The Daily Reporter
Former Paint Store Site Now Home to Condo Development
by Melanie McIntyre
July 19, 2006

Italian Village stands to gain 46 additional condominiums in coming months as construction is in full-swing on Kramer Place, located on the west side of North Fourth Street between East First Avenue and Warren Street.

The four-story building will be “historically responsive” to the European architecture styles prevalent throughout the neighborhood, as well as the area's industrial past, said Scott Mallory, chief executive officer of Highland Management Group, the project's developer and builder. Many Italian Village residents were employed at the nearby Wonder Bread factory, Jeffrey Manufacturing Co., and Smith Bros. Hardware Co. from the 1800s through the Depression.

“The building was intended to do what I call 'remembering,'“ said Ted Goodman, principal at FA Goodman Architects, architect of record for Kramer Place. The building is “a transition between Jeffrey Manufacturing and single-family housing to the west,” he explained. Therefore, Kramer Place's facade “changes quite a bit” from north to south, with the former having a boxy shape, utility size brick and a variety of fenestrations while the latter has lower, sloped roof, dormers, and lighter colored brick.

Kramer Place takes its name from the Kramer Paints store that occupied the building's one-acre site until this past spring, Mallory said. Highland acquired the site from Ben Kramer in February for $1 million.

Kramer Place 's ground level will consist of 4,900 square feet of retail space. A few local coffee shops have expressed interest in the space, but nothing has been finalized, Mallory said. The building's second and third stories will house one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 1,000- to 1,200-square feet in size. The third floor, which encompasses 2,500-square feet, will have either one or two penthouse units with glass fronts and terraces. The one-bedroom units have one or 1.5 baths, and the two-bedrooms have 1.5 or two baths.

The condos' interiors feature a combined living and dining space to allow residents a variety of decorating and furnishing options, Goodman said. The units' kitchens have island or peninsula layouts and pendant lighting. Several units have hardwood floors and granite countertops.

A gated garage with 66 spaces will lie beneath much of the building, providing a partially-covered parking area, Goodman said. Units range in price from $149,000 to $450,000.

Highland will begin taking reservations in fall during the annual Italian Village festival held at St. John's Catholic Church, which is adjacent to Kramer Place . Construction of the nearly $8 million project is expected to wrap up in May 2007.