Commission approves 1700 South condos
A missing middle development is coming to a growing section of the Ballpark neighborhood. On Wednesday, the Salt Lake City Planning Commission approved a Planned Development and Conditional Building and Site Design Review for the Richards Street Condos, a 32-unit condominium project at the northeast corner of the intersection of Richards Street and 1700 South.
“We are excited to provide a product like this that neighborhood has expressed that they are really interested in,” said James Alfandre of Urban Alfandre, the developer of the project.
Alfandre told the commission that the project will provide needed missing middle development while adding residential density to the 1700 South area. According to Alfandre, prices for the smaller units will start at under $200,000.
“Most of the new product coming online right now is rental product. There is really big niche we can fill here with this for-sale market product for this neighborhood,” said Alfandre.
The project will consist of three buildings, the largest of which will have 16 for-sale units and will front 1700 South. Two buildings consisting of eight for-sale units each and will be directly north of the larger building.
The project will replace four parcels that are zoned differently. The western parcels are zoned CB, Community Business District, and eastern parcels are zoned CC, Corridor Commercial District. The project’s developers opted to apply through the planned development process to allow for a building height increase up to 35 feet and reduced setbacks.
All three buildings will be four stories with upper and lower two-story condo units. The development will have 33 parking spaces that will be accessed from 1700 and will slope down below grade under the units. The lower units will access the parking at the basement level. Residents of the upper-level units will access the parking area via an external stairway.
The condos will replace a large vacant lot, and three abandoned single-family structures. Prominent power lines on the property will be buried to accommodate the three buildings.
Most of the residents that spoke during the public hearing in favor of the project. Several residents told the commission that the abandoned homes on the site regularly attract prostitution and other illegal activities.
While the neighborhood struggles with some quality-of-life issues, the area has begun to attract development.
“We are very excited about this project but more so about this neighborhood,” said Alfandre. “We like to be laser-focused on neighborhoods that are up-and-coming vibrant, walkable neighborhoods.”
The stretch of 1700 South between West Temple and Main Street is emerging into an active community node. The area is a block west of the Salt Lake Community College South City Campus. Alfandre told the commission that the addition over the summer of two eateries in the neighborhood is what drew him to the develop in the area. Both new eateries are within a block of the site for the Richard Street Condos.
Directly east of the condo site is Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade, the first brick-and-mortar location for the owners of the Sweet Lake limeade stand popular at the Downtown Farmers Market. The eaterie is across Richard Street from the proposed condo development.
Also new to the area is the Este Deli, an East Coast-inspired deli from the owners of Este Pizza. The deli is a half-block to the east of the condo site at the intersection of 1700 South and Main Street.
