Page 144 - Michigan City, IN US Highway 421 Corridor Plan

5.3 Design Guidelines

Urban Block Building In mixed-use block types secondary entrances should be located
along the central open space or plaza.
A. Intent Statement
A building designed for occupancy by retail, service, and/ or In linear retail areas, urban block building groupings longer than
office on the ground floor, with upper floors also being configured 250 feet shall include a mid-block pedestrian way.
for office and/or residential uses. Parking is accommodated in
shared lots or in a parking structure. H. Parking and Access
Vehicular access for parking and loading is at the rear and side
B. Façade Width of the building via Access Roads only.

Maximum of 225 feet.
Parking may be accommodated at the rear of the building in up
Facades greater than 175 feet in length must have at least one to two levels of above ground podium, below ground, or both. A
façade break of at least 20 feet in length and 10 feet in depth. liner of developable space shall conceal above-ground podium
parking from view.
C. Building Height and Massing
Above ground surface parking is permitted in the rear of the
Maximum building heights vary, see Section 5.3.1, Block Type building with frontage along Access Roads.
Development Standards.
Above ground surface parking may be forward of the building
D. Building Materials and Transparency
when the building’s primary frontage is along an existing Urban Block Building Diagram
Building materials include stone, brick and glass. thoroughfare.
For street facades: With a storefront or a storefront café a Surface parking areas shall not front Commercial Streets or
minimum of 70 percent transparency is required, 65 percent Single Lane Boulevards.
otherwise.
I. Outdoor Space
For non-street facades: Minimum of 65 percent transparency.
At least 15 percent of the lot area shall be provided as outdoor
Upper story façades: Minimum of 30 percent transparency. space.

Blank, unarticulated walls facing streets are prohibited. Urban block buildings in Mixed-Use Blocks shall organized
around a central open space or plaza.
E. Corner Treatment
Permitted outdoor space types that count towards the
The corners of buildings located at the intersection of two streets satisfaction of the required amount of outdoor space are
should be emphasized in order to create identity, take advantage designated in Section 5.3.6, Open Space Standards.
of the high visibility and enhance wayfinding.
J. Landscape and Buffering
F. Frontage Types
Service areas should be screened from view by either hedge
Permitted frontage types: storefront, storefront café, urban rows, walls or fencing.
frontage and dooryard.
Urban block buildings that have a façade along an existing
Developments must also comply with permitted frontage types of Michigan City thoroughfare should incorporate screening in the Urban Block Building Illustrative Photo
the block type development standards (See Section 5.3.1). form of trees and shrubs to further enhance the façade.

G. Pedestrian Access and Entries
Entrances shall be on the primary street façade of the building.
When urban block buildings face existing thoroughfares, the
primary entrance should be located along road corridors that
provide vehicular access.

Secondary building entrances should also be located along other
building facades when connections to pedestrian sidewalks can
be made.
5-25

Adopted: August 16, 2016 Implementation 5.0