Edwards Communities received initial approval last month to build a four-story, 324-unit apartment complex just northeast of the newly-renovated AMC Dublin Village Theater.
The proposal calls for one large building broken roughly into three sections, each featuring an interior courtyard. Over 500 parking spaces will be offered, including a small surface lot and some on-street spots, though most parking will be accommodated by a first-floor parking garage. The unit mix will be split between one-bedroom (70%) and two-bedroom apartments.
Steve Simonetti, Vice President of Land Acquisition and Development for Edwards, says that they hope to close on the purchase of the land soon and begin construction this summer.
The City of Dublin sees the project as a crucial first step in creating the type of mixed-use, walkable district envisioned by their Bridge Street District Plan.
Dublin Planner Rachel Ray stressed that the lack of retail in this project is not indicative of the vision Dublin has for the area:
“We anticipate future projects in the Dublin Village Center area and other parts of the Bridge Street District incorporating a vertical mix of uses, including retail space on the ground floor and office and/or residences on the upper stories. Even though this particular project only involves residential uses, we don’t see it as inconsistent with our vision for a mixed use urban environment in this area – we’d like to see a mixed use ‘core’ a little farther to the south, given the size of the area.”
Ray argued that with the infusion of new residents from the Edwards project, combined with the existing anchor of the theater and a new public street grid funded by tax increment financing, a strong foundation is being laid for future development.
Simonetti echoed Ray’s sentiments. He said that while Edwards is not currently involved in plans for future development around the theater, they see their apartment project as “an important catalyst for further redevelopment in the Dublin Village Center and Bridge Street Corridor.”
More information can be found online at www.edwardscommunities.com.
