This morning, we wrote that a three-story, 98-room hotel had broken ground last week in Jeffersonville. The $15 million Marriott TownePlace Suites, being developed by ARC and Dora Hospitality, is to be built across the street from Big Four Station park, where the popular pedestrian and cyclist bridge touches ground in Indiana.
In our report, we lamented that developers had eliminated a retail component from their plans, creating, effectively, a blank facade along the park. But today, Nathan Pruitt, Jeffersonville’s Director of Zoning & Planning, told Broken Sidewalk that retail should never have been dropped from the plan in the first place.
According to Pruitt, the project’s development plan had already been approved with a promise of about 1,200-square-feet of retail space—and the city is not prepared to see it go. It turns out developers brought construction documents to be approved by the city and a good catch caught the missing retail.
Jeffersonville is sending the project back to the Planning Commission on July 26 to discuss the matter. Among the possible outcomes, the commission could reject the revised development plan without retail, requiring a new compromise to be made, or the developer could go back to the original approved plan.
Given the hotel’s prominent site next to the park, this is welcome news for Jeffersonville.
[Top image courtesy City of Jeffersonville / Facebook.]
Nice to know that there is at least one local municipality that doesn’t roll over and let developers do whatever they want in the name of ‘progress’
Glad to hear that retail is not being overlooked. Downtown Jeffersonville NEEDS some retail to balance out the restaurants and to cater to those that visit the restaurants. On the other hand, 1200 square feet isn’t very much retail space. Let’s hope ARC and Dora Hospitality comes around to doing the retail space.
Another example of Jeff standing up for itself. Take notes, Louisville.
1,200 sf is pretty small. Tiny, upscale boutique or artisan space would be better than a coffee shop that may compete with established local businesses.
“upscale boutique or artisan space”
Sorry. Not that type of demographic in Jeff.
Awesome look for hotel for Jeff. But do they still want them residents (houses) in this area.It seem they would use this for parking.When I was down there had to parked 3 blocks where I was going.There was others talking about it too.It looks great and it’s about time Jeffersonville getting something instead Clarksville.JEFFERSONVILLE NEEDS TO KEEP SHINNING. Good job Mike Moore Team.