An agenda item for the December 11, 2023, Richardson City Council meeting caught my eye. The City is on the verge of using eminent domain to acquire parts of two properties on Main Street across from the Police Department. One property is the address of the Ice House. The other is the address of Spice of Richardson, an Indian restaurant.
Four years ago, I wrote a blog post ("The Ice House Goeth") giving the history of a little, neglected, unused commercial building on Richardson's Main Street in old downtown. I didn't stop at giving the history. I also advocated for the City of Richardson to do something to preserve this little bit of its history. I didn't hear from the City at the time. I still haven't.
Is this the chance for the City to finally do something about saving the Ice House? The agenda item doesn't say what the public purpose is that the City has in mind for acquiring the properties. And it doesn't specify what parts of the properties the City wants. But it does specify just how many square feet the City is seeking to acquire. And it isn't much.
For 306 E. Main, the Ice House property, it's 556 sq ft. That's barely the size of the Ice House itself. It's equivalent to an eight foot wide strip of land along the curb. That's consistent with a road widening project. Given that the Ice House is about 34 feet away from the curb, it looks like the City can take the land it would need to widen Main St without requiring anything be done to the Ice House itself.
For 310 E. Main, the Spice of Richardson property, the City is looking to condemn 2,570 sq ft. That's equivalent to a 14 foot wide strip of land along the curb. If it's really a street widening project we are looking at, I have no idea why the City would need a wider strip from this property than from the other.
Those are all the clues available in the incomplete details on the City Council agenda. I can't connect the dots in a way to give hope that this latest move will save the Ice House. The fact that the City is making a hostile move against the property owner of the Ice House suggests that I shouldn't count on the City and property owner cooperating to save the Ice House, even if either party wanted to. Sadly for me, each time the City does something in old downtown Richardson, that wrecking ball swings a little closer to the Ice House.
"City's hidden plans,
Ice House fate in the balance,
Thread of hope wears thin."
—h/t ChatGPT
The City Council approved resolutions to exercise eminent domain on the two properties. We learned more details. The purpose of the taking is indeed a street widening project. The City wants to add a turn lane to Main Street (of course). The Ice House is unaffected. Except the property owner is probably going to be less likely than before to be interested in preserving it in the City's interest.
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