The "naked flat" has arrived in Charlotte.

No, this isn't an R-rated venue. It's Tuscan Development's innovative effort to make urban living affordable to average buyers.

Five condos in the first building of its planned 90-unit Bloc90 project in Optimist Park will be bare bones, leaving owners to hang wall coverings and install cabinets, fixtures and flooring.

For their efforts, they will get a 650-square-foot unit at a bargain price of just under $100,000.

Fully finished condos -- 25 one-bedroom and 60 two-bedroom -- will be priced from the $150,000s to the $220,000s.

Commercial condo developers typically market unfinished units, but it's unusual for a residential developer.

The ideal sprang from a staff brainstorming session, said Tuscan's Ray "Rip" Farris.

Bloc90 is northeast of uptown between the Brookshire Freeway and NoDa, the arts district revived by artists, musicians and performers during the 1970s.

"The whole thought was to capitalize on artists who like to do their own decoration," Farris said. "We are providing a scenario for them to do what they want, not just the standard features."

If demand is strong enough, he said, Tuscan has the flexibility to offer more units as naked flats.

Farris sees Bloc90 as "the final touch" to his six years of revitalizing 5 acres of Optimist Park.

City leaders have encouraged mixing new residential construction with existing homes there to help the neighborhood overcome crime and blight.

Two earlier Tuscan condo projects -- Opt12 and Duncan Gardens -- sold out, bringing 54 new residents to the neighborhood, Farris said.

The estimated $17 million Bloc90 project will be at Davidson and 15th streets, where the developers plan to create a 2.2-acre site by demolishing the Urban Stash storage facility.

Neighbors hope the revitalization momentum will boost their efforts to retain a sense of history in the wake of development.

Bishop Wade Ferguson, pastor of 15th Street Church of God, said the church plans to revive the Little Hornet convenience store, a lime green building across Davidson from Bloc90.

Farris expects to start construction this month and have condos ready for occupancy in the first quarter of 2008.

In keeping with Tuscan's penchant for design edginess, architect Perkins + Will has come up with some special touches.

Steel finishes on balconies and stair towers will get a splash of red paint, complementing a yellow stucco, masonry block and corrugated metal facade.

Architect Rick Kazebee said Bloc90's buildings will be arranged in rows so the second is seven feet higher than the first, "sort of like stadium seating."

That will maximize skyline views for residents, he said. An extra large deck between two buildings also will provide a viewing platform.

Parking will be under buildings and between buildings, where owners will have a environmentally friendly rain garden instead of a mass of concrete.

Inside, condos will have exposed interior spiral ductwork. First floor units will have stained concrete floors. Second and third floors will have open corridors down the center.

Tuscan plans to introduce the project to potential buyers and community members April 5 with a "Bloc Party" at the site.

BLOC90 OVERVIEW

Size: 90 condo units on 2.2 acres at 15th and Davidson streets in Optimist Park.

Units: 650-square-foot one-bedroom flats, 742-square foot one-bedroom/one-baths condos, 1,050-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bath condos.

Prices: $100,000 for five unfinished "naked flats." Other units are priced from the $150,000s to the $220,000s.

Timetable: construction starts this month, occupancy in first quarter of 2008.

The team: Tuscan Development, developer; Perkins + Will, architect; My Townhome Realty, sales. Contractor to be determined.

Info: www.bloc90.com.

Doug Smith