Plan commission rezones two South 4th Street parcels to 'industrial mixed' to allow a wider mix of uses

The City Plan Commission approved a substitute ordinance to rezone two parcels at 2156 and 2166 South 4th Street from Industrial Heavy (IH) to Industrial Mixed (IM), a change staff said aligns with the Harbor District Riverwalk plan and will permit a broader range of uses in an existing multistory building.

Kristen Connolly of DCD planning explained the rezoning request, noting the north parcel contains a multistory building and the south parcel is a city-owned vacant lot. "The plan supports transitioning this area from exclusively industrial uses to a more diverse mixed use environment," Connolly said, adding that the change will allow uses such as day cares, schools and studios. Bill Cinski, representing the landlord, told commissioners that market interest favors a broader mix of tenants and that about half the building is already occupied by a daycare that had been approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Commissioners asked whether the proposal had Harbor District support; the developer and staff said it did. After discussion, a motion to approve the zoning change carried by voice vote.

The approval rezones the two parcels to industrial mixed, which staff said will better support reuse of the existing building and future Riverwalk continuity along the Kinnickinnic River.