A local businessman is looking to draw more people to live in downtown Yakima. Corday Trick wants to build six apartments on the second floor of the Lund Building on Front Street and Yakima Avenue. The historic building, which Trick owns, is home to his women's clothing store, Corday's Women's Clothier, and the Greystone Restaurant.
The building, which was built in 1899, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the city's North Front Street Historic District.
Trick says he's calculating the final costs for the project and expects to start the project in the next few weeks. He hopes to have the units ready by spring.
Trick, who lives downtown, said he plans to market the new units to professionals who want to live near restaurants, such as Greystone or Santiago's, as well as other entertainment destinations, such as the Yakima Farmers Market and the Capitol Theatre.
"People are beginning to see the value of downtown," he said. "There's more activity now."
The apartments will range from 500 to 850 square feet each and are expected to start at $800 a month. The rent would include utilities.
Trick said he's confident there's a market for the higher-end apartments and noted that several people have expressed interest in the proposed units.
"We want to have people living here that would appreciate the Greystone and Cafe Melange and the theater," he said.
The proposed apartments come on the heels of a $2 million renovation project on Front Street, where workers are laying new bricks on the roadway, new sidewalks and old-time cast-iron lamp posts. Several other downtown housing developments are under way, including The Lofts, the condominium project at the former Bon Marche store on North Third Street.
Diane Vance opened the Bridmar Apartments on Third and Yakima avenues earlier this year, after renovating the historic building to apartments and retail storefronts.
The apartments have drawn a variety of residents that include a police officer, an architect and a store clerk at The Little Soapmaker, which is located downstairs. Demand has remained strong, with several people still waiting for a vacant unit.
"Corday needs to do this," Vance said. "He's in a historical neighborhood. It's going to be gorgeous down there with all those new streets."
Source: YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC