The 2000 block of Gerritt Street has experienced some changes since we last visited about a year and a half ago. At that time, vacant lots outnumbered buildings and there was one new home under construction on the block.

Today, there are six new homes on the block, with a few of them having sold at prices between $350K and $410K. Remarkably, 2029 Gerritt St. is currently listed for sale for $470K. We’re certainly rooting for ’em.

As you can sort of see in the image above though, the block is in the very early stages of a construction boom. Here, let’s back up a bit to give you a better idea of what we’re talking about.

Nine of the new homes under construction are part of the same project. This is exactly what we communicated the last time we were on this block, but at that time the project still needed to go to zoning. Clearly the ZBA gave the thumbs up for this project, which will mean eight homes on the south side of the block and one more home on the north side of the block. Unrelated to this project, there are two more foundations to be found around these parts, making for a total of eleven new homes that have just gotten started on the block.

We’re always fascinated to see the way that blocks can change, and this situation is consistent with examples we’ve seen in this neighborhood, like on the 1300 block of S. Chadwick or the 2000 block of Annin Street. At the moment, this block is a mess of construction. But in about a year, it will be radically transformed, with only a few vacant lots remaining. We’d contend that this construction will result in a major improvement to the block, though we don’t know whether the long term residents would necessarily agree. Maybe if we’re lucky, the big project on the block will match cornice lines for the older homes and have mansard roofs for the third floors. That would certainly help bridge the gap between old and new, at least architecturally.