New retail, restaurant design for former Reddi-Arts filed for conceptual approval

The Downtown Development Review Board is scheduled to review another set of designs for the redevelopment of the former Reddi-Arts building on Hendricks Avenue.

The board could vote Nov. 10 on the plan to repurpose the four existing buildings on the Southbank site into what the DDRB staff report released Nov. 3 says will be a mix of retail and restaurant uses.

Kings Ave Properties LLC, managed by Dav-Lin Interior Contractors Inc. President Allen Stevens, bought the almost 1-acre site at 1037 Hendricks Ave. in April from Chase Properties Inc.

The site is bounded by Hendricks Avenue to the west; Kings Avenue to the east; bbs restaurant to the north; and Dogtopia to the south.

A floor plan and renderings in the DDRB report show the company wants to turn “Building A” into a 4,352-square-foot space and “Building B” will be 2,638 square feet.

The owner would demolish a portion of “Building D” because of its overall condition, according to the report. The remaining structure would be an 897-square-foot space.

The floor plan shows “Building C” divided into five spaces totaling 5,356 square feet.

The plans do not indicate which spaces would be retail and which would be reserved for restaurant use.

Former Reddi-Arts owner Bruce Meiselman sold the building to Chase Properties and the business to Kelly McCormick, who moved the art supply store to Springfield.

Chase Properties planned to redevelop the property as a two-building, 10,500-square-foot retail/restaurant project called Southbank Crossing.

That design won DDRB conceptual approval in December 2019. Chase Properties closed on a $1.6 million purchase in January 2020.

Chase Properties Manager Mike Balanky said in April 2021 that conversations with restaurant tenants stalled during the coronavirus pandemic.

Stevens’ company bought the property for $2 million.

He did not immediately return a phone call for comment Nov. 4, but it appears his plans for the property have shifted.

In April, he said the site would be redeveloped into a 14,000-square-foot mixed-use development. About 8,000 square feet would have been office space for Dav-Lin and the other 6,000 square feet would be leased.

The renderings show Group 4 Designs is the project architect.

The report says DDRB staff recommends that the board grant the project conceptual approval.

DDRB staff wants the developer to add a larger sidewalk and show fencing and/or a wall along Hendricks Avenue to screen the parking lot to the final design, the report says.

The project will return to the board for final design approval before Stevens can break ground.