Morgan Junction Park expansion update: Demolition not likely before 2016, city says

When you go to the Morgan Junction Community Festival this weekend, you might wonder about the status of the Morgan Junction Park expansion. It’s been a year since the city bought the quarter-acre parcel to the north for $1.9 million in Parks and Green Spaces Levy Acquisition Fund money, after two years of negotiations. And at the last quarterly meeting of the Morgan Community Association, it was reported that the businesses on the site might be vacating this spring. No sign of that so when we noticed a demolition-permit application in city files, we asked the Parks Department about the status. Spokesperson Karen O’Connor tells WSB they’re not likely to be demolishing the commercial building that’s on the site until next year, because the current tenants are looking for new locations:

The businesses are involved in a relocation process which will involve identifying new space that will possibly undergo tenant improvements. The process will take several months. The timetable is based on landlord negotiations at the new site, the scope of the tenant improvements, permitting, etc. In the meantime, tenants are continuing their operations at the Morgan Junction site.

Once the building’s gone, remediation will have to be done, including, according to O’Connor, “soil removal and disposal, importation of clean soil.” Before the city purchase, the site had been up for sale as a potential redevelopment site.

WS Hipster June 18, 2015 (5:25 pm)

The reader board at Short Stop states that they sell Schmidt beer. Is that classic brand still even produced?

WSobserver June 18, 2015 (8:08 pm)

The Mini Mart has everything! And the people who run it are great. I love this store.

They have all kinds of beer although I’ve never specifically looked for Schmidt, I’ll bet it’s there.

old timer June 18, 2015 (8:22 pm)

IMO, it is wrong to take tax paying properties off the tax rolls and throw people out of work to create something that will become a net drain to city coffers.
Sure, it may be appreciated occasionally by locals, but if it’s like the park site being appended, it will be a source of complaints about vagrants, and will fall to the volunteer community to maintain.
Maybe the site could be salvaged by putting in concrete pads and utility hookups for food trucks that could rent spaces from the parks dept.

Oakley34 June 18, 2015 (9:01 pm)

indeed old timer it was an awesome spot for a taco truck for about a year or so. I used to live right there and patronized that store at least weekly. I’m skeptical about the park (in general I’m all for parks, but the current one is largely unused). Maybe an expansion will make it somewhere worth visiting. Your idea to maintain a small space for some food trucks is actually amazing. It could become a great spot to get a bite and picnic, and beveridge pl already encourages outside food.

HelperMonkey June 18, 2015 (9:04 pm)

I remember back in the mid-nineties this place had the best teriyaki in the hood.

Ron Swanson June 18, 2015 (10:04 pm)

Personally, I think the mayor’s affordable housing committee ought to be commandeering it for mixed use development by bellwether or one of the other competent affordable housing developers. Damn shame to be a losing premiere retail site in a neighborhood short on it, and as others have said, this will be useless as the other half is with one of the city’s premiere parks blocks away. Still time to make it happen, Ed! You thought better of the asinine Roosevelt park proposal.

Sw June 18, 2015 (10:59 pm)

The concrete pad for food truck idea is brilliant. Wholeheartedly endorsed.

PaveOurParks June 19, 2015 (6:02 am)

Old Timer, nobody is losing a job – those businesses are just moving. The city is likely saving money by doing soil removal/site cleanup now rather than waiting to get stuck with a larger tab down the road if the owner bails (guessing that relates to the laundromat?). I think the concrete pad idea could use a little polishing. Food trucks, however cool & delicious, don’t come close to the revenue potential a retail location would have. It’s likely even with that option this would still be a “net drain” to the city on paper, just like most other parks/green spaces. Maybe if that same “concrete pad” area was designed for community uses that other nearby parks don’t offer (to the best of my knowledge)? Small performance stage for music & plays, outdoor movies, etc. Food trucks may not fly unless the park design includes restrooms, as I think the city’s own rules for food trucks have minimum sanitary requirements for patrons.

miws June 19, 2015 (8:56 am)

PaveOurParks, I hadn’t even thought about the laundromat in relation soil contamination, and I’d guess that is quite likely an issue.

But, my first guess was that it’s related to back when there were gas pumps there, and even though they were presumably filled with concrete, or removed, there is still potentially contaminated soil from the gas station days.

So, one or the other, or both?

Mike

G June 19, 2015 (10:37 am)

Prime retail location. Pocket parks are always under utilized, unless it has some specific activity, like a tennis court. Lincoln Park is just down the street and has more protection from a tree canopy during the cold wet winter.

Meyer June 20, 2015 (9:43 am)

As much as I would love food trucks there I don’t believe they would last long. There isn’t enough businesses around with employees patronize the trucks for lunch. I’m guessing most the nearby residents are gone M-F 9-5 and almost all the bars nearby serve food except for Beveridge Place which usually has a food truck parked outside.

I agree pocket parks are under utilized and would love to see this space goto retail rather than a bugger pocket park on a busy road.

Sorry, comment time is over.