Board approves demolition of two Granville Street buildings to clear way for Rosefront Park expansion

The New Albany Architectural Review Board voted Dec. 9 to approve a city‑sponsored demolition of two buildings at 21 and 37 West Granville Street to enable future Rosefront park improvements.

City staff said both structures — the old gas station/convenience store and an adjacent former police‑department building — were donated to the city earlier in the year and are wholly or partly within the 100‑year floodplain, which limits commercial redevelopment. Staff said the buildings have little architectural significance and that demolishing them would allow the city to extend the park and advance park planning.

Board members asked whether the project would include burying nearby utility lines and whether parking areas and curb cuts would be removed. Staff and a council representative said burying lines would be evaluated by the park design team and that curb cuts may be removed, though temporary retention of some pavement for laydown during construction is possible. Members also asked about environmental remediation of underground fuel‑storage tanks; staff said some remediation had been done when the gas station closed and the administration would double‑check outstanding liability and remediation records.

A motion to approve the demolition passed unanimously. City staff explained gas‑station removal is expected relatively soon, while demolition of the former police building may be deferred or used temporarily for laydown as park planning continues. The action clears the parcels for future park design work.