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    Pavey Square Project Gets Major Design Update

    The developers of The View on Pavey Square will return to the University Area Review Board (UARB) next week to present an update design update for their mixed-use proposal.

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    Most significantly, the large new building located in the rear of the property is getting a height reduction and a new architectural style, while six buildings on High Street will be renovated and preserved. The only two buildings slated for demolition and replacement in this version of the proposal are at the corner building at Northwood and High that currently houses Cazuela’s Grill, and the red wooden farm house beside it.

    “That corner building is in pretty bad shape, and doesn’t have a true relationship to the other six buildings,” explained Mike Balakrishnan, founder of Celmark Development Group. “The new building will be adding a new element that won’t be conflicting with what’s in that area. This corner is really vital — it will create a gateway to Pavey Square, and will be a nice area for people to congregate.”

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    Balakrishnan said that the original contemporary look to the project, created by BBCO Design, highly contrasted with the existing architecture, so they’ve worked with the firm to move toward a more “complementary design”.

    “I’m sure the UARB will have a lot to say about it, and we’ll work with them to find the right balance,” he stated. “One of the things they previously rejected was the idea of a sheer wall along the alley, so we’ve created some vertical and horizontal setbacks to create some variety that doesn’t look totally out of place.”

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    The building in the back of the property has been reduced to six stories with a basement. The basement and ground floor will contain parking, while floors two through six contain a total of 107 apartment units. The new corner building at Northwood would include eight additional apartment units on the second and third floors.

    “Since we’ve reduced the scale of the building in the back, it virtually disappears from the front,” said Balakrishnan. “It’s more of a human-scale streetscape from the previous designs.”

    In between the existing and new buildings would the inclusion of many outdoor amenity spaces. Shared walkways create places for residents and visitors to gather, and sidewalk patio spaces for restaurants.

    Balakrishnan reiterated that the overall designs are still a work in progress. The original concept called for the demolition of five of the existing structures on High Street, with an 11-story building built on top. Many neighbors expressed concerns with the project, which has gone through several rounds of revisions.

    This is the result of a cooperative effort,” he said. “We heard what community said — that preservation was paramount. We’ve made a tremendous amount of investment in and around the campus, so we’re here for the long haul.”

    The updated proposal will go in front of the University Area Review Board at next week’s meeting on Thursday, March 17th at 6:30pm.

    All renderings via BBCO Design.

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