Campustown Redevelopment
- Thread starter Haverhill
- Start date
I heard it would be torn down for a parking lot by an apartment. Of course that was a while ago and last I saw joys was still up but India palace next to it was torn down.
Yup...out with Chinese Homestyle Cooking...in with Panda Express, and if the development finds favor with the food chain gods, maybe it can snag a P.F. Chang's...
Thai Kitchen is still open, they are looking at making improvements to the building facade though. They either removed the sign to inspect the fade on the west side or it partially fell off. Joy's Mongollian isn't part of any redevelopment plans that I am aware of, although eventually I think they want to remove that building to widen the alley next to it so it is two ways. 122 Hayward will have structured parking and I think the plan might be to close the access off welch once the alley off Hayward is two way. Probably quite a ways off though if it ever happens. Also, India Palace is expected to move back into the new building once it is done and they opened up a temporary location at North Grand Mall.
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I'm interested in the hotel component of this latest proposal. I've been thinking that area near campus or over by the Iowa State Center would be a good place for a hotel. Right now all hotels are near interchanges on the edges of town.
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According to this, I'm not. Go to the bottom of current projects.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1hkureAUexQAp9w-kDtQbPYhjWkU
Some minor traffic changes coming to Welch:
http://amestrib.com/news/campustown-project-focus-bicycle-pedestrian-atmosphere
http://cityofames.org/home/showdocument?id=27565
http://amestrib.com/news/campustown-project-focus-bicycle-pedestrian-atmosphere
http://cityofames.org/home/showdocument?id=27565
A trial to see if removing parking and widening the sidewalk to make the area more pedestrian and bike friendly will work in the future when they reconstruct the streetscape (3-4 years out). Widening the sidewalk will also allow for outdoor sidewalk cafes. Personally I think the area should move toward a more pedestrian and bike friendly design since there is a lot of ped and bike traffic.
Fire station
Disclaimer: I don't have any experience as a city planner, engineer, etc.
If they're going to do a massive overhaul of the Welch Ave/Campustown area to make it pedestrian/bike only, why not relocate the FD as part of the overhaul process? Move it over to Hayward where the India Palace and Domino's locations are (aren't they closing/being forced out?) if they have to have a station in that area. Or somewhere else, I can't keep up with what has changed since I'm not in the area.
Just saying that if the FD is the only thing holding the town back from making this area a ped mall (it's the only substantial reason I've ever seen given), they'd find or build an alternative location if they really wanted it to be a ped mall.
/amateur thoughts
It would be tough to move a fire station where a 6 story apartment building is going to be built.
Pretty obvious it isn't a priority. You guys and your ped mall fantasies are weird.
A. I didn't know a 6 story apartment building was going there. Hence the "Or somewhere else..." line.
B. "Pretty obvious it isn't a priority." = my last point, exactly.
Why is it weird to think a ped mall would be nice to have there? Traffic crawls through there at all times of day, even more so at night because there are so many people at the bars, eating, walking to/from home and class, etc. What harm is there in making the area a ped mall (assuming the FD could be relocated)?
"Moving a fire station" is expensive. You make it sound like it is moving a bike rack.
Plus, they may want to keep the fire station close to a few of the dumps on Welch.
A fire truck probably would be able to get through a ped mall faster than the current street when cars are stuck in both directions on Welch. It is easier to move people than vehicles in gridlock.
