Comments for Burlington Coat, Gander Mountain eyeing old Kmart? at http://www.theind.com , comment 1 to 1 out of 1 comments http://www.theind.com Fri, 24 May 2013 09:32:43 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.theind.com/home/2810#comment-102 With Kohl's, JCPenney, and Sears, it's hardly likely that the region needs another generic mid-market department store. As long as the government doesn't give these private equity firms any freebies, it would seem to be an acceptable financial draw to get the property back into some form of tax-paying, street-watching activity. This also presents the opportunity for the PZC dept to ask for some transportation improvements to the area. Since it seems likely the existing frame of the building on site will stay, the owners should be asked to configure an express lane behind the building as a part of their existing parking surfaces, so as to do away with the movement across the front of the storefront. This should not be too onerous, and would help the city, as it planned to have Montesano construct a road just to the west of this property as part of Chateau Mirage. Now that that project has been reconfigured, returning a menial extension of South Domingue Ave. to the table, it is not likely that road will be extended to the former Whittington Loop anytime before the end of the current administration. So please Mitt Romney, give us a road! Also, the entire triple street frontage should be rethought. Some form of building anchorage should be brought up to the Ridge Road-Ambassador intersection, as it is currently, weakly anchored by an on and off again gas station, the back side of video store, and a seasonal nursery. All in all, this is still Suburbia, sheltered by high-voltage transmission lines, so whether it's a widget factory or a call center, it won't make much difference. By the way, whatever happened to the slightly state subsidized apartment compound scheduled for the area behind this place, is that still on the books? And, by the way, could we ask the developers for a concession of land along ridge road to begin a multi-use pathway for bicycling? or at least enough to allow them use of the surface parking, until a 4- lane boulevard is necessary, which would extend along the length of Ridge Road along their property? And please, ask them to give up the Crepe Myrtles, and just put up a fountain and some oak trees with a pond in the middle of the property! - Jason Faulk Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:14:41 +0100