Today we decided to do some work at The Monkey & The Elephant Cafe in Brewerytown, and we did a quick run around the neighborhood before sitting down to pen our next screed. Twas a good thing we did, as we noticed some construction activity on the northeast corner of 31st & Master. We couldn't really think of what this parcel looked like in the past, but thanks to the magic of Google Maps we discovered that a beat up warehouse was standing here until very recently.
Developers bought this parcel earlier this year, and it's a fine parcel indeed. It measures roughly 100' x 200' and is zoned for multi-family use, which opens the door to many possibilities. We see that the owners have split the parcel into twelve properties, and we'd guess that they'll be building a quadplex, by right, on each one. This is pure speculation, as we don't see any building permits just yet. But it's a reasonable guess, because the developers already have a track record of rental apartments in the neighborhood, specifically across the street. You may remember, we told you a couple years ago about The Fairmount @ Brewerytown, a residential conversion of part of a former Acme warehouse on the southeast corner of 31st & Master. Both that project and the upcoming project on the northeast corner are from McSpain Properties. Incidentally, the demolished warehouse was previously used as a garage for the old Acme warehouse.
The addition of even more residential units at this corner would be a step in the right direction, and will certainly please whoever has the liquor license transfer posted in the window across the street. And don't forget, with the former Red Bell Brewery changing hands earlier this year, the area should see even more development in the years to come.
Brewerytown still has a long way to go in terms of eliminating vacancy and blight, but it's definitely trending in a positive direction these days.