If you’ve found yourself on Neil Avenue north of OSU recently you’ve probably noticed the large empty lot left by the demolition of six houses at the southeast corner of Neil and Tompkins Street. The houses were recently taken down to make room for a 17-unit apartment complex being built by Breco Building and Development, the development arm of Buckeye Real Estate.
The complex will feature four two-bedroom townhomes along Tompkins, eight along Neil and two three-bedroom townhomes facing Bucks Alley. There will also be a three story building oriented towards the corner of Neil and Tompkins that will contain one two-bedroom flat on each floor.
Wayne Garland, President of President Buckeye Real Estate and Breco Building and Development, explained that most of the work they do involves the “renovation and repositioning” of existing homes, and that they only demolish when the buildings are “not worthy of repositioning.” He called the six structures that were taken down “aged and dilapidated houses,” and expressed his conviction that the new project would be an improvement for the neighborhood.
Garland said they hope to break ground in the next few weeks on the project, which was originally approved by the University Area Commission in late 2011 and City Council in July of 2012.
Rendering provided by Architect Barry Jardine.