Word on the street has it that in a meeting last . . . → Read More: Wittigs a.k.a. Steak & Sundae]]> This article was posted exactly one year ago. Do we understand any better now the monetary and quality-of-life impact that design and development, good or bad, have on our neighborhood?  It’s time we got very clear about what we want and do not want in Eastwood.

Word on the street has it that in a meeting last night of the Common Council, the idea of demolishing the old Steak & Sundae building at the corner of James and Midler was brought up. Please correct me if I’m wrong (go ahead! down below, in the comments section), but I thought the owner of this property already asked for this and it was turned down because he had no plan for building something else there.

[Editor's note: corrections will be found in comment section.]

Why is this week any different from that week?  And why would anyone want to reward this person with what he asked for back then? The owner of this property has allowed his building to blight our neighborhood and owes back taxes on it (what happens to you when you owe thousands in back taxes?). He’s been approached a number of times by Stephen Skinner, owner of the Eastwood Plaza, with offers to buy and fix up.

Stephen has spent over $1000 in inspections and drawings, both of which he has shared with me. He has made very serious offers, including the same price that the current owner paid for it when it was still in condition to be rented. Stephen wants to keep the building, rehab it and get a diversity of businesses into it.  He has read the James St. Overlay District Guidelines and has figured out how to follow them and make a profit. So please, don’t anyone tell us it can’t be done.

I have used one of the drawings Stephen supplied to give you an idea of what can be done. Plus an old picture of the same building to do the same thing. Any comments, ideas, suggestions? Please write them in the comment box!

When it was Wittigs - do you remember?

March, 2009

Rough idea of what this might look like

A once-beloved spot allowed to decay

Stephen Skinner could make this happen for us (shop selections my own)

There already is adequate parking behind this building.  What would you like to see in this building? What are your thoughts about how to develop the intersection of James and Midler?