Is Riverside/Avondale Ready For Mellow Mushroom?

[thelakelander]

If we get anything that looks like the Double Wide Grill, expect riots in the streets. I'd far prefer to see something like Leon's Full Service . . .

I had a chance to see their preliminary plan earlier this week and I think you'll be impressed.  It won't look like the Double Wide Grill.  I'd wager to say, it may be one of the most impressive products to come to the Avondale strip over the last decade.  They appear to be going above the required minimum, which is pretty refreshing.

[zedsdead]

Leon's Full Service rocks. If Mellow's gas station conversion can be like that, we have a complete winner on our hands. who is doing the design?

[fieldafm]

I have spoken with the Town Center folks in the city who thought that even closing Ingleside at Riverside Ave in the evenings would be a great solution, because it turns that area into a giant parking lot and makes the area more pedestrian friendly.

That is indeed correct.  In fact, if you dig up the Town Center conceptual plans the closing of Ingleside was discussed before the city actually implemented the streetscape improvements a few years ago. 


I didn't include it... but I absolutely agree with you that this area would benefit greatly from the implementation of pedestrian crosswalk measures like they have in:

St Armands


St Augustine

[fieldafm]

Leon's Full Service rocks. If Mellow's gas station conversion can be like that, we have a complete winner on our hands. who is doing the design?

Valentino has teamed up with architecture and interior design firm D Coop who have worked on such buildings as the new Black Sheep Restaurant being constructed in Five Points, Uptown Market in Springfield and Pulp in San Marco.

[strider]

Is it just me or do most of the people who live in places like Riverside, Avondale and Springfield just think living in an Urban environment would be cool, but they really do not want to do it?  After all, these places are only sort of urban.  Many have driveways for their cars, the vast majority still drives wherever they go. 

I know that in Springfield, the "cool kids" always said they wanted this walk-able and busy Main Street corridor with all these big named franchises here, but as I see how the residents of Riverside and Avondale reacts to real potential growth, I know Springfield would be exactly the same.  This brings to mind the question of if an area has lost it's basic features needed to be truly walk-able, meaning in my mind, the mass transit, the density to support it without driving, then perhaps walk-able development needs to be redefined for today?  That parking and driving must be an integrated function of modern urban development?

For instance, the Dancy Terrace area at Springfield.  That cool cottage community everyone wants to save.  It can be saved, but it will be nothing but low income without parking.  Really low income.  Then, of course, people will do nothing but complain about that.  Including the ones that lead the fight to save it.  So, unless parking is part of the plans, no one will be happy and the chance of truly saving the community will be less likely.   Doesn't the same issue apply to the commercial areas? 

I suspect places like Avondale and parts of Riverside are going to be the guinea pigs for what will be needed, but Springfield with it's current, well pretty much nothingness, is ripe for new ideas.

[fsujax]

Well, as a residnet of Springfield I don't have a driveway and I would for one welcome dense clustering of retail along Main St. Luckily for Springfield traffic and parking I think would be less of an issue. Main St is a US highway with ample capacity to handle all kinds of new development. Throw in a streetcar and we would be set. Springfield has great connection for ingress and egress throughout the community. 8th St and Main St give the neighborhood a great advantage with easy access to I-95, 21st Expressway (MLK) and Downtown.

[cline]

I didn't include it... but I absolutely agree with you that this area would benefit greatly from the implementation of pedestrian crosswalk measures

Agreed.  It is a very easy and low cost solution that could be implemented almost immediately.  These crosswalks are all over Florida. 

[Captain Zissou]

Mellow Mushroom will eliminate about 15 parking spaces around the service station building that now serve the area, and, natch, create a need for many more spaces. The only place the cars can go is into the surrounding residential streets. I'm a few blocks away and hopefully insulated from having to wake up on a Saturday or Sunday morning and move Bud Light beer cans, cigarette filters, and other rubbish from the street, but those living closer to the Shoppes can expect that on a regular basis.

Most of the restaurants and shops in the Shoppes are small storefronts, and I for one would prefer to keep it that way. Mellow, another growing chain operation with low to medium priced food, will be large, and will attract a class of diners less inclined to concern themselves with finding an appropriate place to discard their rubbish.

If we let people eat $10 pizza they're going to corrupt our children and steal our women!  NOOO!  FBC, save us!!

I believe the 15 'spaces' you are referring to are the ones that are currently on the Shell station's private property.  It is just an act of kindness on the owner's part that anyone can park there in the first place.  Any business that takes the place of the shell station has a right to remove those parking places if they see fit.  What many other tenants wouldn't do is provide for alternative forms of transit and create a public space like Mr Valentino is doing.  I think Avondale is lucky to have him as a business owner and the other owners should follow suit. 

Fortunately I only live about a half mile from the strip so I can walk to my favorite watering holes.  I have walked home down Van Wert a number of times between 11 pm and about 2:30 am and have never felt unsafe.  The only unsavory building or area on that whole route is the apartment building right next to the edible arrangements building. 

I was in Decatur last month and had a chance to check out both the Brick Store and Leon's Full Service and they are both great.  Brick store had hundreds of beers and some of the tastiest food I have ever had.  I'm still thinking about the Grit Cakes.  I didn't dine at Yeah Burger, but I got to see it and it looked great.  unfortunately I made the mistake of eating at Taco Mac.  Fail.

[mtraininjax]

unfortunately I made the mistake of eating at Taco Mac.

Its that particular Taco Mac that is the issue, the one at Virginia and Highland rocks!

[AvonD]

This article is hysterical (funny), I suspect when the real issue is brought to the front things will skew more towards hysteria. 

The question is not whether it is "fun" to have high density places (really - Brooklyn and Harlem comparisons?) spring up in Avondale but rather why well funded corporations (of any type) should be granted exceptions so they do not have to providing parking spaces required under existing zoning regulations (i.e. for non contributing structures)? 

Is this not prejudicing the small business who would also like the benefit of similar zoning exceptions, but lack the lobbying dollars to put on a PR campaign and hire the "right" lawyers?  How many more similar exceptions are going to be sought and granted?  What is the point then of zoning?

[peestandingup]

Our city is full of obese people, and perhaps we could all use a bit more walking to become a healthier place to live, I know, walking a few blocks is so hard on the couch potato.

Yes, its amazing what a little extra walking will do for someone's health.  I also agree with the concept of a four-way stop sign instead of a more expensive traffic signal.  The four-way stops would also be a great idea for half of downtown's intersections.

Yep, agree. I always park a couple blocks away when going to Five Points/Avondale if I'm driving, especially during lunch hours or weekends. It's not a big deal & I always think "you idiots are here fighting like cats & dogs for a primo space. You couldn't just walk a little & not have to do this??" I think honestly its just the mentality of a car-centric town. People want to treat the core like they do the suburbs where they can just park next to the door. Obviously it doesn't work that way.

Anyways, this sounds like a good argument for more bike/pedestrian networking & public transit to me. Because this WILL get worse.

[tufsu1]

The question is not whether it is "fun" to have high density places (really - Brooklyn and Harlem comparisons?) spring up in Avondale but rather why well funded corporations (of any type) should be granted exceptions so they do not have to providing parking spaces required under existing zoning regulations (i.e. for non contributing structures)? 

except that the current codes don't require providing additional parking when renovating existing structures in this part of ASondale

[AvonD]

Have you looked at intensification of existing use?

[Tacachale]

Well written, Mike. Short of knocking down buildings for parking lots or artificially restricting new business, Riverside-Avondale really has no choice but to embrace alternative transportation solutions.

[thelakelander]

AvonD, could you direct us to the specific requirement you believe results in a parking exception for this project to go forward?