When it came to naming a new development of townhouses in Lawrenceville, Emeka Onwugbenu decided to put the question to neighborhood residents. And so after conducting a naming contest in partnership with Lawrenceville United, the sloping, island-like parcel of land on Penn Avenue came to be known as Croghan's Edge.
The townhouses, which are designed by
mossArchitects, will feature a combination of corrugated metal, cedar wood, and cement siding facades.
E Properties and Development held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site on Tuesday.
Onwugbenu says the triangular, sloping site was initially viewed as a challenge from a design perspective, but that they were able to engage mossArchitects to overcome that. "We turned what seemed like site problems into opportunities," Onwugbenu says.
"Working with moss, they kind of created this box-like feel to it, where they pushed, pulled, and stretched different levels of boxes to create townhouses you've not seen in Lawrenceville before," Onwugbenu says.
The interior spaces will be in keeping with a contemporary/modern feel, Onwugbenu says, including nine-foot ceilings on all levels, designer kitchen layouts, and granite countertops. E Properties expects the homes to be move-in ready by September.
The name Croghan's Edge refers to George Croghan, who was know as "the king of the traders." One of the area's first settlers Croghan built his home in the vicinity in the 1760s, long before modern Lawrenceville was conceived.
The new homes will be located in a part of Lawrenceville which hasn't seen as much redevelopment activity as the bustling Butler Street corridor. Onwugbenu hopes this transformation of an under-utilized space into new and unique housing is a trend that other builders will follow.
The development is breaking ground in more ways than one, and "speaks to the next level of growth in the area," Onwugbenu says. "I feel Croghan's Edge is the continuation of the renaissance [and] rejuvenation of Lawrenceville."
Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Emeka Onwugbenu, E Properties and Development