The project would have about 2,500 square feet of commercial space at the corner of West Washington Avenue and North Bassett Street, 103 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, a community room with kitchen and exercise room, and terraces. The structure would have 37 vehicle parking spaces and 45 bicycle spaces on the first floor and one level of underground parking with 67 vehicle spaces and 36 bike spaces.

The corner of the building is designed to allow for a retail or a dining establishment, like a traditional neighborhood corner gathering place, coffee shop, tavern or restaurant, but no decisions have been made about a tenant, Keller said.

An initial concept didn’t meet the neighborhood plan’s standards for building setbacks and step backs, but a revised proposal does so, the development team says.

Upside seen

The neighborhood plan also identifies historical and cultural assets. The nine buildings to be demolished are not among the structures identified for preservation.

“They’re old,” Keller said. “They’ve been student rentals for 50 years. They’re energy hogs. There’s no information about any of them being historic. They are past their useful life.”