A few days ago, we wondered about the failed Cherry Street West development on 23rd Street, between Race and Cherry. In that post, we shared a photo of the long-closed sales office, in a building just to the south of the surface parking lot that was supposed to be home to nine-hundred-thousand dollar residences. A couple of readers have reached out in the days since, wondering about the building that once contained that sales office, which is completely covered in ivy.

Green building

113-27 N 23rd St. has been owned by Herbert and Esther Samuel since at least 1953. The building (or really the collection of buildings) was part of an iron works facility that was also located across the street, where the Cherry Street West homes were going to be built. According to a couple of land use maps from the 20th century, the iron works stopped using the buildings between 1942 and 1962, possibly when the Samuels purchased the structures.

In 1942

The building has been home to a few different offices in recent years, though it seems mostly vacant at this time. The one use that seems active at the moment is a car wash, which we believe to be a fairly new business at this location.

At the car wash

Does anyone in the neighborhood know of any other businesses operating out of this building? Does anyone recall when the building wasn’t covered in ivy? Does anyone else think that more density at this location would probably be the way to go in the long run?

In the meantime, we’re just hoping the building doesn’t collapse under the weight of its shrubbery…