The mixed-use property would be built at 411 West Commercial Street. It would be four stories tall and about 41,000 square feet. The development would include 42 affordable housing units.
The biggest concern raised at the July 10 Springfield City Council meeting was parking. The current plan would rely on public parking and would not include additional parking spaces. Bruce Adib-Yazdi spoke on behalf of the developers during the public hearing.
“The Com-1 district doesn’t require parking, much like the downtown district does not require parking. We are in a similar scenario here," he said. "When a city designates a particular district not to require parking, there’s got to be collaboration among with downtown stakeholders—and in this case this downtown is Commercial Street—as well as the city to come up with the long-term solutions for parking.”
Irene Schaefer, who spoke at the public hearing, recently owned property on C-Street. She told council members there is already a parking problem in the area.
“The fact is that we need that parking with or without this project. We get tight down on west end with parking, and it’s not something that is just readily available," Schaefer said.
Christine Schilling lives, owns a business and has developed five properties on C-Street.
“Every single piece of property that I’ve developed, I provided parking for. I think that in today’s climate, that’s a realistic expectation and a realistic consideration that a developer should offer," Schilling said during the public hearing.
The developers received Greene County ARPA funds for this project.
Springfield’s Planning and Zoning Commission does not recommend approval of the proposal, but Springfield Planning and Development staff recommends the applicationbe approved.
City council is set to vote on the issue atits meeting on July 24.
