Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pirates Alley topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pirates Alley renderings prompt short-term beautification plan, but delivery access and stakeholders complicate overhaul
Summary
An Urban Land Institute presentation recommended repaving, landscaping, dumpster screening and temporary activation in Pirates Alley; board members and stakeholders warned that supermarket delivery access and nearby residents limit permanent changes.
Staff presented Urban Land Institute (ULI) renderings and short‑term recommendations for Pirates Alley that emphasized beautification: repaving, landscaping, improved dumpster enclosures, public art and temporary activations like pop-up coffee vendors or a container shop.
"The main challenge, and Frank talks about this all the time, is the delivery trucks that have to go through there, to deliver goods to the, the presidente, supermarket," Staff member (S1) said, noting that the supermarket owner (Sunbeam) supports restricting deliveries to certain hours but is skeptical about a permanent conversion to an active, Lincoln Road–like commercial district.
Board members broadly supported low-cost early steps — repaving, seal coating and improved screening for dumpsters — while recognizing the need to coordinate with stakeholders and developers. Staff reported that quotes for more elaborate string-light installation were "a little bit over a 100,000," prompting commissioners to emphasize incremental, temporary interventions while long-term redevelopment proceeds.
Frank outlined low-cost activation ideas — short-term sports uses, pop-ups and temporary markets — and commissioners discussed identifying a "champion" on the dais to move the project forward.
