A little over a week ago, we gave you the good news that a long-vacant lot on the corner of 2nd & Reed was slated to become six new market-rate houses. At the time, we noted the various benefits to the location, including the popular Herron Playground and the relatively new ice cream cafe Brown Chicken Brown Cow. Likewise, we pointed out that four new homes sold just a block to the north in the last year, and at pretty good prices.

Six homes coming up

Our only concern for these new homes was the fact that a burned-out warehouse was located a block away, a terrible blight that made a lovely area seem a little less attractive. But today we (belatedly) bring you tremendous news! According to the Friends of Titan Park, zoning notices recently went up at the burned out warehouse, indicating that developers intend to tear it down and replace it with eleven new single-family homes.

This will be gone

As will this

We don’t have too many details at this time, but we do know that ten of the homes will have two-car parking, while one home will have no parking. One would guess that the layout of the development will have half of the homes fronting 2nd Street while half front Hancock Street, with a drive-aisle in the middle. We would also strongly suspect that the developer is not the longtime owner of the property who was using it for illegal auto repair, but a new owner who has experience doing large-scale projects like this.

We’ll try to get some more info in advance of the neighborhood meeting on April 10th, but even without any additional knowledge this is huge news for this neighborhood, which will see new homes replace a long-time and short-term source of neighborhood blight. We do regret that the old building could not (or will not) be saved, but the fire surely ended any chances of that happening. Then again, without the fire, this warehouse could have remained in its previous condition for years to come, so it seems that some good will come of it in the end.