The new Dunkin Donuts at Washington and Pennsylvania streets (reported here in November) likely will have a retro look that
incorporates the old Roselyn Bakery sign. Plans call for neon signs and a stainless steel facade. What do you think?
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Nice use of the space...jut get over the nostalgia about the sign.
Noooooooooooooo...
With the high number of stores they plan to open hopefully DD will decide to serve some of the communities in Indianapolis. They could really be a starbucks type business in a sense that they could really bring some life and be an anchor for other businesses on small commercial corners in some of the older neighborhoods.
They will never get rid of that sign structure as pole/pylon signs are prohibited in the CBD. Therefore, this is grandfathered and will be reused for eternity, or until the entire site is redeveloped.
With a pole sign almost as big as the building facade.
(sigh)
Ablerock, at least they didn't use the corporate brown with the day-glo and magenta.
From what I hear, there is only one franchisee so far, because capitalization rates and fees are so high, with a minimum 5 locations financed individually.
So I wouldn't get your hopes up about DD going into depressed neighborhoods and sparking regentrification. My guess is they will be looking for highly profitable sites already gentrified, as opposed to everymans corner.
I'll have to see it in person of course to give a proper opinion, but I am, believe it or not, relatively positive on it. I think downtown's sign ordinance is far too restrictive, making even full buildings look vacant due a lack of signage. Something a little more in your face and fun could be a welcome change and sign of life.
Part of it depends on how retro it really looks. If all those colors are really neon signage, and there is lots of shiny metal, I think it could work well.
The Fall Creek Cafe (a coffee shop and cafe with a Mediterranean flavor) is scheduled to start construction this spring. It will be built by HSM Development on a former gas station site at 2402 North Meridian Street. One of the cafe's owners is Moshreq Sobhy, who works for Citizens Gas on the Meridian Corridor. The site received zoning variances and approvals last month with the support of Fall Creek Place HOA and other neighborhood groups.
We are excited to have a new locally-owned business neighbor coming to the corridor!
***sorry if this had been posted and i just missed it!
Urbanophile: having lived through the 70's once, I just don't like magenta+orange, big pole signs, and neon all together. I realize it's a personal taste thing. I generally agree with you...DD is not really an obstacle to redevelopment any more than the Arby's, Subway, and White Castle on South Street. Everything commercial is for sale for the right price.
Love the old sign, everything else has got to go. Especially the giant orange band along the bottom.
Notice how much better the orange and pink look on the black? If that were carried through, it might improve things.
Retro≠Garish.
Granted, it's Dunkin' Donut, a mediocre product, at best. It seems like there a DD on every corner of Chicago, where they have the pasty, lard butts to show for it. If I had my druthers (and I don't) of empty calories, I'd love to have seen a Longs, Buskens (Cincy) or a truly reincarnated Roselyn's with eclairs, brownies, and sweetheart coffeecakes -- minus, of course, the rat turds.
Indianapolis has some great local fare, and it has some bad local fare. It also has some solid chains in the area, as well as some awful chains. As tastes in the city center diversify, so will the offerings.(I think the only real weakness in food diversity downtown is the lack of ethnic choices, but that is mostly due to the local palate)
As far as sign ordinances in CBD, I too think they are way to restrictive.
Imagine Union Square in SF without those store top Nike and Apple signs...it really adds to the flavor of the place. It is part of what makes a market, well, a market. Just have some tast doing doing it.
Sorry, been away on vacation. :)
But I DOOOooo like it. That corner is drab like an olive 3 piece vested suit. Gordon Grecko.
Do you know there is still snow in Colorado?