New Willo Lofts to start construction on 1st Avenue between Virginia & Cambridge

Published on 08/15/2023 • Posted in ,

You may have noticed that there has finally been some construction activity in the empty lot on 1st Avenue between Virginia & Cambridge – Please read below for more information:

Background: in 1986, 10 Willo homes on this lot were bulldozed down in order to build a parking ramp for the Phelps Dodge Company Office Building. The Willo Neighborhood Association, which was formed in 1981 in order to uphold the Conservation Plan, successfully stopped the building of the ramp. The lot has been vacant since then.  Over the years, there have been several proposed plans for this lot:

*Townhouses along the perimeter with a 4-story parking garage in the middle.

*19 single-family homes.

*An APS substation

All these plans were successfully defeated by the Willo Neighborhood Association Board of Directors.  The current plan for development is for 28 single-family homes. This final plan has been presented and refined for the past several years until the WNA Board gave its approval.

thumbnail of Willo Lofts Cambridge and Virginia