A reader reached out to us earlier this week, and gave us the heads up about some ongoing demolition at the corner of 21st & Reed. This is a bit of an odd intersection, as it’s not only the point at which 21st and Reed cross, but Point Breeze Avenue passes by to the north and creates one of those triangular intersections we see from time to time when diagonal streets disrupt the grid. In other words, 1401-03 S. 21st St. isn’t technically on the neighborhood commercial corridor, but it sits right across from it. It’s one of those rare properties where mixed-use makes just as much sense as residential use.

Maybe that’s why a church made its home at this corner for so many years. The property had been used as the Mercy Seat Tabernacle Baptist Church for a long time but the church vacated the building, we believe, in 2012. Developers bought the property last fall, and a fire struck the building less than a month later. Thankfully, the building was sitting empty and there were no injuries or casualties. We have to think that the developers intended to demolish the former church no matter what, but the fire surely cemented that plan. Fortunately, the building itself was nothing special, as opposed to so many church demolitions we’ve seen over the years.

Maybe that’s why a church made its home at this corner for so many years. The property had been used as the Mercy Seat Tabernacle Baptist Church for a long time but the church vacated the building, we believe, in 2012. Developers bought the property last fall, and a fire struck the building less than a month later. Thankfully, the building was sitting empty and there were no injuries or casualties. We have to think that the developers intended to demolish the former church no matter what, but the fire likely cemented that plan.

We don’t see any permits at this time beyond those pulled for demolition, so we don’t know what will ultimately happen with this property. But given its residential zoning, its double-wide nature, and the challenges in opening a business on Point Breeze Avenue, we have to think that the eventual plans will call for a pair of town homes. A subdivision will require a zoning variance and the property isn’t very deep, so we believe the developers will seek a ZBA variance to build homes here, and that might explain why we don’t see any more permits at the moment. Two homes seem like a reasonable idea for this location, but you can never be sure of how the community will respond to a variance request in this neighborhood.

As we said, residential or commercial construction could make sense here. To the east, including on the parcel immediately next door, we see homes that are relatively fresh to the scene or still under construction. In the other direction is a commercial corridor that has just recently started to emerge from a lengthy slumber. You may recall, we told you just the other month about a plan for a restaurant of some kind for the long vacant triangular building right across the street. And don’t forget that Tasty Toast, Mattei Family Pizza, and Philly Tacos are all less than a block away from here. So if homes do indeed get built on the southeast corner of 21st & Reed, the people who eventually move there will have several dining options very close to home. And if it’s a mixed use building, it’s clear that things are starting to pick up on the adjacent corridor and there’s still room for more businesses.