The wheels are getting a little oil over in Brewerytown. In recent months, West Girard Avenue has experienced a surge of renewal that has contributed to recent retail openings and improvements along the corridor. Next on tap is a major mixed-use project at 27th & Girard.
Last night, City Council President Darrell Clarke hosted a public meeting that covered plans to transform the very large vacant parcel that stretches wide along the southeast corner at 27th & Girard. When we first wrote about the potential of development here last year plans were for a four-story building with ground-floor retail and residential units above to be developed by MM Partners in collaboration with American Development Company. The site has been vacant for over a decade, and once housed a market.
Members of the Fairmount Civic Association were expecting grumblings from neighbors about the parking issue, according to a zoning group member. In Fairmount and dense parts of Brewerytown parking is one of the main frustrations for homeowners, renters, and visitors alike.
In our estimation, the proposed project successfully revitalizes the bleak intersection and deals with possible parking troubles. Instead of a single mixed-use building, the developers last night presented a combination of townhomes on 27th Street and a building on Girard. Behind those structures, as you can see in the site plan, will be parking for nearly every new residential unit.
The plan includes up to five new retail spaces on Girard Avenue, with over 14K sqft of space between them. Above the new storefronts will be four stories of residential, which will include sixty-eight new apartments. We’re guessing those will be rentals. To the south, along 27th Street, will be ten new townhomes with rear-access parking. The renderings, from JKR Partners, look mighty sweet.
A lot has happened here along the 2700 and 2800 blocks of West Girard since we first wrote about the potential of this development in the winter of 2013. And earlier this month we told you about the historic St. Augustine's church across the street on the diagonal that is right now being converted into more apartments. And along the 2800 block it appears a few more retail happenings are underway. So stay tuned for this 27th & Girard development, which could be a tipping point in the revival of West Girard Avenue.