This morning I walked past the old brick building at 1515 E. Market (north side of the street, corner of Market and 16th) and noticed "public hearing" signs denoting a pending commission hearing for a variance.
Apparently there are not enough parking spaces for a restaurant.
An eatery had been rumored, so it would appear there's something to it after all.
The fate of this charming New Albany building is is of more than a passing interest to me. Friends once owned and restored the structure, which dates back at least to the 1880's and originally was a grocery store with attached lodging space. Prior to my divorce, I lived in the rear apartment for a year.
The main part of the building is in good condition, filled with brick, beams and numerous interior design possibilities. The two ground floor apartments could be reconnected with the main area, and the resulting floor space would be enough for a small restaurant (as apparently planned) or a coffee shop.
While I was living in back, a short lived art gallery project, The Seed, came and went. While the failure of the gallery owed more to dissension among the owners (read: money) than the building's inconvenient location, the latter unfortunately remains a factor.
To begin with, the building's on the wrong one-way street. Because Elm and Main carry much of the eastbound traffic, eastbound-only Market gets less. It is a sleepy country lane compared with the traffic flow on westbound Spring, only a block removed from Market but figuratively miles away when it comes to diverting traffic off Spring to surrounding side streets.
Also, 1515 E. Market lies in an inconvenient part of town with respect to retail; not necessarily bad, just strangely located a bit too far from some things and a bit too close to others. The reason for this is that nearby Vincennes Street once was the gateway to traffic going across the Ohio River to Louisville's west end, and when the railroad shut down the auto lanes on its bridge a quarter-century ago, the neighborhood around it began to deteriorate.
Although there are viable businesses, including Tommy Lancaster's Restaurant, Bliss Travel and Bush-Keller Sporting Goods, the area still has a rundown feeling to it.
When I lived there, it seemed to me that if it were possible to move the building to Spring or Main, a more ideal venue for coffee would be difficult to imagine. My second hope was that the nearby Latino community would establish a genuine taqueria - the sort of neighborhood place that wouldn't require traffic from far and wide for success.
Perhaps that's happening. If readers know what's happening, please let me know.
Links:
This Courier-Journal story on the Seed Gallery reflects early optimism (and has a photo of the building):
http://www.courier-journal.com/cjextra/columns/moss/moss20030613.html
Reality set in, the partnership splintered, and ...
http://www.courier-journal.com/business/news2004/06/28/F1-seed28-7546.html
Your favorite bookstore spent a considerable amount of research time exploring the viability of locating at 1515 E. Market St. The character of the main building is unquestionable with a quirky second floor, a freight lift, and randomly exposed brick interiors.
ReplyDeleteOne would hope that any buyer would retain, at a minimum, the architectural highlights on the building facade. If I'm not mistaken, that address lies within the boundaries of the East Spring Street Historic District, so I'm sure the HPC will be vigilant.
Connecting the adjoining buildings and making them an integral part of the facility may be more difficult. The differences between them are somewhat jarring, especially with the peculiar addition of a closed-in porch on the west front. That, however, could be restored to its original state and perhaps it would reveal additional consistencies.
Let's hope the owners can use the entire facility. Our economic analysis required the two adjoining apartments to be kept as income-producing units, but maybe a restaurant can generate the required traffic to justify making that public (or at least related office) space.
I'm sure it is public record, but rumor has it that the owners paid $150,000 for the building in 2003, then put it up for sale at $200,000 a few months later. A subsequent auction failed to produce a sale when the reserve price was not met. Do we know if this is a new owner? Or have the owners found a new tenant?
Best wishes are extended from all of us at the other end of the historic district. Done right, this could be another of the new treasures of New Albany.
Market Street at that location is essentially a mixed-use plat and it always appeared to me that on-street parking would be sufficient. I, for one, would urge the Plan Commission to grant a variance on the parking requirement. For retail, 1 space is required for each 200 square feet, but I do believe the requirement for a restaurant may be 2 spaces for each 100 square feet, a requirement that would pretty much wipe out any neighborhood business withing the mid-town district.
The businesses in the area called downtown, with planned density, are treated differently by counting all the on-street parking and waivers are granted regularly for new businesses locating in a roughly 4 by 4 block grid.
My friends sold it in 2003, and the new buyer & his partners were also attempting the gallery. They put it up for sale with no takers, then auctioned with no minimum. As I am told now, they're selling to whomsoever wants to do the restaurant.
ReplyDeleteOddly, as evidence of how things go in cycles, at the time I first rented the apartment from my friends, they were considering a bookstore. Their research yielded too many flags for the time and energy the had/were willing to expend.