Developers for a proposed New Market Street project and members of the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association zoning committee have been at it for months. After repeated visits to present before the neighborhood, developers tweaked a few final details and the NLNA zoning committee voted to approve the project at its Feb. 25 meeting.

The property in question

The end result will mean eleven new units at 938 New Market St., a property that extends to Hancock Street in the rear. Six rental units will be found in a building fronting New Market Street, and five condo units will be contained in two buildings fronting Hancock Street. The project, designed by Fusa Design, will transform an industrial site into residential dwellings.

Rendering of the New Market side, with plans for six units

The Hancock St. side, with plans for five condos.

“We’re having a love hate relationship with that one,” Larry Freedman, NLNA zoning chair, said during a Feb. 21st conversation, days before the Feb. 25th meeting in which the project was approved.

Committee members and the architect discussed details between the numerous appearances as they tried to hash out a project worked for both the community and the developer. Parking and curb cuts topped the list of issues. One notable change made from the penultimate iteration to the approved version was the elimination of a curb cut on New Market St., but retaining 1:1 parking for the project.

Cars will enter on Hancock Street...

And exit on New Market Street

The tale regarding this project is further proof that the NLNA zoning committee is dedicated to the details of development regardless of how fast developers wish they could pass through the neighborhood process. This case also demonstrates how developers and civic groups can work together, to create a better project.

“Half we were good with, and half we’re fine tuning,” Freedman said during that Feb. 21 conversation. “They still had two curb cuts, narrowed it down to one …” Based on the fact that the project was supported in the end, it seems the fine-tuning worked out.

–Lou Mancinelli