Around the corner from the 4000 block of Baring Street, a block that's seen dozens of new student rental units appear over the last several years, it seems even more student apartments are on the way. Last week, we attended the ZBA presentation for 3900 Warren St., a large warehouse that was at one point a Monarch Storage property. Despite the fact that it's four stories tall, it's actually easy to miss because Warren Street is kinda hard to get to.
Originally, the developers were looking to create 23 apartments in the building but after meeting with the community they came down to 20 units. It's just our opinion, but apartments would seem like a much nicer option than the auto garage that's been using this building in recent years.
It was clear that the project is a bit divisive, as some people came out in support of the project, grateful that the developers came down to twenty units. There were a couple of people that didn't like the project, insisting that the neighborhood needs more housing for families and less for students. This argument rings true to a certain extent, though we would contend that this isn't a place that families would want to live. Remember, there's a ton of student housing right around the corner. So we're not so sure that there would be any demand.
If you couldn't already tell, the ZBA approved the project. We expect it will be ready for occupancy in time for the fall 2016 semester. And if we're lucky they'll maintain the ghost signs.