by in their cars to avoid lugging gallons of milk and 6-packs of microbrew a few blocks. As far as parking lots and set-back buildings go, this is going to be an attractive one. Certainly more so than Atlas, while keeping the same valuable use in the neighborhood.
Think of 56th and Illinois. The CVS and Safeway lots are where lots of people park to go to more than one shop on the corner, and both buildings sit well off 56th St. But that's one of the best (and most attractive) walkable/neighborhood shopping districts in the whole old city.
Next topic, This is not Carmel. I am not sure if you realize that SoBro (as the realtors call it) can not demand the same design criteria as Carmel. In addition, the residents, and the MKNA both approve of this design. Something tells me their opinion counts a little more than some wannabe architects. Really, if you guys feel so strongly start building your own buildings to your design criteria with your own money.
As for Ballard, there are things called priorities. Something bart forgot. Greenways and public art are great, but not very useful if crime is not under control. All he has said is that his prority is safety over art. Sounds like a good plan.
As for public art and greenways, these are two things that help revitalize neighbors better than many other means, and community revitalization is one of the more effective and long lasting means of detering crime. I am not afraid Ballard won't attack the crime problem, I am afraid he will try to fix it with the same old temporary fixes that won't last and will have to be addressed by the next administration.
You might really benefit from checking out Urban Land, a magazine published by the Urban Land Institute of which Bill Hudnut often contributes to as a Research Fellow, and The Next American City, and urban studies journal.
Stop comparing Indianapolis to Carmel. I see it all the time--praise of the Carmel mayor and all of their development. They don't have to deal with most of the prime issues of Marion County--its easy to focus on arts and fancy development when the city is primarily made up of upper middle class residents who don't worry about basic necessities such as food and shelter. Obviously not all of Marion County is in that situation--but the ones who aren't end up footing the bill for the those who are--and thus the county's dollars can't go towards spending on decor and extras. I can't wait for the new Fresh Market. I live in the area and can't wait to be able to ride my bike to a above-par grocery store (versus the aweful safeway at 56th and illinois). I'm at the point where I don't even care that much what it looks like--so long as it gets developed and they sell a good product!