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Committee clears Friendship Fountain restaurant funding; Snyder Memorial incentive deferred as DIA, council seek more review
Summary
The Downtown Investment Authority won approval to move forward with design and procurement for a new restaurant at Friendship Fountain; a $1 million reallocation intended for Snyder Memorial Church incentives was deferred for further review and for a downtown strategy briefing.
The Finance Committee approved funding to advance a restaurant at Friendship Fountain on the Southbank and discussed broader downtown hospitality plans and the Related development’s construction schedule. Meanwhile, a $1 million reallocation for incentives tied to Snyder Memorial Church was deferred for additional review.
Why it matters: Downtown dining and waterfront amenities are central to downtown activation plans. The Friendship Fountain project cleared a funding hurdle; the Snyder Memorial incentive will be reconsidered after DIA briefs the committee on its downtown restaurant strategy and available budget sources.
Friendship Fountain restaurant approved
DIA representatives briefed the committee that design work produced three concepts and a hybrid option was selected that includes a rooftop bar. The project’s building program: about 2,400 square feet of conditioned space, roughly 1,000 square feet of first-floor patio and about 1,200 square feet of unconditioned rooftop viewing/bar area. The bill authorizes the next steps, including identifying an operator through procurement and proceeding to final design; the committee approved the bill by voice vote (7–0).
Snyder Memorial incentive deferred
The committee also considered shifting $1,000,000 from a Riverfront Plaza contingency to an account for incentives related to redevelopment of Snyder Memorial Church. DIA staff said the agency planned an open disposition in the fall and believes the combined public funding (this $1 million plus a requested $3.5 million in the 2025–26 budget) would attract the developer DIA wants.
Council members raised questions about the number of restaurants downtown, parking impacts as nearby projects proceed (including the Related development), and whether the city should first present a more holistic inventory or strategy for waterfront hospitality. DIA told the committee Related expects to begin horizontal construction in the fall, subject to utility coordination; DIA said the $39,000,000 appropriation tied to Related would be funded by escrow after construction commences and matches expenditures.
Because DIA is still finalizing priorities and the council’s downtown special committee had not been reconstituted at the time of the meeting, the Snyder Memorial item was deferred until further notice so the DIA can present a fuller briefing to council. Committee members agreed a focused downtown presentation and additional coordination (including a possible special committee session) should precede council action.
Ending
DIA pledged follow-up on Related’s construction timing and to provide a downtown hospitality/restaurant inventory and plan. The Friendship Fountain restaurant will proceed to operator selection and final design per the approved motion.
