Last May, we told you about the first supermarket coming to Brewerytown in almost two decades. But that project was delayed due to a lack of funding.

Now, it’s back on track. Today, at noon, at 31st & Girard, state and local officials, members of local civic groups, and developers will break out the shovels, and a cast of suit-wearing folks will don construction hats for a photo-op, at the official groundbreaking for the construction of a Bottom Dollar supermarket.

Nice rendering at the bottom

“It’s gonna be a changer,” said Charles Holliday of the Greater Brewerytown CDC, a 40-year resident of the neighborhood.

The Brewerytown area needs a supermarket like the School District needs cash.

When we wrote about the project last year, the site was owned by Westrum Development, and in addition to the 18K-square-foot supermarket, plans included 5K sqft of additional retail space, a 94-car parking lot along Girard Ave., and sixteen Westrum homes along Thompson St. behind the market. Since Soloff Realty, of Conshohocken, has now purchased the property, we’re not clear whether those additional aspects of the plan will be realized.

Somewhat recent shot of the lot

A Soloff representative said designs are still forthcoming, and that the plans we brought you initially were the result of a 2009 collaboration between developers, civic groups Interface Studio Architects, and the Community Design Collaborative.

When we have more concrete info, we’ll bring it your way. For now, it’s positive news to see this next step in the revitalization of Brewerytown. One can expect to see Councilman Darrell Clarke, State Rep. Michelle Brownlee, and various members of the Brewerytown CDC, West Girard Business Association and the West Girard Community Council. Here’s to another strong example of state, city and local officials and volunteers working with members of a local community on rebuilding their neighborhood.

–Lou Mancinelli