Residents of the Mifflin Street neighborhood heard presentations by area developers regarding two proposed apartment complexes on Mifflin and Dayton streets Tuesday evening.
The first development, set to be located at 431 W. Dayton St., is a four-story complex divided into four separate units with 23 bedrooms total. Developer Daniel Bohl said as of this point, provided the proposal is approved by the necessary committees, construction is set to begin February 2011. Construction is expected to finish by August of that year.
The project drew some scrutiny from some of the residents present because in order for the construction to take place, an existing house must be demolished. The property, by Bohl’s estimation, had been built in the late 1890s.
When questioned as to what had been done regarding passage through the city’s Landmarks Commission, Bohl said the commission found no issue with the demolition. He added the commission found there to be no notable historic value to the property.
Bohl said the intended tenants of the property are primarily students, though he added the property will be designed in such a way that it would be adaptable to owner-occupied housing, similar to condominiums.
The project is slated to go before the city’s Urban Design Commission in the coming weeks.
A second project at 416 W. Mifflin St. will take the place of the vacant former Planned Parenthood and the parking lot next to it.
This project is also projected to have four floors, though the plans stipulate for a single level of underground automobile, bicycle and moped parking.
The plans include 33 separate units with 55 bedrooms in all. Architect Gary Brink noted this would not contribute to a higher density in the area with the ratio of units to bedrooms.
Some members of the audience were concerned with yet another high-rise apartment complex catering primarily to students going up in the city. The sheer amount of undergraduate students in the West Mifflin Street area had become problematic with respect to police calls, noise complaints and the condition of properties.
Brink said this would hopefully not be a major factor in that the property owners and managers intend to seek different tenants.
“We’re going more toward, perhaps, the older student,” Brink said.
Still, some present at the meeting were not convinced catering strictly to graduate students and young professionals was entirely feasible.
Property owner Ron Fedler of Goldleaf Developments said many of the concerns about parties, behavior and maintenance of the facility are largely a result of the conduct of property management groups within the building itself.
Fedler added proper management and taking into account the nature of the neighborhood can assist property managers in adequately providing a safe and calm atmosphere for their tenants and members of the community.
“The neighborhoods tend to drive who lives there,” Fedler said.
