In St. Pete's Central Oak Park neighborhood, plans are underway to replace a dilapidated 1938 Tudor home with a modern 10-unit townhome development.

Local architectural firm Behar + Peteranecz, representing Seattle, Washington-based development group Heron Properties, has filed proposals with the city for a garden-style townhome project at 3601 1st Avenue North.

Named Junction Townhomes, the complex will feature two duplexes and two triplexes encircling a lush, landscaped courtyard.

"We are trying to be mindful of the neighborhood and limit the townhomes to two stories instead of three," stated Grace Johnson, Principal at Heron Properties, in an interview with St. Pete Rising.

Johnson, who relocated from Seattle to St. Pete three years ago, sees similarities between the charming Central Oaks neighborhood and the architecture of Seattle's 1920s homes. 

"In Seattle, there were a lot of homes built in the 1920s, and we see some of those same architectural elements in this neighborhood and love the appeal," Johnson said. "Many people want to be near downtown St. Pete but not in the core. This site is close to it and the SunRunner service to St. Pete Beach was a big pull for us to build at this site." 

Michelle Anderson, president of the Central Oak Park Neighborhood Association, said the residents in the 3,800-home community support the Junction Townhomes project. 

"We want to see more development as we are essentially in a 'dead zone' that drives away walkable restaurants, retail, and other uses the community needs. Historically, new housing has stopped at 34th Street," Anderson said. 

The two-story buildings will offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom units ranging from 1,378 to 1,600 square feet, with black-and-white chromatic exterior designs and ground-level porches.

The units will not have private garages. There will be 11 off-street surface parking spaces and electric vehicle charging stations. 

Johnson emphasized that the designs are still conceptual and subject to change.

Heron Properties anticipates pricing to start in the $600,000s, with various pre-construction design packages available.

The developer has submitted a building permit and a request to modify the required front yard setback along 36th Street from 15 feet to 10 feet, aligning with the neighborhood's character while maintaining the front yard setback on 1st Avenue North.

The site plan and modifications will go before St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission on July 10th for approval. 

The project is estimated to take 18 months to complete once shovels hit the ground. 

Although this is the first residential project Heron Properties is pursuing in Pinellas County, Johnson sees the potential for more development. 

"We are open to developing more residential and commercial projects in St. Pete and Largo," Johnson said. "We also anticipate more retail coming to Central Avenue."