The Urban Land Institute, a nationally renowned land use and urban planning organization started assessing Irvington Plaza and a part of the former Ford/Visteon site on the east side on Monday, Feb. 11 in order to offer insights into potential redevelopment. Partnered with the Department of Metropolitan Development, for five days, they will discuss with Irvington business owners, residents and community organizations the challenges and opportunties for redevelopment of those key properties.
“We are excited to partner with ULI on this important project,” said Emily Mack, Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development. “Our goal is to explore the future potential and possibilities of these sites and identify any next steps that DMD can take to help start the process of encouraging redevelopment.”
At the launch gathering on Monday, Mayor Joe Hogsett said that the assessment was just the beginning of the conversation about the future of the area. “I would also note that my administration is made up of a disproportionate number of Irvingtonians,” he joked.
Alan Razak, the chair of the panel assessing the properties, noted that the team was comprised of volunteer experts in several disciplines, and would provide a fresh perspective without biases or preconceptions. “No one has an axe to grind here,” he stressed. After discussions with residents, stakeholders, community leaders, and the city, the panel will privately discuss findings and draw up potential redevelopment ideas, presenting them at a public meeting on Friday, Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. at the Bona Thompson Memorial Center, 5350 University Ave.
The seven volunteers on the panel include experts in urban design, market analysis, and infill projects. The ULI has conducted hundreds of meetings and assessments throughout the United States and abroad through advisory panels. Past projects include adaptive and reuse preservation in Detroit, downtown revitalization in Erie, Pennsylvania, and disaster recovery and economic development at Port Aransas, Texas. More information about the ULI can be found on their Web site, www.uli.org
Irvington Plaza was built in the mid-1950s and at one time was home to department stores, a bowling alley, and shops. As retail moved away from urban areas into suburbs in the 1970s, the plaza began to decline. Design of retail outlets also changed, and the plaza did not keep up with new ideas that maximized the shopping experience. The last large retailer in the Plaza, Marsh Supermarket, closed in 2017.
