An Indianapolis developer wants to turn Union's long-vacant IGA grocery store into a 20,000-square-foot food hall with five restaurants, a bar, and seating for 450 people. But the Union City Commission isn't ready to say yes.

Doug Franklin, senior project manager at the Alleato Group, presented the concept plan for what he called the "Union Collective" at the commission's July 20 meeting. The two-story venue would occupy the former IGA at 10134 Old Union Rd. and employ about 100 people, 40 of them full-time.

The first floor would center on five food vendors, a bar, and a communal dining area with televisions. Outside, the plan calls for 7,000 square feet of patio space on the first floor and another 7,000 square feet of shaded outdoor seating on the second floor.

Franklin said the Alleato Group developed the food hall concept after the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage communal gatherings.

"They felt like we lost the connection or the connectivity of the community, so they brought about this collective or this space where families can come to reconnect or share a meal, or watch sporting events, like a basketball game or a football game, to watch your favorite team," Franklin told commissioners.

The company built a similar project, the Westfield Collective, near Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana, and operates the Liberty Collective in Cincinnati.

No food vendors have committed to the Union project. Franklin described a planned mix of pizza, burgers, and Mexican food.

That drew pushback from Commissioner Kimberly Tuyn, who questioned how the Union Collective would stand apart from restaurants already operating at Union Promenade. She cited Braxton, Graders, UDF, and multiple pizza and Mexican food options already serving the area.

Traffic was the commission's other major concern. The proposed site sits less than half a mile from Ryle High School, which enrolls more than 2,000 students. Commissioners directed the Alleato Group to conduct a formal traffic impact study after school resumes in August so engineers can capture accurate volume data near the school.

The commission also questioned whether existing drainage infrastructure and culverts could handle runoff from the largely paved site, even with a planned detention basin.

Developers said they intend to preserve wooded areas along the site's northern and southern boundaries and connect the property to the existing sidewalk network along U.S. 42 and to the planned multi-use trail on Old Union Road.

Before the project can advance, the commission wants a completed traffic study, additional drainage and stormwater retention data, and greater clarity on the tenant mix. No date has been set for the next commission review.