The Hudson Companies, a Hermitage, PA-based developer and investment firm, is lining up a plan to build a new 10-story apartment building in Oakland.
Slated to present the plan to an upcoming community meeting of the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation, Hudson seeks to build a project working with the name The Julian at 419 Melwood Ave., what is now an established warehouse building tucked behind the Porsche dealership on Baum Boulevard.
To Tyler Hudson, it’s the right project for the site for a development expected to total 128 units and not require any zoning variances.
“In our eyes, it’s an area that would welcome some change on the street, given that historically it has been predominantly older warehouses,” he said.
It’s a location on the edge of Oakland as well as within the Baum-Centre corridor, putting it in close proximity to Polish Hill and Bloomfield.
Wanda Wilson, executive director of the Oakland Planning and Development Corp., said her organization has been working to get the word out to residents of neighboring communities as well that Hudson will be presenting its project at a community Zoom meeting on Tuesday, April 27.
Hudson said it’s the latest in an ongoing series of meetings to inform the community his company is pursuing the project, also meeting recently with City Councilman Daniel Lavelle.
A project planned to be market rate, Hudson said the it will feature integral parking as well as parking for bikes among its various amenities.
While the company has yet to build a project of this scale in town, Hudson is no stranger to the city and region.
The company bought the Brix at 26 on the South Side last year, also owns some student housing property in Oakland, an apartment property in Mount Lebanon as well as offices in Sewickley.
Given the project’s location, Hudson expects The Julian to be a draw for students, medical professionals working in nearby hospitals as well as a more general clientele.
He’s hoping to have construction on the project underway in the near future.
“We’re going to work over the coming months to get this permitted and approved and then hopefully we would imagine a late ’21 early ’22 type of construction start,” he said.
Tim Schooley
Reporter
Pittsburgh Business Times