CPM 16-Story Apartment Proposal - 1315-19 4th St SE (Mesa/Camdi/Chatime site)

[Silophant]

Students defend the ability of alumni to park close to Kafe 421 over their own ability to live close to campus.

Something I'm a little confused about: Both Daily pieces so far have mentioned that this project would close Mesa and Chatime, but neither has mentioned Camdi. Does that mean this project would preserve Camdi, or just that no one at the Daily cares about it?

[RailBaronYarr]

A bit less fire and brimstone in this take http://finance-commerce.com/2016/10/cpm ... dinkytown/

"CPM’s proposal would reuse the storefront facades of Mesa Pizza, Camdi and Chatime, and the developer would help to relocate the existing tenants. The upper floors would be set back to help soften the building’s height, Oberpriller said."

"Help" is a pretty loose term here, and there aren't really many vacant storefronts in Dinkytown for them all to relocate to (unless I'm unaware of some). But it's still good to see.

Side note: if I were a business owner leasing space in a hot neighborhood or one directly adjacent to a hot neighborhood, I would try to update my lease ASAP. Offer to pay a little more in the now in exchange for a greater payout/better terms if the owner sells.

[FISHMANPET]

There's still a space or two in the Varsity across the street from Target, between the Goodwill and the Great Clips.

[Silophant]

The Venue, right?

Are there any spaces left in the Marshall along 14th north of 5th?

Other than that, the only open spots I can think of are the old Chilly Billy's space and a couple basement spaces. Did anything go into the Venue leasing center next to Kafe 421? Presumably that's not really needed with the Venue open.

[MNdible]

Is the Dinkydale "mall" fully leased out? Obviously not ideal street frontage, but I'd think with a little money spent by the landlord and a critical mass of businesses, that space could really thrive.

[FISHMANPET]

Yeah, Venue. I think that leasing space is open but it's been a little while since I've been by there.

[EOst]

There's the space that Wally's will ~someday~ vacate for their new storefront too.

[grant1simons2]

Oh look I was right in the fact that there was more to the story. Once again Daily is showing a good amount of bias.

[Silophant]

Wait, where is Wally's new storefront?

[grant1simons2]

Next to Al's between Kafe 421

[Silophant]

Ah. That's why the Venue Leasing stuff is still there then.

[twincitizen]

Why on Earth would they preserve the Chatime (1315 4th St) building facade? Hopefully that changes. It'd be cool if they tore that building down and the replacement structure there was set back (nearly) as far as the Post Office / Hideaway buildings, allowing for a wider pedestrian area, landscaping, outdoor seating, etc.

[RailBaronYarr]

I'm actually legitimately interested in having a discussion why the Mesa/Camdi building is really worth saving (or preserving the facade). At least, if people are willing to say the Chatime building isn't. Of all the buildings in Dinkytown, the Mesa building has the least architectural flair. It lacks cornices, details around windows, details along the edge of the facade, etc. One might favorably call it "understated" for its period, I might call it boring. Just like the Chatime building, which lacks details and flair, but is serviceable as an urban storefront and used cheap, readily available materials of its time along the sidewalk. (as a side note, that parking entrance might piss some folks off, but I never felt like it was a safety hazard to pedestrians given its narrow width)

In contrast, the Tony's Diner/US Bank/etc building right next to it - also single story and with the same cheap-ish feeling brick - feels like a much more substantial contributor of its style (the periodic bumps up along the ridge line). I personally felt that the previous hotel proposal on this site, on the whole (faux second story notwithstanding), improved on the urban environment over the Mesa building while respecting design elements from the period.

I'll also say that I don't think any genuine conversation we have here on this thread is they type of thing most people will care about. Despite the actual presence of a tower across the street from BLoco, most people fear that a 16-story building, regardless of how far set back it is or if it preserves the storefront or not, will kill Dinkytown. The vibe, the feel, the whatever.

[Silophant]

It seems to me that this could be considered a compromise. We'd lose the Mesa/Camdi and Chatime buildings, which are arguably the most boring of the historic district, but a new building in their place and on the parking lot effectively prevents redevelopment of the Tony's-Kafe 421 strip of 14th, since such a building would only be able to be like 50 ft deep, and it'll be a long time before there's enough development pressure to do anything like that, if there ever is.

Not that the anti-development types running Dinkytown not Megatown are interested in any sort of compromise, of course.

[BigIdeasGuy]

I have a hard time understanding why 30, 40, 50, 60 somethings should get to dictate what the college student experience should be today. Yeah I understand that's how you remember Dinkytown but that's what you and your friends made it not some 30, 40, 50 60 something when you were in college. Now you want to control what Dinkytown is and can be simply because you want to relive your glory days twice a year, come on. I can understand why you prefer a coffee shop X to Starbucks and burger joint y to Five Guys but that's not what college students are wanting and demanding these days. So I guess my point is let current college students decide what Dinkytown is an should be just like you did when you were in school.

[VacantLuxuries]

Many Boomers are unable to cope with death and they deal with it by pushing their glory days on the rest of us.

[talindsay]

I was eating lunch in Dinkytown today - I usually go to Stadium Village when I eat on the East Bank - and it struck me that national chains are more prominent in Dinkytown than in Stadium Village. I'm not sure which has a larger percentage of national chains vs. local establishments, but it's certainly more *noticeable* in Dinkytown. Since Stadium Village is mostly new construction, it would seem unexpected that Stadium Village doesn't have dramatically more national chains than Dinkytown. This is just obervational, and it might actually be that Stadium Village has more national chains, but the mix is probably quite similar between the two.

[grant1simons2]

Dinkytown has far more local business than Stadium Village.

[talindsay]

As a percentage? Not doubting, just clarifying.

[EOst]

I doubt the percentages differ all that much, but I think Dinkytown has more businesses overall, and many of the locals are less visible (on side streets or buried in the backs of buildings).