At the Oct. 27 planning director's hearing, the proposed mixed residential/commercial development for the old Hacienda Gardens Shopping Center was tentatively approved for a planned-development permit. Developer Mark Tersini received final approval from the planning department on Nov. 5, after modifying the roofing material and the signs. The project is located near the Meridian and Foxworthy avenues intersection.

The project will include a total of 299 apartments, ranging between 800 and 1,200 square feet. These rental apartments will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units and occupy the space currently used by the aging shopping center.

Senior planner Mike Enderby said construction will probably begin on the southside of Foxworthy Avenue, where 55 apartments will be constructed. Current businesses located in this section of the shopping center—Albertson's, Hometown Buffet, Rite Aid, Wells Fargo, Cardinal Coffee Shop—will continue to operate.

The bulk of the project—244 units—will be constructed north of Foxworthy Avenue. Bank of America, Marie Callendar's Restaurant & Bakery, PW Supermarket and the Rotten Robbie gas station will remain, while McDonald's will move to the southside of Foxworthy Avenue. But the fates of numerous smaller businesses are still in question.

For the neighborhood group that oversaw the project, the new plans are an exercise in compromise. Developer Tersini originally wanted to build three- to four-story units. Under the current plan, the apartments will be no taller than two to three stories and will incorporate commercial retailers.

"A large group of us felt rather than spin our wheels fighting, why don't we make this a residential/commercial mix that would benefit the community?" said Rhonda Hansen, member of the District 9 Neighborhood Advisory Committee.

The committee was formed after the site was approved for a mixed-use development. During the rezoning process, which shows preliminary development designs, it was clear to city planners that the massiveness of the project was too controversial and could not go forward without community input.

The controversy set in motion a joining of forces that included Willow Glen and Cambrian homeowners who would be immediately impacted by the project. This committee met with the developer, city planners and the city transportation department monthly for more than a year to fine-tune the project. The residents were concerned about low-income housing and traffic congestion.

They were, however, assured that low-income housing would not be a part of the plan and that a $10,000 bond for a traffic study will be available after the project is completed to review the future impact of traffic in the area.

Traffic lights on both Foxworthy and Meridian avenues and Meridian and Hillsdale avenues will be modified to accommodate traffic flow. And a new light will also be installed at Foxworthy and Hillsdale avenues, said Enderby.

Even with the joint efforts of the residents, developer and city, there are still some residents and businesses who are not pleased with the proposed project.

Longtime area resident and development critic Joe Pottgieser has concerns over the high number of renters and car density the project will generate. He also worries that Hacienda Gardens owner Garrett Rajkovich will allow the new development to slip into disrepair.

"If you give this person a brand new shopping center, due to his history, it'll be a bigger mess on his hands," Pottgieser said. "It'll be a ghetto in no time."

The shopping center is what Cardinal Coffee Shop's attorney Joseph Durante calls "absolutely ugly and unsightly."

And Durante's viewpoint is shared by residents and business owners alike, as the shopping center continues to dilapidate. Many of the small business owners have been on a month-to-month lease for many years and are paying below-market rents because of the shopping center's poor condition.

The Cardinal and other retailers such as Rite Aid continue to have issues with ample parking.

On the upside, however, Hansen said the development will help revitalize the area and the center.

"For the most part, it's a good project," said Hansen.