Neighbors green light massive new development project at 24th and Washington

Plans for development include four separate industrial-themed buildings totaling 80 units and more than 45,000 square feet, featuring townhomes, duplexes, condo units, multi-family apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail space.

A rendering of the proposed project at 2401 Washington Ave. Provided by Noah Ostroff.

The South of South Neighborhood Association announced Friday that residents within its district voted 60-8 in favor of a massive new apartment complex at 2401 Washington Ave. planned by developers Mickey Murray and Noah Ostroff.

Ostroff’s plans for development include four separate industrial-themed buildings totaling 82 units and more than 45,000 square feet, featuring townhomes, duplexes, condo units, multi-family apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail space on Washington Avenue, according to his zoning attorney, Hercules Grigos.

“We tried to design a project with a variety of housing stock that has houses, condos, rentals of all sizes, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, affordable housing units, tons of bike parking,” said Ostroff. “We really care about this neighborhood, we take a lot of pride in it, and this project is something that we want to be proud of.”

The project also includes 8,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor fronting Washington Avenue, 66 bicycle parking spaces and 38 parking spaces for cars, three of which will be allotted for electric vehicles. The dwelling units will be a mix of for-sale properties and rentals.

According to Ostroff, 12 percent of the project’s total units will be available for affordable housing contingent with 60 percent of the area’s median income. Of the rental units alone, 18 percent will be allotted for affordable housing.

The lot is currently zoned I-2, which does not allow for residential use. To build the project, Ostroff’s team must either file for a variance or seek to change the actual zoning of the lot, which would require action from City Council. At the meeting, Ostroff said his company plans to seek an ordinance to change the zoning to IRMX – or industrial residential mix – in an effort to build the project.

In previous meetings, members of SOSNA’s zoning committee praised the building’s architecture, incorporation of street trees and preservation of a wide sidewalk along Washington Avenue (the plans along Washington Avenue are to have an 11-foot-wide sidewalk).

In a previous meeting, Grigos said that construction of the project would likely be completed in phases, with the townhomes, which would be built along the Kimball Street side of the project, likely being completed first. A community benefits agreement has yet to be finalized for the project, however, SOSNA vice chair Nolan Tully said he anticipates its completion sometime this week or next week. Tully provided SPR with a list of key aspects he anticipates being in the CBA once it’s finalized. Among them are provisions for street trees along 24th Street and Washington Avenue, installation of trash receptacles, a mandate that the project will have a private trash removal service, a mandate that the sidewalk along Washington Avenue is 11 feet wide, a mandate for bike racks, a mandate that the project has 10 affordable units (nine one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit) that are affordable to people with incomes at 60% of the area median income, a preference for at least 35% of building contractors to be certified minority and women owned businesses, a preference for 20% of commercial tenants to be certified minority- and women-owned businesses and a request that employment opportunities will be provided to individuals living in the neighborhood and surrounding ZIP codes.