Q-Block and one vs. two-story structures
Submitted by Griff J Wigley on Fri, 01/06/2006 - 2:29am
Last Saturday, my wife Robbie and drove through Hastings and I noticed the new Schoolhouse Square development on Hwy. 61 in the center of town. Click photos to enlarge.
The feasibility of this type of development was a discussion item at last month's EDA forum on the Q-Block development. The consultant expressed doubts that the market would support a two-story structure like this on the Q-Block site. Thus, the PDFs of the short-, mid-, and long-term Preferred Development Alternative sketches for the Q-Block available on the EDA Q-Block Master Plan page show a one-plus story building there ("commercial infill" in red).
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One story screams strip-mall / sprall. Two story makes a solid, permanent statement. If the area can't support a two story development....should it be developed at all????
As a member of the Bridgewater-Dundas Planning Commission, I have been pushing first-floor business, second floor apartments as a way to (1) provide lower cost housing integrated into the city so that it is not pushed off into little enclaves, (2) ensure that responsible landowner's are present, (3) keep Dundas feeling like something different from the metrosprawl we see coming our way. I have heard of suburbs up north (the Twin Cities metrosprawl being "up north" to me) that are attempting this and finding quite the charm in mixed use neighborhoods.