Art Park project still delayed

The proposed mixed-use development project at the Art Park site is “still mired” in a lawsuit challenging its zoning approval, according to John Feuerbach of the Department of Neighborhood Development.

The City’s Zoning Board of Appeals granted variances for the project, but Mission Hill residents Oscar and Kathryn Brookins filed a lawsuit last year over the decision. Feuerbach said that the City hopes to have a court appearance sometime in the second quarter of the year. He said that the developer has “great interest in seeing this through.”

The Art Park site is City-owned land between Parker and Terrace Streets that is slated to be redeveloped into community gardens and residential and retail space. The site currently contains murals, mosaic footpath tiles and colorful furniture, and community gardens that were operated by local residents.

The developer, Sebastian Mariscal Studio, Inc. (SMS), plans to redevelop the Art Park site into 44 apartments with 10 affordable housing units; 58,000 square feet of green space; and 4,000 square feet of retail space. The site will have 30 parking spaces and 82 bike-parking spaces.

The site will also have community gardens on the roof of the buildings, along with a solar-panel farm towards the Terrace Street side. It is expected to be LEED-certified at “Platinum,” which is the construction industry’s highest energy-efficient rating. The site is slated to produce more energy than it will use.

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