Michelle Brown’s idea to develop her .6 acre lot into a mixed-use planned unit development is slowing progressing. Maplewood city council approved the plan in December last year.
There were originally four lots at the corner at South Street and Yale Avenue. She lives in one house and has rehabbed another, which is now under contract.
A third house, built in 1907, Brown is taking down brick by brick, which she said is tedious but not hard. The bricks are easily chipped away from the old mortar. She plans to reuse the bricks that are in good shape, as well as the foundation stones.
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In May, Brown used a crane to pick up and move the roof of the old house onto a garage on the lot, which will be her ceramics studio. “It was perfectly level,” she said of the roof’s new home. “One shingle was cracked, which we repaired. It was amazing.”
When she’s finished there will be five homes including hers on the corner.
City council approved up to 500 square feet of commercial space in each home, which is limited to bike shops, small retail clothing boutique, florist, professional office, book store, bakery, art studio, gallery, or cafe.
Amazing. What a cool idea. I can’t wait to see the end result of Ms. Brown’s development.
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