Marketing documents have appeared showing the renovation of several buildings on Washington Boulevard near Beaumont. The renderings show retail space and office space. These buildings are currently depressing to look at. If the plans come to life, this will be a huge improvement to this block.

This project joins the ongoing renovation of 2657-59 Washington and 2649 Washington in transforming this block. All properties are owned by different people. If the Jefferson Connector project is built, this area will be a hub and bridge connecting Downtown to Midtown.

A google street view photo is used to show the properties currently.




Current view...

That's actually a nifty little group of buildings. 

So happy to see that corner building with the curved frontage get included in redevelopment plans. 

Very cool reuse for sure! Rooting for this one


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Like Black02Altisima I love that the attention they paid to the little corner building. I am a sucker for a curved facade. I think the Southtown Famous warped me.

Black02AltimaSE wrote: ↑

Apr 14, 2020

So happy to see that corner building with the curved frontage get included in redevelopment plans. 

Based on the renderings, which I know are nothing to go by, the corner building would be replaced. The curves are a bit different. 

chriss752 wrote: ↑

Apr 15, 2020

Black02AltimaSE wrote: ↑

Apr 14, 2020

So happy to see that corner building with the curved frontage get included in redevelopment plans. 

Based on the renderings, which I know are nothing to go by, the corner building would be replaced. The curves are a bit different. 

Disagree, though it's certainly true that renderings can't be fully trusted.  The brick color is different and it's missing the detail on that little bump-out by the entrance, but to my eye it's clearly the same shape:




The rounded corner does look like it's wider in the rendering, but it think that's partially the 'camera' angle - it's set lower, but also notice that both buildings are wider.  I think it's just a perspective/'wide angle' effect.  

It does look like they may be planning to rebuild just that rounded corner portion, though.  The window is pushed out to the edge of the building rather than being recessed, and they've created a brick wall to the left of the entrance.  It certainly doesn't help that the 'interior' photo that they lazily 'shopped into the window doesn't take into account that we'd be looking at the inside of that wall through the window from that angle.  

All in all I think it's just more of an 'in the ballpark' rendering rather than an attempt at photo-realism.

-RBB

^I actually figured they intended to join the two spaces. The interior appears to be the same as the first floor interior of the adjacent building. And there's no door on that building in the rendering, so . . . maybe taking two small retail spaces and making them into one larger one. On the other hand, the upper floor of the center building also seems to flow into the adjacent space . . . which is air. What with the next building east being but one story. So, yeah, you're probably dead on with the quick rendering. Just a quick and dirty "it'll look something like this" job to use until the funding comes through.

Joining the spaces would make more sense, yes. That's still a pretty lazy photoshop job, but I hadn't thought about that possibility.

Another reason not to scrutinize renderings like this too closely.

-RBB

Wash Ave between Jefferson and Grand has been popping lately. Hopefully this project along with the music venue to the west can still get off the ground. 

symphonicpoet wrote:^I actually figured they intended to join the two spaces. The interior appears to be the same as the first floor interior of the adjacent building. And there's no door on that building in the rendering, so . . . maybe taking two small retail spaces and making them into one larger one. On the other hand, the upper floor of the center building also seems to flow into the adjacent space . . . which is air. What with the next building east being but one story. So, yeah, you're probably dead on with the quick rendering. Just a quick and dirty "it'll look something like this" job to use until the funding comes through.

They actually photoshopped the same image into both windows just with a slightly different contrast.


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FrankRider wrote: ↑

Apr 17, 2020

They actually photoshopped the same image into both windows just with a slightly different contrast.

Lol yeah, that was the first thing that stood out.  Other than that, it's a pretty good rendering, well, apart from the virtual sidewalk people.  Those always look wrong.  

I am curious where they got the idea for the street lights...because those are awesome. Do they actually exist somewhere?  

I'm unsure of the status of this project. There was a "for lease" sign on the buildings several weeks ago, but that's gone now. 

Down the block, at 2649 Washington, the redevelopment there is coming along very well. I feel like the small ornamental details on that building would benefit from being painted something else other than white so they stand out.