This article originally appeared on The San Diego Union Tribune.
Construction is under way on a 21-unit apartment project, The Point @ Ingraham, that will also include 2,266 square feet of commercial space.
The developer is Veritas Urban Properties, run by brothers Russell and Scott Murfey.
The Murfeys bought the site at Ingraham Street and La Playa Avenue for $1.2 million from investors who owned the former Union 76 gas station property.
Russell Murfey said the units will range from a 400-square-foot studio to 1,600-square-foot two-bedroom units. Rents are expected to range up to $2,400 when the project opens at the end of the year.
What makes the project unusual is that the Murfeys’ designer, Stephen Dalton Architects of Solana Beach, was able to include commercial space on the ground floor — something most small- and mid-sized apartment builders rarely tackle because of the financing challenge. Lenders typically shy away from mixed-use developments. Also planned is some open space that can be shared by renters, retailers and the public.
“Retailers like it because it will have patio space,” Murfey said. “The public likes it because in the area they can sit down and relax and hang out. It looks a little more enjoyable.”
He said the location offers a certain “vibrancy” that ought to appeal to a workout facility or a “local food joint.”
In parking-challenged Crown Point and Pacific Beach, the project includes 45 parking spaces and room for bicycles.
The Murfeys plan to build and hold the project as an investment and follow up with a second project in Point Loma. Murfey Construction is the contractor and Cassidy Turley, the leasing agent.
Rental and leasing information is available online at thepointliving.com and at (858) 356-2284.