Sperry's nears approval. D'Andrea's site continues on
Projects of note before the Planning Board
Sperry’s redevelopment almost set
The former Sperry’s property at 30.5 Caroline St. in downtown Saratoga Springs won site plan approval during the Planning Commission meeting, Thursday July 17. Site plans generally look at the location of the building, fencing, driveways and similar aspects of a project site.
The project, a five-story mixed-use building in the heart of nightlife in the city, has just one hurdle remaining before a building permit can be issued: A trip to the Design Review Board.
The DRB has already seen the project.
“The DRB approved the building at four stories with a fifth story step back,” wrote Susan Barden in an email to the Dispatch, “but the applicant needs to return to the DRB for window configuration, materials, final details.” Barden is the head of the Planning Department for the city.
The Sperry’s building had undergone many renovations in the past, and many of those will be removed from the back of the building, though the front of the main building, a small, two-story brick building facing Caroline Street, will largely remain, said David Carr, Jr., a principal with the LA Group, which is shepherding this project through Planning.
The project includes 40 apartments and nearly 3,000 square feet of commercial space on about a quarter acre, according to city documents. It is not without its detractors who think the building is too large and too modern for that block of Saratoga Springs.
The same group, GM 30 Caroline St. Inc., owns both 30.5 and the adjacent 26 Caroline St., an empty lot. Both the Sperry’s property and the empty lot will be filled by this project.
Before the Planning Board
Also on Caroline Street, the Planning Board will continue analysis of the mixed-use building at the intersection of Caroline and Pavillion Row, the former site of the D’Andrea’s Pizza and Union Coachworks. The project will contain two retail spaces on the ground floor, of 2,396 and 2,670 square feet, and 25 residential dwelling units on the top floors: three one-bedrooms units, 18 two-bedroom units, and four 3-bedroom units. The Project also includes 36 parking spaces on the first floor and below ground, documents filed with the city say. The location is already fenced off and labeled with the developer’s name Dempsey Developement. The project was part of the Planning Board workshop this week.