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Forest Park URA approves boundary expansion to include Grapevine culinary incubator
Summary
The Forest Park Urban Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to expand its Urban Redevelopment Area boundary to include the Grapevine building and related catalytic sites, moving the project toward interior renovation and reuse as a culinary incubator and community space.
The Forest Park Urban Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to expand its URA boundary to include the Grapevine building and several catalytic sites, clearing the way to draft an urban redevelopment plan and start related implementation steps.
The expansion vote came after staff presented maps showing the current boundary and a proposed enlargement. Attorney Mattric Hardy told the board the next formal steps are to draft an urban redevelopment plan that describes the boundaries and to submit that plan to the mayor and city council because only the city council can establish urban redevelopment areas.
Board members discussed the Grapevine site at 833 Forest Parkway (the former Rite Aid building) and staff said the city already owns the shopping plaza footprint, including the pizza tenant and adjacent parcels the board previously acquired. Staff described exterior work already completed at the Grapevine — exterior paint, resurfaced parking lot and roof repairs — and said the next phase would be interior renovations to convert the space into a culinary incubator and community venue.
Staff described the proposed program for the Grapevine as including a drive-through coffee concept using the former drugstore drive-through, a commercial “ghost” kitchen to allow licensed production by small food entrepreneurs, a bar, a small performance stage, flex office and conference space, and three separate restaurant concepts. Renderings and a short concept video are available, staff said, and they offered to circulate those materials to board members.
Elliot Lawrence moved to approve the boundary expansion; Avery Wilson seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote with board members indicating assent.
Board members asked about parking and staff said the site’s former drugstore footprint provides what staff believes to be adequate parking and that the existing drive-through would likely be reused rather than rebuilt. Staff also said they would send floor plans, renderings and other supporting documents to the board for follow-up review.
With the motion approved, staff said they will begin drafting the urban redevelopment plan and related resolutions for submission to the mayor and city council.
