In the fall, we told you about 1221 Mount Vernon St., a large parcel on the western side of the “Spring Arts” neighborhood that was on the market for a mere $1.8M. At the time, we wondered whether a developer would step forward and possibly look toward an adaptive reuse for this property which has contained an auto body shop for the last three decades, noting all the development that’s taken place in the neighborhood in recent years.

The building. Looks rough.

According to Hidden City, the property in question is over a hundred years old and was constructed as a power substation for mass transit. The building immediately next door, in fact, still fills that purpose for Septa. Standing in front of the building it’s not immediately clear where the property lines lie, but realtor Lawrence Rust put together a site plan that clarifies the situation:

It's a large site with an unusual shape. Image from Rust Real Estate

Though public record doesn’t suggest that ownership has changed, a new owner has clearly stepped forward with plans to redevelop this property. And they’re looking to do an adaptive reuse, as we suggested above. Harman Deutsch has done the design work for this project, which will include forty apartment units, twenty parking spaces for cars, and ten spots for bikes. Looking at the rendering that we got our hands on, it’s clear that the building’s most recognizable feature will remain, but many other details will be altered significantly.

A look at the future

Looking at the (fairly complex) site plan, you have an idea of just how this project will fit together.

Site plan. Note that north is to the right.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the project is that the apartments will be laid out across four buildings, with access coming via a walkway in the middle of the building that will be open to the sky. This will provide residential units with so much more light and air than if the development simply consisted of a solid building without the aforementioned walkway.

The project has not yet gone before the ZBA, so details could be subject to change and we suppose it could still be rejected. But assuming it gets the approvals it needs, this will be a wonderful addition to this neighborhood, with the added bonus of maintaining (and dramatically improving) and old and interesting building. Speaking of old and interesting buildings, the Divine Lorraine is just two blocks from here. Has anyone heard any news on that property in the last couple of months?