This week, we’ve already told you about two projects coming to the South Kensington area, and today we have news about one more. The 1300 block of North Howard Street is currently a bit of a disaster. Heavy machinery has been doing demolition and clean-up work on the west side of the block for months, and numerous homes on the east side of the block sit apparently vacant and very run down. But the east side should be seeing some big changes very soon.

Large ugly garage

Rough looking homes to the north

According to zoning applications affixed to several of these buildings, North Howard Street LP will be demolishing the properties running from 1323 to 1335 N Howard St. in the coming months. In their place will rise twenty-one new homes, classified for zoning purposes as two new buildings. From what we can gather, ten of the homes will front Howard Street, and eleven of the homes will front Hope Street, a narrow alleyway that doesn’t have any residential activity at this time from what we can remember. We’re guessing that the homes will have a drive-aisle, with rear-access parking, which would explain the missing unit on the Howard Street side. The ZBA approved the application earlier this month, so we’ll look for this thing to get off the ground soon.

It’s obviously good news for the area to see new homes replace an unattractive garage and vacant buildings. We’re perhaps a little concerned about the possibility for over-supply of homes here, especially with plans apparently still in place for seventy new homes from Tower Investments within a block of here. Then again, the combination of these projects and the Soko Lofts would stand to bring hundreds of new residents to the neighborhood, giving businesses new customers and creating a new energy in the area.

New homes from Tower coming soon?

Just how quickly these projects come into focus and what success they meet remain open questions. But one thing is clear- change is coming to South Kensington, ready or not.