Several readers have reached out to us, wondering about some slow moving construction at the southwest corner of 22nd & W. Passyunk. Some folks might remember that a Goodwill store was located for years at 2334 S. 22nd St., but the store closed a few years ago and no other business has taken over the space in the years since.
We were doing some grocery shopping at the (somewhat underrated) Shop Rite at 23rd & Oregon over the weekend, and figured this would be a nice opportunity to check in on the property. The building has been vacant for awhile and a renovation is taking place which suggests a new tenant on the horizon, though to date, we'd describe the pace of the renovation efforts as "medium," at best. Finding out what's next was pretty straightforward, as the L&I Map provided more detail than we could have hoped for.
So what's happening here? Drumroll please… it's gonna be a laundromat! According to the permits, the place is going to be huge, with 67 washers and 47 dryers. Also interesting, the permits specifically call out that exterior alterations will include partial removal of the "front dilapidated portion of the building storefront/exterior walls." We don't remember seeing too many examples of other permits calling out the poor condition of an existing building, but maybe it's just something we haven't noticed previously.
Yeah, we know, this isn't the most exciting news about this building. Frankly, we'd have much preferred something different, like laser tag or a second location for Parc. But the building isn't exactly in a prime location, sitting on the border between a residential neighborhood and a collection of shopping centers. And the new laundromat will provide a needed service for many people living nearby. Best of all, at least during the warmer months, it's located pretty much across the street from Dati's Water Ice, one of our favorite spots in town. Not a bad distraction while you're waiting for your clothes to dry.