ROCHESTER — A developer is hoping to double the size of a planned Second Street Southwest apartment building.
“We are kind of building on what’s already been approved,” said Logan Tjossem, a principal planner with Widseth, which was hired by The DM Companies to help direct the project.
Dubbed Citywalk Apartments, the project was approved last year for six stories with 142 apartments, but developer Andy Novak is now proposing an expansion to 12 stories with 309 apartments.
Novak pointed to Mayo Clinic's "Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester” initiative as a driving factor in the decision to increase the building’s size.
“We did a lot of work with Mayo to see what the best use of this space would be,” he said of the southwest corner of the intersection of Second Street and Sixth Avenue Southwest.
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Mayo Clinic’s plan to invest an estimated $4 billion to grow facilities downtown is expected to include new construction on the northeast corner of the intersection.
Clark Gassen of The DM Companies said the goal is to address the anticipated housing need as Mayo Clinic moves forward with its plans for future growth.
“When they break ground on a $4 billion hospital, this is going to be a crisis,” he said. “DM Companies made a strategic decision to provide more housing for the community.”
The preliminary Citywalk plans call for the majority of units to be studios, with one- and two-bedroom aparrtments to be included. Novak said rents will reflect the market rate, and no city support through tax-increment-financing is expected.
The proposed expansion of the project comes as changes to the city’s zoning map are being considered, which could eventually limit the potential height of new construction in the area.
The site is currently zoned for high-density residential development, which allows the proposed 115-foot apartment building, but a proposed change to transit-oriented zoning would reduce the maximum allowed height to 85 feet at the intersection.
With the Rochester City Council expected to review the proposed zoning map changes on Oct. 2, it sets a deadline for developers to submit their request to amend the previously approved plan.
It’s not the first change for the proposed apartment building. Plans initially called for a seven-story building with 131 apartments, but the plan changed after DM Companies secured a purchase agreement for a nearby property. The proposed purchase is for a 10-unit apartment building at 219 Sixth Ave. SW, which is owned and operated by Rochester resident Britt Noser. The planned sale had made way for a six-story building with additional apartments.
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The planned sale spurred some objections, since the apartment building was constructed in 1917 by former Rochester Mayor Martin Heffron.
“You could have saved that building,” Rochester resident and member of the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission Barry Skolnick told the developers Wednesday, during a neighborhood meeting to discuss the proposed project. “I think it’s reprehensible.”
Gassen said DM Companies plans to finalize the purchase of the property in a month or two.
When it comes to the design for the expanded proposal, architect Jesse Hamer of Momentum Design Group said many of the elements will stay the same.
“It’s very similar to what was previously proposed, just on a larger scale,” he said, pointing out a small park area will sit on the corner.
He said adding six stories will allow the first floor to be dedicated to tenant amenities, which will mean more exterior, street-level windows.
“We are activating it with uses that will give energy to the street,” he said.
The increased number of apartments also brings a need for added parking, which will be largely underground.
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Neighboring resident Joanne Schutz voiced concern about construction of the proposed three floors of underground parking, as well as the size of the building.
“You are imposing on our homes,” she said.
Tjossem said soil borings have already been done to ensure the underground parking is possible and efforts will be made to reduce disruption during what is anticipated to be an 18-month construction period if the revised project is approved.
The project will be reviewed by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission after plans are submitted to the city. A final decision on the project will be made by the City Council, following a public hearing.
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