Arson is the suspected cause of a fire that scorched a warehouse at 1403-09 Darien St. in Passyunk Square this winter, displacing a few Philadelphia bands and destroying some expensive music equipment.
A few months before the fire, we wrote about developers' plans to demolish the warehouse and build six new garage-front homes here. The Passyunk Square Civic Association supported the project. But when we passed by last week, the burned-out facade of the warehouse was still standing. The developers got their zoning permits over the summer, and we'd wager that construction will get underway sometime soon. As you can see, the new homes, from FUSA Designs, will have some colorful bay windows.
Across the street, we thought that perhaps a mixed-use building would also soon meeting the wrecking ball when we spied orange zoning notices posted. Upon closer examination, it's a less exciting proposition with seven residential units being legalized and a small addition taking place. The building does have some interesting characteristics, as it includes apartments, an auto garage, and a cross fit gym.
Remember, we recently covered a couple of other projects nearby, like the plans for two new homes to be built on vacant parcels at 1108 Greenwich St. near Passyunk Avenue. A few blocks away, there are also plans to renovate Columbus Square park, situated between 12th & 13th, and Wharton & Reed. So, even though Passyunk Sqaure is largely already developed, there are these spots here and there popping up as opportunities for infill development.