This historic building at 1600 Callowhill St. has probably caught your eye at some point, somewhere along the line, even if you’ve never set foot inside. The handsome structure was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was once home to the Middishade Clothing Factory. It was added to the National Historic Register and the local register in the 1980s, at the same time it was converted into office space. Currently, it’s best known for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office for the region. But perhaps not for long.

Developers purchased the building at the end of last year, paying an impressive $11M. According to the zoning application posted to the building, they’re intending to radically change the use of the structure. The developers are looking to convert the building into 93 apartments with 36 parking spaces, and a retail space on the first floor. This seems like a very reasonable change to us, and with the CMX-4 zoning it’s not much of an ask.

Don’t forget, the LDS Church is building a 32 story apartment building a block to the south of here with about 250 apartment units and a bunch of retail (that won’t sell coffee or alcohol). CCP is planning new student housing buildings just a block to the east. And two blocks to the east is the Hanover North Broad project, where Parkway Corporation and The Hanover Company are teaming up to build a pair of mixed-use buildings on land that was used for years as surface parking.

As this little section of the city picks up new density and several new retail options, the conversion of 1600 Callowhill St. makes even more sense. And with roughly 1:3 parking included as part of the project, we don’t see why it would raise any red flags for the community. Has anyone attended any LSNA meetings on the project that can advise on where the neighborhood group stands on the project?