It was over two years ago that we first shared news about the planned transformation for a large triangular lot at 15th & Fairmount. Though Spring Garden to the south, Francisville to the north, and North Broad Street to the east had all undergone considerable revitalization in previous years, this lot sat vacant, almost mocking the redevelopment in every direction.
Almost a year passed before groundbreaking finally took place for this development, which is a collaboration between People for People and Project HOME. Now, the project, dubbed JBJ Soul Homes due to the involvement of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, looks like it's coming to the home stretch. We've checked in every few months as construction has progressed, and right now the exterior is looking pretty much finished. We would imagine that the inside probably still needs some work.
Is it just us, or does this building look like a Target?
In case you've forgotten the details of the project, the four story LEED certified building has 55 apartment units, second floor office space for Project HOME, a ten-space parking lot, and about 12K sqft of retail space on the first floor, with most of the commercial on Ridge Avenue. The residential units will generally target individuals who require affordable housing, and will include 47 efficiencies and 8 one bedroom units.
We imagine we'll be hearing about an official grand opening sometime in the coming months. Though it will be impossible to get the statistics, we'd be very interested to learn just how many people try to visit this new building in the years to come, hoping to find good deals on towels or the like. Maybe with some excellent signage, they'll be able to minimize confusion.