NUR Update - Demolition, Transportation and Canton

It's been a while but there are a few things cooking that I thought were worthy of an update.  First, if you haven't heard, there will be a bond referrendum on this November's ballot.  Check out the details at the Roswell Patch here.

Now here's what we've seen & heard around town:

If you haven't seen the initial drafts of the proposed City Hall square, you need to.  We posted on this previously, City Hall Square Gaining Traction in Roswell, and the Roswell Neighbor has a good article here.  This is a project that has captured the hearts and minds of many people within the city.  It has the potential to define Roswell for decades to come.  I personally think it can and should be re-worked into a large roundabout configuration and my freind Lew Oliver has drawn it out very well... unfortunately I don't have that drawing to show you but trust me, it builds on the initial draft and is amazing. 

Monday marks the opening of Pure Taqueria here in Roswell.  I've been a fan of Pure since it first opened in Alpharetta and it will be great to have one here in Roswell.  

The owners of the old red building on Atlanta Street just to the north of Spiced Right have requested permission to demolish both of the structures on the property.  Both of structures have been vacant for 10+ years and are in very poor shape.  I believe this to be the first step toward a potential development of the area into the pedestrian street that was proposed by Andres Duany in the Historic Roswell Master Plan.  I do hate to see the 100+ year-old buildings go but they have been neglected and vacant too long.  My personal philosophy on historic preservation is if what we get will be significantly better than what we lose, then make way for progress.  Otherwise, preserve the old.  

The owners of Table & Main and the future Osteria Mattone have requested permission to remove the attached garage and old shed from the Osteria Mattone property.  No loss there and we will soon (next summer) have a great Italian spot on Canton.

The renovation of the old Pasti's location seems to be slow goings right now.  The Irish pub/restaurant Mac McGee is supposed to be opening up there soon.  Their Decatur location seems to be doing well.  I'm looking forward to catching an EPL game there one of these days.

There is some activity going on toward the north end of Canton Street these days too.

The old Indigo restaurant on the north end of Canton will soon be known as Bistro 1170.  The owners are looking for some slight modifications to the facade with a pitched metal roof over the seating.  

A sign is up for a boutique candy shop called Sweet! in the bottom of the mixed-use building at 1141 Canton St.  I can think of one little girl who will like this place and I'm really glad to see something finally going in to that building.

There's a big sign up in front of the mayor's property at the corner of Woodstock and Canton but I'm not sure what that's about just yet as I didn't get a good view of it.  I wish it were the arbor that we wrote about previously but I doubt it.

A business owner is petitioning the city for a conditional use approval to put in a used car lot at the old Bank of North Georgia building at 1184 Alpharetta St.  Former mayor Pug Mabry is leading the charge against this and has delivered a petiion signed by virtually all of the residents in that general area requesting that the city deny this approval.  He points out that there are already 13 used car dealerships on that road.  I agree with them, we don't need another used car dealership in that area and it goes completely against what the city wants to accomplish along that stretch of road.

Last but not least, if you have ever walked from Diesel to Nine Street Kitchen on the north side of Norcross Street, you probably realized that there were no sidewalks.  Well, your prayers will be answered sometime in the coming months.  The overall contract was for sidwalks along Hembree Road (multi-use path), Pine Grove Road, Norcross Street, and reconstructing two existing crosswalks at the intersection Alpharetta St and Magnolia St as well as constructing a new sidewalk on City Hall property.