BY ANDREA PALMER
Work is under way on a townhome housing
development on Division Street on the longdormant
property that once was the site of
Ellsworth Ice Cream.
Belmonte Builders started site work this
year after more than two years in development.
Mickey Ricciardi, marketing director for
Belmonte Builders, said the company started
working with the city in 2012. Because of its
location, the project had to go through clearances
with the state Historic Preservation
Office.
“We’ve done all of that work. We wanted
to keep the architecture consistent with the
vernacular of that area, which is Queen Anne
[style]. It has very specific icons to its architecture,
and that process took some to time
to go through review,” Ricciardi said.
Ricciardi anticipated the homes being
ready to move in by the early part of 2016.
“We hope to start building houses later this
year, but right now the focus is on the infrastructure–
the water, the sewer, the gas, the
electric,” he said.
The neighborhood will be comprised of
townhomes. “All are attached homes, in groups
of two, three and four. Our target customer is
anyone who would like to live in the downtown
area. We are literally a thousand feet from
downtown,” said Ricciardi.
He said between 400 and 500 people have
already expressed interest.
“When you have a neighborhood like this,
the main amenity is living downtown. The fact
that we are a short walk from Broadway is why everyone has been calling,” Ricciardi said.
“Most of the housing product that is down
there now is condominiums, and they are built
in a cluster-type of format,” he said of that part
of Division Street. “We are doing townhomes.
Everything will be on ground level. Each home
will have a basement and a garage. It’s a little
different from the condo living that has been
predominant down there so far.”
Ricciardi anticipated floor plans being completed
by August. “We’re working with architects
from Maryland, Seth Harry & Associates.
Our in-house architects are working with them
to complete floor plans. In a perfect world,
we would begin sales early this fall,” he said.
The floor plan options will include two-,
three- and four-bedroom designs. Square
footage has not been determined yet. Some
homes will offer finished living space in the
basement.
Ricciardi said pricing should be determined
in the fall, as sales began.
“Right now, our primary focus is to let
people know that we are a thousand feet from
downtown. We anticipate the Queen Anne
architecture to be very consistent with what
is in that area. So far the reception from the
buying public has been very positive.”
Ellsworth Ice Cream was founded in 1933.
In more recent years, the company made private
label ice cream for Hannaford and other
retailers, but closed in 2007.
The land is roughly a half-mile from Broadway,
and a few blocks east of Division Street
Elementary School. It’s in the area of Division
Street, Walworth Street, Cherry Street and
Marvin Alley.