A proposal to build two four-story buildings that would hold a total of 32 condominiums in Grandview Heights went before the city’s Planning Commission Wednesday night.
The buildings would be located at 1562-1572 and 1574-1578 W. First Ave., between Broadview Avenue and the grounds of Edison Intermediate and Larry Larson Middle School.
The Deyo Davis Funeral Home has occupied one of those parcels for many decades, while a two-story brick office building occupies the other. Both buildings would be torn down to make room for the condominiums.
The project went before the Planning Commission for a preliminary site plan review, meaning no vote was taken on the proposal.
Despite the preliminary nature of the meeting, a standing-room only crowd of residents attended to hear about the proposal and to voice their concerns. Multiple residents also wrote emails laying out their opposition to the project, and many spoke up at the meeting.
“Those in attendance had concerns about height, scale and massing…traffic and proximity to the school was also a concern,” said Patrik Bowman, Grandview’s Director of Administration. He added, though, that “many were appreciative of the thought that went into the concept.”
“I was a little surprised by how many people showed up,” said developer Scott Owens, who is pursuing the project along with two other partners. “I think it was a good process for everybody, though…there was a lot of information exchanged, people had an opportunity to give us their feedback, and we were able to explain what we are trying to accomplish.”
First-floor parking garages in each building would provide space for 38 cars, while a rear surface lot would hold an additional 13. A row of private garages located along the north property line would accommodate another 19 cars, for a total of 70 spaces.
Access to parking would be provided via a curb cut on First Avenue as well as a second entrance from Broadview, which would go behind the existing apartment building on that corner.
Owens, who also developed a three-story apartment building on King Avenue about two years ago, hopes to reach an upscale, empty-nester market with this project.
“I know there are a lot of folks in Arlington and Grandview that want to stay in the community but don’t want the yard work,” he said. “They want to be able to walk to restaurants, and that’s what’s remarkable about this site — it has the best proximity I’ve seen, for an infill site, to what is really the heart of Grandview.”
The site is currently zoned for commercial use, which Owens thinks would actually be more disruptive to the neighborhood in terms of traffic and character than a residential project.
“We’re going to take a few days to think about it, and get together and talk,” said Owens, adding he expects to return to the planning commission with revisions. “There’s always an opportunity to adjust to meet people’s needs.”
Visuals by Paul W. Kelley — Architecture by ArchAll.