Over three years ago, we visited the 1500 block of Ogden Street and noted foundations for a five-story building immediately adjacent to a blighted shell. When we checked back on that project in the summer of 2012, we noted that the surrounding blocks of Ogden Street were mostly vacant, but had hopes that development on the 1500 block would continue and might spur projects nearby. And our hopes came true, for the most part. The 1600 block has seen several new buildings come on the scene in recent years, with mostly duplexes replacing vacant lots. Meanwhile, development has continued on the 1500 block with new buildings on both ends and a row of new duplexes in the middle.
All of the duplexes pictured above were developed by Tgt Properties LLC. Looking at this development, which we told you about last winter, one might wonder why there's a gap between the buildings. It's quite simple really- the City owns the lot in the middle. We'd imagine the builders would have been enthused to purchase it (and probably still would) but alas, it continues to sit vacant.
On the other hand, 1542 Ogden St., the site of the former blighted shell, shouldn't be vacant for long. The zoning notice indicates that a triplex was proposed for this parcel, but it got denied at the ZBA a couple of weeks ago. We'd expect the developers will revise their plans, perhaps reducing the project to two units. Still, with developers actively working on this parcel, it seems safe to assume that something will happen here eventually. As for the lots immediately to the west, they're both owned by the City. So don't hold your breath that they'll change any time soon.
This block and the block just to the west have seen big changes in recent years and it seems likely they'll continue to evolve in the years to come. The change hasn't yet come to the 1400 block, but with several vacant lots changing hands in the last few years, we'd be shocked if the vacancy persisted much longer. Sometimes it just takes one building to get momentum moving on the block. It shouldn't be long until that first building arrives and the snowball starts rolling.