It's hard to believe that 285 Delaware was just an empty lot a couple of years ago. I remember always wondering if and when the property would ever see a development. Now, when I bike by at night I actually stop to check out the ongoing improvements to the exterior of the property. The tree plantings are perfectly placed... there's a bike rack... plenty of lighting... a beautiful facade... and there's even a projected work of art inside the lobby that can be seen from the sidewalk. This project is an example of a building that was done right - thanks to Uniland and Hamilton, Houston & Lownie for planning the detail elements that makes this building super people friendly (click here to see a shot of the interior at night). Hopefully, these investments will soon draw a commercial enterprise to the first floor of the building.
285 Delaware falls in-between Allentown and Chippewa. You would think that this location would be a big draw for a retailer or a restaurant. When I recently interviewed Jen Hemmingway, owner of The Jenny Shop, she told me that she was overwhelmed with the response that she had received from downtowners. That's great news, because the last time a clothing store (albeit bigger) failed, it sent out a message to others who would have opened businesses in the city. It's taken a while to even partially shed the failure of Taylor's Department Store. If Jen can make it in the Ellicott Square Building, I would think that a store in the 285 Delaware building would make it. I'm sure that it is more of an investment due to the nature of the building and the need for a build-out, but remember that the guys at Just Vino were surprised to find that the Granite Works building was actually reasonable.