As the vacant land near 40th & Baring has continued to fill in with new construction student housing, it comes as no surprise that existing properties are now seeing some attention from developers as well. Last month, we directed your attention to an apartment building just north of the intersection, blighted for years, which was finally getting renovated. Today we look at 328 N. 40th St., a large building on the southwest corner.
Though the building was occupied until about a year ago, it's looked shabby for quite some time. Still, it has some nice architectural details like an intact cornice, some bay windows, and a fancy entryway. It's also got what looks like an addition on the 40th Street side which was either a functioning flower shop at one point or was intended as a flower shop but the business never happened.
The property was purchased by developers over the summer, and now the inside of the building is getting gutted. Previously, it was set up as a triplex but once the work is finished it will have 2 four-bedroom apartment units. Expect the developers to preserve as many exterior details as possible, which means that the renovated building will have much more soul than most of the new construction surrounding it. It warms our hearts to know that at least some architectural diversity is being preserved in this area in the face of a tidal wave of new construction.