I checked out the Grove Harbour project

I went to Commissioner Sarnoff's office last week to meet with Ron Nelson, who showed me the small models for the new Grove Harbour place. He didn't sell me on the place, but if we are going to have to start getting used to it, we might as well try to understand it. The main thing I noticed was that the footprint is about the same as the current Scotty's and Chart House locations. Some of the square footage seems large because the Chart House location is two stories, so it is higher than what is there now, but not larger in footprint.

The dry dock area has been shifted about 45 degrees to allow for a path from parking all the way back to the restaurants.

This is the Scotty's Landing location with the old airplane terminal behind it. Ron didn't know what was going into the terminal, but I wonder if it might not be a Chesea Market type of place. And between the dry dock storage and the garage is another space for boat storage, but on plans, it also calls for commercial space, 2700 square feet of it. 

There is a lot of surface parking, but of course there is that garage, which to me is a big sticking point of the project. But they do need spaces for workers and visitors, so there had to be parking somewhere. And as pretty as they try to make it with the greenery on the top, it is still a parking garage. Three stories high, but not higher than the hangar and some other elements.

The garage will have retail on the bottom floor surrounding it and that is what puts the word "mall" out there. In the Waterfront Master Plan, the retail is planned to be water and park related, like maybe kayaks, sporting goods or camping-type equipment or maybe a fast place to buy soda or coffee (a 7-11? Starbucks-type place)?

I guess we'll just have to see what it all comes down to. The waterfront is going to change. Traffic patterns are going to be bad in the area. That is a main concern. That was the battle so many years ago over the Mercy Hospital plans every time they want to build something there - traffic. I would love to see the traffic study for this new Harbour place. I really think it's going to be something not appreciated by locals. 

Most Grovites feel that the waterfront was sold out to the highest bidder and that it should not have been sold out at all. Others just like change and anything is good as long as it is change, which they consider progress. I think if there was no retail, that might ease some concerns, the parking garage retail spaces and the commercial space at the boat storage area are what puts "mall" into peoples' minds, even if it is boat equipment stores or other park and water related retail, it is bringing people unnecessarily to a small old-time Florida area of the Grove, that is being lost forever.

These are the plans below, please click on the image for a larger version.