Developers presented changes to a proposed development in the Langdon Street area at a neighborhood meeting Monday.
Jeff and Chris Houden, developers for the project, first presented a proposal in September at a State-Langdon Neighborhood Association meeting to deconstruct 145 Iota Court and 619 and 625 Henry St. in order to build an eight-story student apartment building.
After hearing critiques from residents in September, J. Randolph Bruce, the architect for the project, made changes to the proposed properties, which directly addressed some of the main concerns presented in the first meeting such as the style of the proposed structure.
"We minimized the balconies to help minimize the disruption to the neighborhood and we revised the architecture from a modern style to a more traditional style," Bruce said
John Magnino, president of the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association, said he thought the changes were positive revisions to the proposal.
"I think they really took some constructive criticism and made some substantive design changes that have really shown through," Magnino said.
But Vice President of the State-Langdon Neighborhood Association Colin Bowden said the changes do not solve all the issues regarding the property such as cost of living in the neighborhood.
"One of the things that wasn't discussed tonight is that by raising the rates of the new rooms, you will be raising the market rate overall," Bowden said. "That necessarily has to happen and that'll mean higher rates for everybody who lives in the area, including me, as I live a couple blocks from the place."
Magnino said the neighborhood will review the proposal once more in December after the developers incorporate the neighborhood’s input from Monday’s meeting.
"There are still critiques to consider, so I'm excited to see what they come up with next time for sure," Magnino said.
The city’s Urban Design Commission will review the proposal for initial approval at its next meeting Nov. 7 before the Plan Commission votes on it Dec. 17.
