Students, residents and city planners debated the modifications to the proposed plan for a 44-unit apartment building on the 400 block of Mifflin Street at the West Mifflin Neighborhood Association Meeting Tuesday.
The changes to the proposal included using different materials on the front of the building and moving the fourth floor back so that it appears smaller from the street.
Members of the ""Save Mifflin"" student group said they were pleased with the developer's attempts to compromise, but were still unsatisfied with the revised plans. Group members Indy Stluka and Kate Robertson said they regretted students living in the neighborhood have not been more included in the development process.
Stluka, an Edgewood student and Mifflin resident, said he was concerned with the proposed building's rent prices.
""You're moving students in and out of the campus area based on their income level,"" Stluka said. ""I do three part-time jobs to stay in school and pay rent, so for me affordability is really the key thing.""
Attendees also voiced concern over the aesthetic of the apartment building, explaining the changes to the plan remain inconsistent with Mifflin Street's historic character.
""We want to keep the Mifflin character and the culture of Mifflin and the aesthetics of the buildings,"" Robertson, a UW student, said. ""It's not going to be the student area we once knew and loved.""
Developer Patrick McCaughey said the time for redevelopment on Mifflin Street has come.
""It's not going to stay static and this is part of the evolution of the neighborhood,"" McCaughey said.
The proposal will be up for final approval at the Urban Design Commission meeting tonight.
