Title
Bethel Garage (B)
Explanation
The Bethel Garage is a historic building located at the intersection of Southeast 1st Street and Southeast 1st Avenue, directly adjacent to the Downtown Plaza. Until September 2007, the building housed ticketing operations related to the RTS transfer station that was formerly located at the Plaza. However, the ticketing office (as well as the adjacent bus stop) has recently been relocated to the new RTS transfer facility at Depot Avenue. The CRA is therefore examining the redevelopment potential of the Bethel Station. The building's location in the heart of Downtown, proximity to other attractions, and prominent visibility contribute to a high redevelopment potential. For these reasons, the CRA has requested to be the lead agency in Bethel Station redevelopment. The City Commission approved this request on September 24, 2007.
The building is unique in design and is designated on the Local Historic Register. As such, staff does not anticipate or plan that redevelopment of the site will alter the external appearance of the Bethel structure. The interior of the structure will require significant changes. The building itself is quite small, and the interior space totals less than 500 square feet. Due to the size of the space, it is recommended that the site potentially be redeveloped into a food service establishment; however other uses may also be considered. The structure's interior will require remodeling. Currently half of the interior space is occupied by two identical bathroom stalls. Because the building's interior is so small, it is recommended that one bathroom will be removed and, along with the current office area, will be converted into a new workable floor area. This area would comprise a kitchen if a restaurant/cafe use is chosen for the site. Customers could then order food to take off site, eat at outdoor seating provided under the building's front canopy, or eat in additional seating areas...
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