Downtown Commission approves relocation of two refuse enclosures and fire-escape reconfiguration at 479 North High Street

The Downtown Commission approved a proposal to demolish and replace two refuse enclosures and to reconfigure a fire escape at 479 North High Street, a property adjacent to the North Market area.

The project, presented by Matthew Lorenz, project manager in the Department of Public Service’s Division of Design and Construction, will remove two existing trash enclosures and rebuild a slightly reconfigured north enclosure on Wall Street while relocating the southern enclosure around the corner onto Vine Street. The work also requires partial demolition and reconstruction of a fire-escape stair to accommodate new streetscape improvements.

Commissioners and members of the public debated whether placing refuse storage on Vine Street, which commissioners described as a busy pedestrian connection, would harm the pedestrian experience. Lorenz said the city is leading the work because of prior development agreements and an associated streetscape project that will remove the existing…