The changes around the intersection of 16th & Parrish are symptomatic of what's been happening in Francisville as a whole over the last several years. For quite some time, the eastern side of 16th Street was dominated by a combination of vacant land and an overgrown and abandoned construction site. The western side of 16th Street wasn't much better, featuring a few battered buildings and a staggering amount of vacant land that wrapped around to the 1600 block of Ogden Street.
But things have improved dramatically and the trend is continuing. On the eastern side of 16th Street, the Vineyards at 16 project has filled in many of the vacant lots, though a few vacant City owned properties have led to gaps between buildings. Vineyards Cafe opened last year at the corner of 16th & Ogden, and we recommend the crepes.
Across the street, we've slowly watched as the 1600 block of Ogden Street has filled in with new residential buildings, but 16th Street has been slower to follow suit. A couple months back, we told you about plans for a four-story duplex on the western side of the street at 834 N. 16th St., and in the time that's passed since then a foundation has appeared.
If you visit this location today, you'll also notice that another building is under construction on this block. 824 N. 16th St. is now getting framed out and it will eventually be a duplex, though it will only rise three stories. And it will surely be a nicer looking structure than the buildings next door.
It's worth mentioning, as we did previously, that other developers are planning more projects for this block. According to the L&I Map, two lots immediately next door to the current framing are being combined into one lot and that project will mean four units above a commercial space. And then there's another duplex coming, in between that project and the foundation pictured above.
With all of this new construction and so many new people moving to Francisville, it seems like Ridge Avenue is poised for a major retail boost. That being the case, it's probably a really good thing that several new buildings are in the pipeline for this commercial corridor, like the recently completed building just to the south.
What kinds of businesses do you think we can expect in the near future on Ridge Avenue?