Near-Northwest-Neighborhood-Plan-Final-Strategic-Plan-2019

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8 Ward Bakery Building The Ward Bakery Building, at the corner of Portage Ave. & California Ave., has been vacant for several years; last occupied by a small distribution company. The brick building has been a fixture in the neighbor- hood since it was built 100 years ago, in 1919. Given its location at a natural neighborhood node, it has the potential to be reused for a variety of purposes that would benefit the community. 800 Block of Portage Avenue The City owns a series of vacant lots on both sides of Portage Avenue between Rex and Van Buren Streets. In conjunction with a reuse of the Ward Bakery Build- ing and the existing buildings & activities at Portage & California Avenues, this location is a logical exten- sion of the neighborhood node and has potential for future development. Lincoln Way West & Charles Martin Sr. Drive Develop- ment Site(s) The City has recently completed work that enhanc- es the development site(s) located at the corner of Lincoln Way West & Charles Martin Sr. Drive. Recent streetscape improvements at the intersection fol- lowed the Complete Streets model and have made the intersection more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, introduced on-street parking, clarified vehicle move - ments, and removed a slip lane. The City has also acquired properties in the area in order to consolidate ownership and assist in facilitating development. Muessel School Circulation Recently, there have been concerns expressed about the traffic circulation at and around Muessel Elemen- tary School. In particular, the concerns relate to stu- dent drop-off and pick-up. This process provides and opportunity to examine the traffic flow and existing infrastructure for potential improvements. Memorial Hospital Surface Parking Memorial Hospital is a large employer and land holder in the neighborhood. A portion of its property includes surface parking lots, many that could see future demand given that their location is an exten- sion of downtown. Long term it is hoped that some of these lots will see opportunities for redevelopment to a higher use. There are not currently plans for devel- opment, however understanding the sites could be valuable in the future. Riverside Drive Connectivity and Traffic Calming Riverside Drive offers a few challenges to the com- munity – limited right-of-way width to improve path network connectivity, a traffic cut-through to down- town, and intersections with difficult geometries. This process provides and opportunity to explore possible solutions to address these issues.