In the spring, we burst everyone's bubble when we reported that a Wegman's seemed less than likely to appear in a planned commercial development on the northeast corner of Broad & Washington. In case you don't recall, this was Tower's proposed plan for the long-vacant, extremely depressing lot at the bottom of the Avenue of the Arts:
Aside from a distinct lack of height, this plan was also notable in that it was completely lacking residential uses. Considering the success that Dranoff Properties has had with mixed-use on South Broad Street, and that there's a subway stop just a block away, this seemed kind of curious to us. And it seems, after further consideration, developer Bart Blatstein has come around to the idea of residential at this corner.
According to a story in yesterday's Business Journal, Blatstein is now looking at the idea of building a mixed-use project, incorporating a residential tower with 800 apartments. The concept is sort of a Piazza on steroids (play on words unintended, you can't prove anything), with every amenity you can dream of. A handwritten list from Blatstein himself details a braindump of ideas for the building, including a dog park, a pool, private gardens, a movie room, a game room, a basketball court, a rock wall, art studios, tennis courts, private dining rooms, and more. This would be incorporated with retail on the lower floors, 'natch.
It seems that this new iteration still isn't a finished product in Blatstein's mind, let alone on paper, so it could be a little while until it makes its way through the community and zoning processes. Still, it's a step in the right direction, in our estimation, and would be a dramatic step forward for South Broad Street. Because let's face it- we're all sick of this.
