Lower Garden District divided over possible return of closed grocery store
The proposed return of a neighborhood grocery in the Lower Garden District got stuck in a zoning quagmire Tuesday (Aug. 22) with nearby residents generally welcoming the idea of a corner store but divided over how much leeway to give developers. Liz and Robby Blum bought the former Zara's grocery at 2042 Prytania St. in 2015 for $614,000 and have been trying to bring it back as an upscale grocery including a total renovation of the building. Zara's operated as a grocery with alcohol sales, in conflict with the underlying residential zoning of the property. The store stayed open with a legal grandfathered status as a commercial use. But the new owners lost the so-called "legal non-conforming" status while renovating the store and the property shifted to a residential zoning. The grandfathered status can be lost when a property stays vacant for six months. Nicole Webre, a consultant for the property owners, told the City Planning Commission on Tuesday that ...