ASHLAND — The developer behind the construction of apartment buildings in the so-called Pump House District could start work on the site starting Sept. 8, according to a street closure permit approved by city officials.
The city’s mayor, chief of police, fire chief and city services director signed and approved the street closure permit on Wednesday.
A section of East Fourth Street between Orange and Union streets, along with adjoining sidewalks, are scheduled to be closed, “tentatively” through June 30, 2026.
The north and south sides of East 4th Street — grassy areas, a laundromat and parking lots — will be a fenced-in construction area during the project, according to the street closure document.
The property changed hands from the city to Ashland Urban LLC in early July. Mayor Matt Miller has been announcing the project’s start dates since earlier this year, but things like site prep and signing legal documents have delayed the start.
A call to the developer’s engineer was not returned Thursday.
The project: a refresher
The $22 million housing project takes up 9.3 acres between Orange and Union streets along East Fourth Street and between the former railroad to the north and East Third Street to the south.
Plans call for the construction of 10 buildings, including apartments, a clubhouse and garage bays.
The Pump House District is a geographic area of downtown Ashland; there are two main projects within that umbrella term. One of them features the aforementioned apartments, the other includes the renovation of the former Pumphouse office building at the intersection of East Fourth and Orange streets.
Plans there involve renovating the existing structure to make room for a $21.5 million, 68,000 square-foot hotel with 93 “suite-style” rooms, a marketplace, conference room and guest laundry area.
It remains unclear when developers will begin construction there, which will also include partial demolition of parts of the vacant building.