The University Impact District Review Board (UIDRB) will hear two new proposals from Buckeye Real Estate this week. One calls for a new three-story building that would sit in front of an existing apartment building on North High Street. The other would require the demolition of five existing houses on East 11th Avenue.
That proposal calls for a new four-story building at 99 E. 11th Ave., as well as a second, three-story building behind it. Each would have parking on the first floor and residential above, adding up to a total of 24 apartments and 55 parking spaces.
The rear building would face West 10th Avenue, which dead-ends into the Gateway parking garage. It would also sit across the street from another Buckeye Real Estate proposal – a long and skinny building that was approved by the UIRDB last year.
Wayne Garland, President of Buckeye Real Estate, said that the five existing houses are each in need of significant investment “to remain competitive in this ever-changing market.” To cover the cost of upgrading the buildings, he added, he could either add on to them, or “move into the future with a new project.”
“My M.O. has always been to save and reposition significant older buildings; look at everything we’ve done at Ninth and High,” Garland said, referring to his company’s renovation of a three-story apartment building at 1513 N. High St. and the historic row house next door.
“Many peers approached me about tearing down Ninth and High and going large and high,” he added, “but those buildings are much more significant in architecture and scale than (the ones on) 11th.”
The proposal has been presented to the zoning committee of the University Area Commission and to the housing committee of the Weinland Park Civic Association (where it received a split vote). Some residents have voiced concerns about the project, both about the demolitions and the multiple zoning variances that would be required to built it.
The High Street proposal has received a warmer response from neighborhood groups. It calls for a mixed-use building to be built in front of the 1960s-era Lantern Square Apartments, at 1444 N. High St. The new building would have about 2,900 square feet of retail space on the first floor along with five townhome-style apartments above.
Both proposals will be presented to the UIDRB at its meeting on Thursday.
