March 31, 2015 · Exit133

Dreaming Big for Hilltop's Vacant Spaces...

In his latest column, The News Tribune's Matt Driscoll takes a look at development in the Hilltop - and specifically at the lack of development on one particular block of the neighborhood - the block where the vacant (did someone say haunted?) Rite Aid sits.

He begins with a little optimism about the future.

Things are happening on the Hilltop.

Of course, if you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve heard plenty of declarations regarding the area’s imminent turnaround. Hilltop has been on the verge of revitalization so long that it’s sometimes hard to take the notion seriously.

But that optimism is tempered by the all-too-visible question posed by the empty drugstore building. Rite Aid still has six years left of a 22-year lease. Despite the more than $500,000 it spends annually on that lease, however, the chain doesn't seem to have much interest in subleasing the space. So there it sits. A depressingly vacant block at the center of what plan after plan for the neighborhood has idenified as a major growth hub.

It seems quite possible that the space could continue to be a black hole of development for the next half-dozen years... But we're always game for a little optimistic speculation - what would you like to see take over the old Rite Aid space?

And while we're at it, what about some big ideas for this lovely empty space...?

Read Driscoll's column here.

Filed under: Neighborhoods, Hilltop, Developments

6 comments

Jesse March 31, 2015

It's to bad the City can't collect and package land for developers... Hilltop is yet another great example of why this might be a good tool for the city.
JDHasty March 31, 2015

It might make a good night spot. It could be called Brown's Star Grill.
JDHasty March 31, 2015

“Getting that Rite Aid, historically, it was a huge community effort, in terms of design and what people wanted,” Walker says. “People wanted it to be beautiful, and not the typical Rite Aid building. Rite Aid was going to be the turning point for the rest of the hill to develop. “For whatever reason, it didn't work out.” First off having the City get involved in siting the building so that it faced away from the street was not a good idea. Secondarily, I used to pass right by it before the one-way streets were changed to two way operation. I stopped in frequently and picked up items even though I don't live in that neighborhood. I just avoid going downtown anymore, it is too much of a nuisance.
Jim C March 31, 2015

Note another article in today's TNT about the Key Bank branch closing. Somehow someone is going to have to convince people with money they want to be here or nothing's ever going to change. Running the Hobo/Tourist Express up the hill is not going to do it, I don't think.
Ken April 1, 2015

Maybe the space could be parceled into multiple spaces. An indoor year round farmers market where people in that area could get fresh produce would be awesome. Maybe some other kind of retail could get in there as well if the space were separated into a few pieces.
talus April 2, 2015

Driscoll was a great hire -- he is single-handedly accomplishing the unlikely task of making The News Tribune relevant to its unnamed community. I like the Farmers Market idea -- maybe run by Spaceworks?