A proposal to create an 18 unit micro-apartment complex in Jacksonville’s Cathedral District goes before the Downtown Development Review Board for final approval Thursday afternoon.
Plans for the Ashley Street Container Project call for stacking 18 repurposed shipping containers on a lot that’s slightly larger than a 10th of an acre.
Dan Kiefert, who owns property in the area, said the proposed container project at 412 E. Ashley St. is not a good fit for the urban neighborhood, either physically or aesthetically.
“The home that stood there before was a single-family home. What’s in the area doesn’t represent 18 units on a single-family lot with no parking. Absolutely a problem,” he said.
Project developer, JWB Real Estate Capital CEO Alex Sifakis, said the shipping-container apartments, while tiny, will have some big-time amenities inside.
“We’re doing granite counter-tops and a full appliance package. We’re going to have Amazon Alexa in them. But because they are small they’re still going to be affordable — in the $600-$700 range for rent,” Sifakis said.
He believes there is enough street parking in the area to meet residents’ needs.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter at @cydwjctnews.
