1717 Ingersoll Avenue

[Aulus]

I see that the Simonson group is now in the process of building what looks like a retaining wall on the Ingersoll side of the property, cutting back a bit into the hill to do so.

Good, as the usual practrice until now was to just slap a new layer of asphalt over it and have done with it for five or so years, only to do the same again. This was true when the property was a Ford dealership, then Conway Buick and then Stiver's. It looks to be a definite improvement.

However, the parking on the 17th Street side still looks like crap. Is it just too damn much trouble to send in a couple of guys with a lawn mower and a weed whacker to tidy it up?

[Mastermind]

Is it really that important at this point? They are renovating the building, and there may be snow on the ground in the next 4-5 weeks, I think you can handle the weeds til then.

[MusicMan]

I see that the Simonson group is now in the process of building what looks like a retaining wall on the Ingersoll side of the property, cutting back a bit into the hill to do so.

Good, as the usual practrice until now was to just slap a new layer of asphalt over it and have done with it for five or so years, only to do the same again. This was true when the property was a Ford dealership, then Conway Buick and then Stiver's. It looks to be a definite improvement.

However, the parking on the 17th Street side still looks like crap. Is it just too damn much trouble to send in a couple of guys with a lawn mower and a weed whacker to tidy it up?

It is being used as a staging ground for the High Street appartments and for the 1717 project... calm down, it will be fixed up soon.

[Aulus]

Excuse me?

I was talking about the strip between the curb and the side walk on 17th from the corner of Ingersoll to the alley behind the building, not the lot behind the building. The current owners apparently do not care that it has been looking like crap at least since the spring. Eric Wessels came here two weeks ago and posted the following: "The deteriorating sidewalk along 17th is being removed and replaced. As that occurs, the planting areas will be addressed.", yet it remains the same. Like I've said before, an hour or so with a couple of guys with a mover and weed whacker and the problem is solved. I guess the example of lot care shown just across the street at the old Crescent Chevrolet lot is just too much bother for these guys.

I'm sure 1717 Ingersoll is going to look great eventually. As I've said above, the retaining wall they are putting up on the Ingersoll front of the property is a vast improvement over the way it has been for twenty-some years. I applaud the fact that they are renovating the building for other uses instead of just bulldozing it down to an empty lot. I just wish they'd show a little more pride in how the place has looked for the past months and now.

[MusicMan]

OK.

Yes, it is nice to fix things up. Sometimes it is low on the priority list though. I'm sure it will all look good soon.

[Aulus]

On update, I happened to drive past there tonight and mirabile dictu, they have mowed the parking.

Color me happy, at long last.

[Eric Wessels]

Sorry it took so long. It is also miabile visu. (I looked it up)

[DMRyan]

Eric, has there been any luck on getting the restaurant space out front leased yet? I just can't help but remark that this area of Ingersoll was heading into major eyesore status with the 3, now 4 car dealership parcels going under and out of business. What a difference it will make to have the two largest of the 4 cleaned up and used again for the next half century. Now, on to getting the old Crescent Used Car lot and Stew Hansen's Used Cars sites filled up with more appropriate development.

This isn't a knock on a great local business but someday G & L Clothing could be the ugly duckling on the block, which is surprising since the building only dates back to the late 1990's.

[Eric Wessels]

There has been a lot of interest. The site work is scheduled to be complete before the asphalt plants close, so once that is done it will be easier to show the place and give potentials a better feel. I'm optomistic that we will be able to start work w/ a tenant before the work is completed on our new office.

[wmjindsm]

I did see some movement in the restaurant space today. Hope that means things moving along with a tenant.

[dogbo]

Frank's Pizza?

[Eric Wessels]

We've been in for a few months now and the space has been fantastic. We hosted the Wandering Gallery for the last month and it was fun to have them here. It created an interesting dynamic. There is activity in the restaurant. Hope something can be announced in the near future.

[WaterlooDave]

Any updates on the photos on this project? I was talking to the owner of one of the businesses located in this project at his office here in Waterloo last week. The conversation made me curious about how the exterior turned out.

[DMRyan]

We'll have to get a few snaps the next time we're out on photos updates. They went all out on the landscaping and it really cleaned up the property. The exterior isn't a dramatic difference from what you see in the photos above, but the red sign pole on the front of the structure has been repainted and reworked and has a neat little white neon row of ribbon lights.

[dogbo]

There is currently zero activity on the restaurant space and the "for lease" signs remains. If this was going to be the new Frank's Pizza, I'm starting to think the deal fell through.

[Eric Wessels]

I don't know what Frank's Pizza is, but it was never a part of any conversation I am aware of. Some deals take time and with the slow recovering economy, everyone is a bit cautious.

[Better Life dude]

There is currently zero activity on the restaurant space and the "for lease" signs remains. If this was going to be the new Frank's Pizza, I'm starting to think the deal fell through.

I think Frank's Pizza wants to go in at the new Ingersoll Square building. A birdie told me that.

[conquistador2]

Eric Wessels said:

I don't know what Frank's Pizza is

I was going to make a really smart alec comment about Frank's Pizza being the best auto dealership in town, but then I remembered that this message board is a little more civilized than most.

Speaking of Frank's, in this week's "Juice", there is an interview with Justin Gross, who is a co-owner of Frank's. It's a little odd, because he talks about Frank's in the present tense, but there is no mention of a new home. They've been out of the scene for a few months now, so I really don't know what is going on. Their website still says they'll be announcing more news on a move to Ingersoll soon, too. Maybe we guessed wrong on the exact location. They wouldn't be fixing up the old Hardee's or something like that, would they?

[wmjindsm]

The last week they have been working on the still empty space of this building. They replaced all the glass windows, not sure what else they are doing. No leased sign so this may just be upgrades being done.

[dsmspence]

It's going to be a yoga studio - They're making the necessary improvements and doing quite a bit with that space actually. (I work in the building, not for Simonson, but for one of the other half dozen companies located here.)