A 2.6-acre parcel in the heart of the storied Crocus Hill area in St. Paul has long been underused, says developer Ellen Brown, who has a plan to turn it around.
Brown, who has often been a consultant to the city and the St. Paul Foundation on development issues, is partnering with Dick Zehring, the owner of
MSP Commercial in St. Paul, on a proposal for an upscale condo complex for 180 S. Grotto St.
She and Zehring have entered into a purchase agreement with the
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, which they're scheduled to close on in the spring.
On the site, the Wilder Foundation previously operated the Bush Memorial Children's Center, a residential treatment program for troubled youth. Following recent budget cuts, the Wilder Foundation closed the home and listed the property for sale, she says.
Brown and Zehring's redevelopment proposal includes 39 condos, each a single story, to be spread throughout multiple buildings within a three-story complex.
The condos will closely match the neighborhood's Victorian-era homes in style and scale, with features such as gables, clapboard siding, front porches, and more, she says.
The place will have underground parking and a courtyard, while a caretaker will be hired to help with the property's upkeep.
Brown believes the project, for which the price tag hasn't been determined, will appeal to empty nesters who already live in the neighborhood and want to downsize, but don't want to stray too far off. "That's the population we think that will find it attractive," she says.
Brown says the proposal will help diversify the area's housing, which is largely made up of single-family dwellings. Additionally, after over a century of being off tax rolls, "this would get it back as a tax-paying property."
The next step is a city rezoning process to
allow for the planned number of units, she explains, adding that if all goes as
planned, construction will likely be underway in the fall of 2011.
Source: Ellen Brown, consultant and developer
Writer: Anna Pratt