A $30 million mixed-use construction project is proposed for Lower Lawrenceville's Doughboy Square by a developer who has been transforming much of Deutschtown on the North Side.

At a community meeting Wednesday night at the Roberto Clemente Museum, October Development proposed townhouses, retail and office space to occupy much of both sides of Penn Avenue between 34th and 35th streets.

Al DePasquale, October's co-owner, said he was approached by representatives of Lawrenceville United more than a year ago to propose a plan for that stretch of Penn, which is still marked by the remnants of an industrial past. He said he has options on a former gas station and is eyeing several privately owned properties and a few owned by the Lawrenceville Corp. and Urban Redevelopment Authority.

"We could probably be building there in three to six months," starting with five to eight high-end townhouses, he said, though the number of units will depend on how many properties he can get. One owner has doubled his price since learning of the plan, said Mr. DePasquale.

He said he wants to include housing for the elderly and, at some point, renovations of blighted townhouses in the 3400 block.

"With the 10-year tax abatement and soft second money, we could price these things between $175,000 and $185,000 and bring more young professionals here," he said.

Lauren Byrne, executive director of Lawrenceville United, said, "We're really excited about this, given that area has been blighted and is a gateway to the neighborhood. It does not represent the good things in Lawrenceville."

"We always talked about that being our no man's zone between the Strip and Lawrenceville," said Becky Rodgers, executive director of Neighbors in the Strip. She said the concept drawings, which some attendees criticized as resembling SouthSide Works, will change with community input. "[Mr. DePasquale] was very open to saying he will work with people on the design."

Ms. Byrne said the meeting was meant largely to introduce Mr. DePasquale to the neighborhood.

"We have a pretty strong community of architects and designers, and he can get some great feedback from them," she said. "People want it [the development] to fit in."

Chuck Alcorn, a resident of Lower Lawrenceville, said it is "exciting to have developers take interest in this important entry into Lawrenceville. It is also encouraging that the community has been invited to provide input on what is developed. As a highly visible intersection, the design of the buildings will be critical."

Mr. DePasquale said Dollar Bank is financing his project, which will be done in several phases and include about 25,000 square feet of retail, 40,000 square feet of offices and five to 30 residential units.

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