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May 3, 2024

Owner of Worcester auto lot near Clark planning 40-apartment redevelopment

a used car lot featuring a gas pump, lots of cars, and a sign Image | Courtesy of Google Maps The owner of Olsi Auto Sales & Services is looking to build a six-story building on the parcel, featuring 40 apartment units, a cafe, and an EV auto service center.

The owner of a Worcester auto lot near Clark University is proposing to re-develop the parcel, pitching a mixed-use building to contain 40 rental apartments, a cafe space, and an electric vehicle inspection and repair shop. 

Olsi Gjinko, the owner of Olsi Auto Sales & Service located at 487 Park Ave., is seeking frontage and parking variance from the Worcester Zoning Board of Appeals to allow for construction of the project, dubbed Park Avenue Green Living. 

Plans for the parcel call for the construction of a six-story building. The ground floor would contain space designed for a cafe, as well as an EV auto service shop to be limited to inspecting and repairing lights, tires, and other vehicle safety features, according to documents submitted to the ZBA on April 11. 

Floors two through six would feature 40 two-bedroom rental apartment units, with amenities including EV charging stations, a gym, and a rooftop garden and other recreational areas. Other features being considered for the building include rooftop solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, and a rainwater run-off collection tank. 

Gjinko is seeking a 5.5-foot variance from the 200 feet of street frontage required for residential buildings with more than five units. He is seeking a variance from the city’s parking minimums, seeking to have 34 parking spaces rather than the 47 otherwise be required.

An entity managed by Gjinko bought the parcel at 487 Park Ave. for $375,000 in 2012, according to City of Worcester property records. The half-acre property was given a tax assessment value of $517,500 for 2024. 

Olsi Auto Sales opened in 2000, according to the company’s Yelp page.

Gjinko is being represented in front of the ZBA by Graves Engineering, a Worcester-based firm. The requested variances are slated to be discussed at the board’s Monday meeting.

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