South Avenue redevelopment: Is Dairy Queen next to go?

Will the Dairy Queen property and those to the west of it
soon attract the gaze of developers?

Redevelopment in Plainfield appears to run on the pizzaria principle: A developer orders as many slices of land as they are interested in and the Administration relays the order to the City Council, which orders the Planning Board to put the slices in the oven.

You could be forgiven for thinking that's the way it goes. Especially after witnessing the Nishuane Group's presentation at last Thursday's Planning Board meeting.

While City Council technically directs the Planning Board to conduct a study, my bet is that you would draw nothing but blank stares if you asked one of them why a residential property on Terrill Road was included in the study and the 7-Eleven store on the corner of South Avenue and Terrill Road was not.

Back in the day, the Planning Board designated a lot of areas "in need of redevelopment" but developers were scarce as hen's teeth.

Now, however, there seems to be much more likelihood that a designation will lead to a project, with a developer designated.

If a developer (or developers) are eyeing the stretch on South Avenue from east of the Dairy Queen to Terrill Road, does it seem beyond possibility that the Dairy Queen and the properties to the west of it will soon attract the gaze of a developer also?

And if we put out of business the businesses that made South Avenue a thriving business area, what will replace them?

The fate of the Netherwood Cafe should be kept in mind: they are still in business (as Sheelan's Crossing), making money -- but just not in Plainfield.

Would we want to see that happen to the rest of the businesses on South Avenue?

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 -- Dan Damon [ follow ]

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