Arbor Update

The 133 Hill proposal is eerily similar to the 828 Greene proposal from four years ago. The proposed building is a three-unit, six-bedroom each unit (18 bedrooms total) proposal with five total parking spots, one indoor bicycle parking space and ten outdoor bicycle hoops. On a good note, the proposed building is relatively attractive and the petitioner claims that they are going to get LEEDs certification (remains to be seen if or what level this will be). The problem remains though that these are six-bedroom apartments, built solely to maximize anticipated rental income while minimizing costs. Fair enough, that seems like a reasonable business plan, but they forget to take into consideration who wants to live in a six-bedroom apartment and at what price.

The owners of 828 Greene totally overanticipated the market and now, two+ years after it was opened, it has never entirely filled for a term. They originally wanted to rent the apartments to groups of six people at $750/bedroom but now rent individual rooms by the month at far less than $750/bedroom. It is slightly too far from campus to be attractive to undergrads and grad students rarely want to (or can afford) to live in expensive six-bedroom apartments. Parking has been an on-going problem for the residents of the building because there is no on-street parking available and no free parking at the building. Not only that, but other rental houses in the neighborhood with more than four bedrooms are now sitting empty (the nice six-bedroom across from us has been empty for 18 months now), unless they are very inexpensive. The ones that are rented are the very worst and most run-down of rental units, but they are cheap so that is their main draw.

It is just frustrating to see this type of building continue to be proposed (and most likely approved) four years after the Planning Commission and City Council said “we need to change these ordinances.”

The Chronicle reports that Quickie Burger (Hill and State) wants a liquor license.