If you use the Google Maps Time Machine function to turn back the clock to 2007 and visit the 2200 block of League Street, you'll find a block that was in pretty rough shape. At that time, a smattering of blighted homes and vacant lots were bringing down the block. The passing years have been kind though, with old homes getting renovated and new homes getting built as the neighborhood has continued to attract new residents. Today, the north side of the block is a mishmash of older two story homes and newer three story homes. The south side is the same as before, a mostly blank wall that's the back of a Washington Avenue warehouse.
Despite the progress on the block, 2211-15 League St. have continued to sit vacant. Developers bought the three lots along with a shell at 2209 League St. back in 2014, paying $655K for the four properties. They've built a new home at 2209 League St. and came before the SOSNA zoning committee a few months back for a six-unit plan for the three vacant lots. The neighbors weren't into the concept, and we were inspired to visit the site in advance of their ZBA hearing next week. What we discovered surprised us.
With a ZBA hearing coming up next week, we would not have expected to find an excavator at the site digging a new hole. Looking more closely at the posted permits, it appears the developers have changed their mind, shifting away from the six-unit plan, and they're instead proceeding with three single family homes, built by-right. We're all about density, but considering the small size of these lots (under 700 sqft), we can appreciate how single-family homes are most appropriate here. And the best news is that once they're finished, the block will be completely filled in. It'll mark the end of a remarkable change here that's taken less than a decade.