We visited the 1500 block of N. Stillman St. back in 2017 and found a block that was in pretty rough shape. The eastern side of the block was home to a handful of intact homes, but was dominated by vacant land, illegally stored cars, and blight. The western side of the block was in nominally better condition, with a few more residences, joined by a large warehouse that took up most of the block. At the time, we were excited to share the news that a seven-unit building was planned for the eastern side of the block, a project that was to replace a vacant home and a blighted garage. Needless to say, that building was completed years ago and remains occupied to this day.
As Brewerytown has evolved in the intervening years, this block has likewise experienced some changes. The most notable change is a trio of quadplexes plus a five-unit building (so bummed it’s not a quartet of quadplexes, but we digress) that appeared on the block around 2020, replacing a pair of two-story homes. These buildings, located at 1517-23 N. Stillman St., are collectively marketed as Viney House at Brewerytown. They are also collectively listed for sale, priced at a little over $4.1M for the four buildings. We have to wonder whether it might be easier to find a buyer if the buildings didn’t sit between two sizable empty lots.
As you can sort of see in the image above, those vacant lots are very much on the outs. To the south at 1509 N. Stillman St., foundations are already in place for a 3-story building with 14 units. To the north at 1525 N. Stillman St. is a rather large hole in the ground which will soon accept footers, then foundation walls, then a 3-story building with 16 units. This property has gone through a few iterations over the last several years, with a by-right 4-story project with 18 units approved in 2019 and a 5-story 24-unit project getting shot down by the ZBA a few years later. Regrettably, the 5th District Overlay was passed in the years since the 18-unit project came and went, limiting height to 35′ and restricting the use of bonuses, resulting in the 3-story project that will soon rise here. And thank goodness, as slightly taller and denser projects would have clearly ruined this block. Or something.
For a terrific example of how a slightly taller building doesn’t ruin this block, all you need to do it look across the street. Back in 2017, we pointed out the huge industrial building on this block which stretches all the way to 26th Street, suggesting it could be redeveloped in 6 months, 6 years, or more. As you can see, this building, originally built for the Wills-Jones Milk Company but now owned by Franklin Electric, is still awaiting redevelopment.
A little less than two years ago, L&I issued a zoning permit for this property to be renovated into a combination of artist studios and 70 apartments. We haven’t seen any construction or any additional permitting since then. So it’s possible that this project has been cancelled or simply put on hold, due to the challenging current development environment. With construction now ongoing for two modest-sized apartment buildings on Stillman Street, the eastern side of the block is on a path toward total reconstruction in less than ten years. The western side of the block will have to wait until something happens to the Franklin Electric property; though the approved plans from a couple years ago may be an indication that we won’t have to wait another decade to see some progress.