South Edge Lofts
The South Edge Lofts are a proposed mixed use development on St. Joseph Street between Washington Ave. and Capitol. The $13 million project will consist of 50 apartments and approximately 13,000 square feet of office space. The facades of two existing buildings, The Blake House and 617 S Capitol, will be incorporated into the new apartment building's facade.
1/7/2016 Press release - South Edge Lofts
1/7/2016 From LSJ: New mixed-use project set for S. Washington Ave
Comments
Anyway, I said it way back when they originally did the change, but the new design is magnitudes better than the older one, which looked as if they'd literally put a sliding metal garage door on one of the major frontages. Yeah, maybe this is a bit unimaginitive - though I'd say that's better than being too imaginitive with the freakshows that are Marketplace and Midtown - I'd much prefer this to something that looked like a half-a-step up from a light industrial warehouse.
I also would like it if they redesigned the intersection and S. Washington Ave Bridge over I 496. Some sort of awning over the sidewalk would be nice for protection from the elements and the view of the traffic racing below, over what is now a very low railing. There could also be pedestrian cross buttons and right turns must stop for pedestrians signs. I walk across that bridge and intersection often, a lot of people walk there,I think it must be the most used pedestrian crossing over 496, it is not pleasant . Lately the sidewalk has been iced over. It looked like they shoveled the walk but it was covered over again by the plows.
They could have some nice plantings as only three of the five lanes are used for traffic, so there is a lot of open pavement. Right now the intersection and bridge are a real barrier for people downtown who might say want to walk the few blocks to REOtown for lunch or visit Cooley Gardens. I think if it were a more pedestrian friendly area many more people might consider doing just that.
The biggest difference I notice is that the new renderings have an uglier top floor. Where the previous one was glass the new one is some sort of cladding.
That said, the more I look at this, the more I wonder if the blocks directly along the service drive streets (at least on the north) shouldn't just be office space and maybe some ground floor retail? I realize people already live in the Blake House, but I'd like to see resident stuff at least a block from the freeway and use office uses as a buffer. The more I look at the site and the corner, the more I think it should have been reserved for a much more prominent building instead of this kind of "neighborhood" structure. Actually, maybe it's not the housing, so long as its tucked away from the corner, but maybe the corner lot at Washington should have been saved for a legit high-rise? Something just doesn't feel right about the mix of usages and the massing at this particular location. It feels more like something that should probably be on the east bank somewhere along the many vacant lots along Cedar and Larch.
BTW, notice on the site plan the proposed rezoning of the existing buildings on the block to G, which I believe is apartment shop (i.e. mixed use). I wonder if the "rearranged parking area" will take out the historic house on Hillsdale? I'd really hate to see that. It appears to be just out of view on the site plan.