As South Kensington has seen incredible redevelopment activity over the last few years, the 1400 block of Germantown Avenue in particular has undergone an incredible transformation. Developers have systematically bought up vacant lots and blighted buildings on the west side of the block, building over a dozen new homes and duplexes. But that's not all for this block, with plans moving forward for the renovation of a former store fixture factory at 1401 Germantown Ave. into 50 apartments and ground-floor commercial.
The last time we visited this block, back in March, we told you that the large property at 1413-27 Germantown Ave. was listed for sale for $3.9M and encouraged someone to step up and buy the property. Given the development on the block and in the surrounding neighborhood, the nearly 30K sqft parcel represented an amazing opportunity, though the price was a little bit high for our liking.
It seems someone took our advice. According to a Star News story from last month, Green Pointe Developers presented plans at a South Kensington Community Partners meeting to add four stories to the existing warehouse and convert it into a mixed-use building with 57 apartments, including 3 live-work spaces. This part of the project also calls for ground-floor retail and 32 parking spaces. They're also looking to build 18 additional single-family homes, each with parking. The story indicated that some neighbors weren't thrilled with the height and density, but it didn't sound like the developers were looking to reduce either.
The Star News story indicated that the project would come back to the community for a vote at the end of July, though we're not sure whether that happened. We're hoping that this project does take place in some form, as two reused warehouses would certainly make this one of the more interesting and vibrant blocks in the neighborhood. If anyone out there attended the followup meeting, can you fill us in on whether the developers presented for a second time? If so, we'd love to know whether the neighbors voted in support or in opposition.