- It's amazing what you can do with an old building with good bones, and developer Kelly Rae has accumulated an impressive portfolio doing just that. When 8OnCenter was first built, the negative comments on this site were so leftfield and foul that I had to remove them. People predicted vagrants roaming the street like zombies peeing on everything. I'm happy to report those of us living in West of Wells/Midtown are still awaiting the predicted zombie vagrant plague. I was a fan of the project from the beginning, and knew it would eventually act as a catalyst for other projects. Then came along Sodo4, the Gui-Dwenby building, the Lime Spa story-addition project, Midtown itself, and Brasserie St. James. Hmmm catalyst project? You bet.
Imagine my excitement when I heard that not only had Kelly Rae been able to purchase a building that has been in limbo and deteriorating for years, but also that a good friend of mine was opening a restaurant in the place.
I stopped by the Dozen @ the Deluxe project, next to the South Wells Avenue roundabout, for their grand opening last night, and was impressed at the efforts to both preserve and highlight the building's historic bones. Check out the photos below, including a sneak peek at Phase II.
They turned an abandoned eyesore into some sweet cribs!