Ice House slated for North Gates

A new restaurant is slated for the North Gates of LSU in the old upstairs location of Godfather’s at Highland Road and West Chimes Street—if you’re old enough to remember eating pizza there. But as of now, applicant Jim Porter has a logistical problem: There’s no parking. He’s asking the Planning Commission to waive the requirement for 53 parking spaces he would ordinarily have to provide in order to open. Though the item appears on the agenda for the commission’s meeting Monday, a commission spokesman says it will be deferred until the Sept. 17 meeting. Some business owners in the area have raised objections to the Ice House deal precisely because of inadequate parking. However, a Planning Commission staffer says many of the new businesses at the North Gates—including newcomers Five Guys Burger and Fries and Chipotle Mexican Grill—wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for similar parking waivers. Even The Chimes had parking waivers before it built additional parking behind its restaurant, says project coordinator Ryan Holcomb, and many of the establishments rely heavily on foot traffic from campus—especially during the football season. The building where the Ice House wants to locate last housed a restaurant in 1995. —Adam Pearson