Last Thursday, 100 East Liberty community members, along with The Community Builders Inc. and The Urban Redevelopment Authority celebrated the grand opening of the $12.3 million
East Liberty Place North, a mixed-use and mixed-income redevelopment of the Northern section of the former East Mall high rise.
East Liberty Place North features 54 apartments, with rents ranging from $325 to $11,000 per month. In addition, the building contains 11,000 square feet of retail space, which is expected to fill up quickly. The Community Builders began construction on East Liberty Place North in March of 2009, which was designed by
Strada, using a wide range of green building practices, which they anticipate will make the building eligible for LEED Gold certification.
"East Liberty Place North reflects our vision for creating vibrant city neighborhoods by combining the energy of residents and retail uses," says Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. "The new professionally managed apartments will provide spacious and quality housing options for both the former residents of the East Mall high rise, who lived in substandard housing for much too long, and newcomers to East Liberty, who have high expectations for what city life has to offer."
Demonstrating the growing demand for new housing in East Liberty, only four of the building's apartments have yet to be leased, and The Community Builders report that they have letters of intent with tenants for all of the commercial spaces on the building's ground floor.
Plans to transform the Southern part of the former East Mall high rise are currently in predevelopment, but The URA and The Community Builders anticipate East Liberty Place South will hold 75 apartments and 24,000 square feet of retail space.
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Source: Gigi Saladna, Chief Information Officer for the URA
Writer:
John FarleyPhotograph copyright John Farley