Proposed project offers coffee, pickleball on Grant Avenue Parkway. Council shows interest.

A drive-through coffee shop, food trucks, yard games with green space, an outdoor walk-up bar and six pickleball courts.

Those are the amenities proposed to take up of a stretch of the city's incoming Grant Avenue Parkway at the corner of Grant and Grand streets.

Based on their comments during this week's Springfield City Council meeting, the city's elected officials seem poised to approve the proposed "Loose Goose" development. But professional city staff is urging council to vote down the Goose over walkability concerns in the pedestrian-friendly Grant Avenue Parkway.

Spurred by a more than $20 million federal investment, the Grant Avenue Parkway will create an off-street multi-use pedestrian and bicycle pathway from the city’s downtown to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium and Bass Pro Shop.

Starting downtown, the path will go west to Mother’s Brewing Company and then turn south for three miles along Grant Avenue until ending at Sunshine Street.

On its way there, the Parkway might pass this proposed "Loose Goose" development, which its creators hope will become a community hub for the West Central and Fassnight neighborhoods.

"We feel like this is a risky investment for us. We're excited to be doing it. We believe that Grant Avenue Parkway needs a gathering space and we want to build it for them..." said developer Andrew Doolittle. "After more than 25 years of vacancy, we're offering something on this site for everyone."

Coffee and alcoholic beverages at the site are being developed by Coffee Ethic owner Michelle Billionis and Good Spirits and Company founder Joshua Widner, respectively. Andrew Doolittle, Cameron LaBarr and Willie Grega lead the development of "Loose Goose" more broadly.

"Loose Goose development team is made up of local, creative and proven entrepreneurs..." reads their presentation. "We are a group of local folks who want to change Springfield for the better by bringing unique experiences to the community."

But developers are facing pushback from city staff, who say the Grant Avenue Parkway is being built to prioritize pedestrians and a drive-through could impede that experience.

"(GAP Zoning) does not allow drive-thru restaurants and packaged liquor stores. The proposed use of a drive through is contrary to the purpose of the (zoning) to lessen vehicular congestion in the streets and is contrary to promoting pedestrian access and safety," reads city staff's assessment of the proposal.

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Despite these staff concerns, the proposal was unanimously accepted by the city's Planning & Zoning Commission. It also has steadfast support from nearby neighborhood association, which sets it apart from the recently denied Sunshine Street 7 Brew drive-through coffee proposal.

"Fassnight Neighborhood believes in the vision of Loose Goose and strongly believes that this project will enhance the work being done along the Grant Avenue Parkway and ensure that Fassnight becomes and remains a more beautiful, safer, and connected community within Springfield," reads a letter from Fassnight Neighborhood Association President Nathan Cook. The West Central Neighborhood Association also supports the project.

Across the 1.47 acre site, there would be 1,500 square feet reserved for the coffee and cocktail shop with 33 parking spaces and space for 20 cars in the drive-thru. At Monday's meeting, Doolittle said the drive-thru is required to "get people introduced to the Parkway" and that its presence will not be intrusive to pedestrians.

"You won't interact with the driveway at all as a pedestrian. It's going to be completely screened from you," he said.

"At no point in time while you're on our property will you interact with the drive-thru or have to cross through any traffic. If you're a pedestrian you can still be a pedestrian and people from out of town might not even know that it has a drive thru component to it when they're using the parkway."

Doolittle also pointed to the six pickleball courts as a major draw to Springfieldians and fitting under a recent city council initiative to expand the city's sports tourism.

"We really think a lot of people from the south side of town and other parts of town will come to the Center City and re-explore it because of the pickleball. We want it to be a destination. We want to get people here and we want it to enhance the livability factor of the walkway as a whole."

Despite city staff's reluctance, city council members seemed enthusiastic about the proposal. Councilman Abe McGull called it a "good way to jumpstart" the Grant Avenue Parkway and Councilwoman Heather Hardinger called it "really exciting."

"I don't think we have anything quite like it right now. And you know, from what you're showing us, this seems to be a great place to hang out and relax and get to know a part of Springfield that maybe a lot of people haven't been hanging out in," Hardinger said.

With a sly smirk on his face, Councilman Mike Schilling asked if "pickleball could save America."

After a big laugh, Doolittle responded, "You know it might, maybe we should try."

City Council will vote whether to approve the zoning changes required for the project at their next meeting.

Andrew Sullender is the local government reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow him on Twitter @andrewsullender. Email tips and story ideas to asullender@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Proposed Grant Avenue Parkway project includes pickleball, coffee