Though South Kensington has experienced a wave of redevelopment, there are still many buildings in the neighborhood that remain in poor condition. It's unfair to pick on one, but that's just what we're doing today as we consider 406-408 W. Jefferson St., a former auto garage. The property came to our attention recently as a neighbor noticed a violation posted on the door. There's also a construction fence surrounding the front, forcing pedestrians into the street.
The building wouldn't even stick out all the much but for the second story, which seems to be a cinderblock wall with nothing behind it. It has a raft of violations on it, the most recent of which declares the building unsafe. The building got new owners at the end of last year, and we wonder whether they'll simply demolish the building and replace it with two townhomes. Should that happen, the people who eventually move here will have a newly renovated park in their backyard.
Benson Park, which runs from Lawrence Street to 4th Street just below Oxford, recently underwent a large-scale renovation, seeing older trees replaced and new pavers installed. It looks like it got new fencing, new lighting, and new seating too. With so much redevelopment taking place in the neighborhood, it's nice to see a little stretch of public space getting some attention. With the recent investment in the park, it seems likely that it will remain a neighborhood amenity for decades to come.