February 11, 2010

Hadley Parking Lot

PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE Definitive Site Plan Caravan Development, LLC has applied for Definitive Site Plan Approval under the requirements of the City of Worcester Zoning Ordinance. The applicant proposes to construct a 51-space temporary surface parking lot until such time that financing for a permanent parking garage can be secured for the adjacent Hadley Apartments as part of the Beacon Place Condominium project on property located at 661 Main Street (PB-2010-004). This area is zoned BG-3.0 (Business, General), Arts Overlay District, and Chandler Street Parking Overlay District. A public meeting will be held on this Definitive Site Plan on February 24, 2010, at 5:30 PM in the Levi Lincoln Chamber 3rd Floor of the City Hall, 455 Main Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. This application may be viewed 8:30am-2:00pm at the Division of Planning and Regulatory Services, 44 Front Street, Suite 510, 5th Floor, Worcester, Massachusetts. Stephen Rolle, Clerk Worcester Planning Board February 10, 2010

2 comments:

David Z. said...

"The applicant proposes to construct a 51-space temporary surface parking lot until such time that financing for a permanent parking garage can be secured for the adjacent Hadley Apartments as part of the Beacon Place Condominium project on property located at 661 Main Street (PB-2010-004)."

This part of the notice definitely seems to indicate the developer plans to pursue the adjoining Condominiums to the Hadley. Like a lot of development projects (Filene’s Basement in Boston & Worcester’s CitySquare), it sounds like they are at the mercy of the lenders.

On a related note, there were 2 restaurant proposals for the retail space at the city owned garage on Major Taylor Blvd. As previously pointed out in this blog (where the news breaks first), one of them is the Niche Hospitality Group (new proposed location of Bone, BBQ & Blues) and a proposal by Eric’s La Patisserie. According to Julie Jacobsen a decision is expected soon on which proposal gets the nod.

The Hadley Building, where it was originally goin to be, never had a chance to land the newest restaurant venture from the Niche Hospitality Group once they got wind that the city would front $250,000 for a build-out at the Taylor Garage along with $150,000 for the kitchen to comply with the city’s grease trap ordinance.

And before you even say anything Jahn, this is the reason that the restaurant will not be in the Hadley Building. It had nothing to do with the parking.

Jahn said...

David wasnt one of those subsidies a grant and the other one a loan?

The grease trap dinero ($150,000) was the grant and the $250,000 was to be a loan. I wonder if they'll being paying prime plus or a flat 5% on it?

So think about this...the city enacts a grease trap ordinance that forces restaurants to spend 1000's to comply. Then in order to lure a new restaurant to a piece of real estate owned by the city, the city ends up commpleltely subsidizing ($150,000) compliance with a new ordinance that was just enacted. Also will they pay full sewer discharge fees associated with a new use (restaurant) for that site.

So if you're an existing Worc. restaurant, obvioulsy you are pi++ed. Call it the "CDC'ing" or "The Hanovering" of a new commercial enterprise by the city.

An unfunded mandate from the city to all restarants and the City has the cahonnes to complain about the Blackstone Treatment sewerage plant unfunded mandates.

Then step back and think if you're a long time commercial Worc property owner looking to possibly score a new restaurant enterprise for your vacant commercial space and you see this subsidy and how they lose out on a potential tenant. Then think again about how you as comm. property owner have to pay a comm. tax rate that is 2x what residences pay. I mean WTH!!!!!

As far as the Hadley getting had by the city subsidy to the new restaurant location...well hey the Hadley would not even exist were it not for millions in gub'mint subsidies already Handed Over to them...what goes around in subsidies, sometimes comes around to bite ya in the gluteous maximus....and son of a gun they aint even got the money to fully build out the projects req'd parking. WTH is a temporary parking lot and how much gravel runoff can we expect from that? Is temporary parkign lot defined in zoning ordinance?

David forget about the parking there, what about egress to & from any parking that finally goes in there...given the traffic mess that already exists in that intersection. Fire dept. s/b speaking up about the add'l congestion that will result there. How will they get from the Coney Island fire barn to an elderly fire on Murray Ave (or is that Wellington?)