Latest Version of Cannery Project Retreats from Walkability, but may offer More Housing

The City's now published a formal Notice for a Public Hearing on the former Truitt Bros. site. It will be before the Hearings Officer on September 25th.

We've already mentioned the big style shift for a mansard roof detail echoing the mansard roofs of the long-gone 19th century mill buildings just to the south.

That's essentially a decorative detail for a bit of historical context.

Last year's renderings with plaza/walk
and retained 1914 building (2023)

A more structural element is the way what had been represented as a central plaza and walk (above) is now a parking lot with a smaller path alignment (below).

New plan. Building 5 = 1914 structure
The courtyard/walk is now a parking lot

That really shifts the project from something centered on walking to something much more autoist. There's still a line on the map for a path, but it is more peripheral now.

Latest overall site plan = tiny path, lots of parking

The retreat from a pedestrianized plaza not a reason to oppose the project, but it is a reminder not to get too attached to the first concept drawings and the hype around walkability. This is going to be a much more autoist project.

At No. 7 a parking garage previously (2023)

One reason for the change might be that the third building is housing now instead of a parking garage. (The two images flip north from right to left.) It might be that the total number of parking stalls is less and the total amount of housing is more. That would be a good change!

Additionally, even if the project wins approvals now, the applicant does not yet own the property, a design for Front Street is not settled, and the details for it in the 2024 drawing remain speculative.

Note also that these latest drawings do include trees. On FB a person objected that the elevations showing the new mansard roof did not include trees, but the site plan does show numerous trees in the landscaping.

Once the Staff Report and applicant narrative is published there might be more to say. But with ownership not yet transferred and with a new design for Front Street a few years away (not to mention funding for it, which will not be small), it's hard to project this as a near-term project and it seems unwise to get very attached to any details.

See previous notes on the Truitt Bros. site and cannery here.