It seems like a lifetime ago that we first brought 263 N. 3rd St. to your attention, but according to Google it's only been like 2.75 years. Back then, we heard rumblings that work was getting started on the blighted and vacant former home of Lite Bite, but had no clear information on the subject. We speculated that another restaurant would make sense for the first floor space, and that an addition with some nice apartments would be extremely appropriate at this spot.
Within six months, the property was going to zoning for a four-story addition with six apartments, and commercial on the first floor. By the summer of 2012, the vast majority of the building had been demolished, with the exception of the stone architrave in the front. This was permitted by the Historical Commission, with the thought that the existing structure wouldn't be able to bear the weight of the proposed additional stories, and because the stone in the front was the only historically valuable component of the existing building. So then it looked like this:
We checked back again in the fall of 2012 as construction was underway, and promised to check back a few months later to provide an update. And in a sense, we were honest in that statement, as here we are fifteen months later checking back in on the project. And wouldn't you know, as more than a year has passed, the building is all done!
An expired listing for one of the apartments upstairs advertises a 2 bedroom 2.5 bathroom unit for $2,800/mo. We were expecting condos, but rentals certainly work here too. And as you can see from the sign out front, the commercial space is currently for rent from Michael Salove Company. It's 1,500 sqft of what we'd guess is vanilla box space, and already has approvals for a restaurant or retail. What would people like to see here?
For us, it almost doesn't matter what comes into the commercial space. Not only are we pleased as punch that a blighted building has been returned to active use, but we've even happier that its replacement has appropriately added height and density. And they were even able to preserve the building's most important historical feature. Big win all the way around if you ask us.