Sunnyside
Active Member
Firstly, thanks for hopping over from SSP by the way (I’m @mikevbar1 there).As a life long resident of the Hammer, I have to agree. So unlikely the NE quadrant would be the focus of so many HD proposals. With the start of the Design District, will see if it is infectious.
I think it will, out of the sheer fact that the land is likely relatively cheap and is ripe for large assemblies. It’s cheaper than anything else downtown, perhaps because it’s the logical continuation of growth heading from west to east.
The benefit here in particular is the sheer volume of [large] lots available which are fit for larger scale assembly. Compare that to other parts of downtown like in the west- Vrancor has done some larger assemblies, but he seems to have his corner of downtown secured. If I were someone like Emblem, Slate, Fengate etc, I’d be looking for exactly what’s here.
Also consider most of the most “prime” lots on/around James St S have been scooped up over the last decade or two by local developers and/or “vapourware” projects that had little intention of being built. Someone like Fengate might prefer to have the Connolly, but they can’t. Fengate however can actually execute- this area will fill out faster just by virtue of better builders coming later to the party.
In any case, this ocean of parking will benefit from redevelopment more than those already-desirable areas, so it’s a win-win. It’s certainly an interesting phenomenon.