Rezoning request made

City officials today filed an application to rezone the land for the Harrison Square project. Greg Leatherman, deputy director of development, said the entire project area will be zoned as a central downtown district: CM5A.

Leatherman said the commercial zoning is perfect for downtown because it allows for all types of development, including the ballpark.

“It’s a downtown zoning that allows for a mixed use this project represents,” he said.

The rezoning will go before the City Plan Commission in July, but the commission will not hear the project’s development plan. Leatherman said while the commission typically likes to hear rezoning requests with a development plan, it was important to move forward with the rezoning request first to meet timetables.

By getting the commission to debate rezoning in July, it gives the City Council time to approve it in August. The non-binding contract with Hardball Capital calls for construction to start in September.

Leatherman said the city will have the project’s development plan ready to submit for the plan commission’s August meeting. The council does not have to approve development plans.