There are a number of interesting projects to be mentioned from last month’s Metropolitan Development Commission Report.
- The building at 24th and Meridian applied for a variance to allow for a Drive-Thru. Â The variance was recommended to be declined by the staff.
- Tortas Guicho Dominguez y el Cubano on Virginia in Fletcher Place applied for a petition to allow for outdoor seating and alcohol sales.
- Phase II of the 1201 Indiana Ave project’s proposal for a vacated alley was approved. Â They go for final project approval this Thursday (hat tip to Chris Corr).
- Perhaps most interestingly, the 3 story former Girls Inc building at 40th and Central was reclassified to potentially allow for multi-family units:
To be clear, the Hearing Examiner and MDC both approved the 2402 Meridian variance.
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Jimmy Johns will be the tenant, following two failed independents.
Thanks Chris.
Why did staff oppose a drive-thru for that existing building in that location?
It’s against city ordinance to have a drive-through on Meridian. Unfortunately, that site is marooned and probably has no future except as a car-service restaurant, either delivery or drive-through. Fall Creek Place grudgingly gave approval for the drive-through.
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It should also be noted that the approved plans allow Jimmy Johns to lease parking spaces from the under-utilized Library Services Center parking lot. See the pass-through cut on the NW corner of the siteplan Kevin posted.
The library deal is both good and interesting. The new library CEO is, of course, a former community development executive in a nearby neighborhood. It should be noted that the developer of the building tried to do this deal before the building was even built.
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Has anyone else noticed that you can actually SEE the Library Services Center from Meridian now? The evergreen hedge has been removed.
I never go out on Meridian to see things — very inhospitable to humans around there!
Years of experience jaywalking at 24th & Meridian leads me to agree. Crossing the one-ways (Capitol, Illinois, Penn, Delaware) is way less daunting because the traffic is, you know, coming at you from only one way.
Then you and your family (and neighbors) could get to the playground and nature walk at Barton Park in a relatively safe manner.
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Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Fall Creek Trail crossed Meridian on the south side of the bridge…protected by a pedestrian-activated light?
Yes, yes, Y-E-S.
I’d even say that 25th has enough traffic to justify a standard traffic signal (not just pedestrian-activated) at that intersection. Obviously, the light timing would still be biased toward N-S travel on Meridian, but a regular cycle to allow cars to safely get from 25th onto Meridian would be nice. 25th-to-southbound-Meridian is essentially impossible given the lack of vision over Meridian’s Fall Creek bridge.
I’ve wasted a lot of brainpower trying to figure out redesigns for that intersection.
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Ratio did a gateway design for NNDC that would have put a ped-activated light for trail there. It also removed the horribly unsafe left turns from SB Meridian to EB25th and WB 25th to SB Meridian. A couple of triangular chunks of pavement at the foot of the bridge would be reclaimed as green/pedestrian/gateway islands.
Mass Ave project…….. wow
Meridian would be a great alignment for a modern streetcar.