Our last visit to 31 Brewerytown at 31st & Thompson came last fall, when we recommended you dash over there to watch chunks of a new building get delivered and stacked together like legos. With the months that have passed, it should come as no surprise that the scene has changed considerably at this intersection.
To refresh your memory, 31 Brewerytown is a rental project from Westrum. It consists of two large buildings, each with 32 units. Some of the units have balconies, others have parking, and some have both. The first building was completed a few months ago and is fully occupied. The second building, seen in the distance in the photo above, will get its first residents next month.
Architectually, we're grateful that the buildings look the way they do. As we see it, the developers have made great strides since Brewerytown Square, built a few years back.
This project represents the end of a major transformation for the west side of the 31st Street between Girard and Thompson. For many years, it was a giant vacant lot. After years of back and forth, a Bottom Dollar supermarket was built on this block back in 2012. Though it closed down relatively quickly, an Aldi will soon open in its place. And now, with the addition of 64 apartments, there's no vacant space left. With the apparent success of 31 Brewerytown, we're now hopeful that Westrum will redevelop the east side of the 1200 block of N. 31st Street. Today, it seems more likely than ever before.