Avondale Estates weigh options for downtown business district

Avondale Estates’ commission and downtown development authority recently discussed seven separate concepts for developing four downtown acres that the city will eventually own.

All concepts feature a town green to the north with retail, or possibly retail/residential to the south. The tract borders are, clockwise, Parry Street to the north, Lake Street, North Avondale Road and Oak Street.

Originally the city planned to combine its property with the 15 downtown acres owned by Euramex Management. But Euramex still hasn’t publically revealed any development plans.

Further, according to Mayor Jonathan Elmore, Euramex wants a grocery store on the four-acre tract instead of a town green.

Both boards decided to hold a special work session on July 21 when they will likely settle on a definitive concept. Elmore would like to see ground broken on a development for the site sometime next year.

“Once we can commit to a development plan on the property,” Elmore said, “we hope to force a reaction out of [Euramex]. But we have to take the initiative, and then ideally we can work with them on integrating our development with theirs.”