Over a year ago, a reader first tipped us off about Kingsley Court, a proposed suburban-style development on the 5600 block of Ridge Avenue. According to a story from the Roxborough-Manayunk Patch, developer Stephen Goldner plans to demolish the old Ivy Ridge Assisted Living facility at 5627 Ridge Ave., a site that’s suffered from the effects of a couple of fires since personal-care center was closed down a few years ago. Replacing the blighted facility will be 32 twin homes arranged on a newly created street, with a cul de sac at the end.

The site, currently

Site plan for the project

Not only will the layout of the development have suburban stylings, but the homes will also look like they belong somewhere else. The homes will have four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, garage parking, and will be offered at $320K. We’d be lying if we said we were fans of the design.

Elevations drawing

Rendering on the sign in front of the property. Yikes.

Now, after a year of negotiations with neighbors, the Planning Commission, and the ZBA, groundbreaking is set for tomorrow. No doubt, it will be reassuring for neighbors to see the remnants of this facility, which was closed in 2008 due to disturbing resident negligence, finally demolished. But is this really the best use for this 3.5 acre lot? Couldn’t the architecture fit a little more with the surrounding neighborhood? Couldn’t the developer have included a retail element on Ridge Avenue, as Hidden City suggested?

The expanding Stanley's Hardware is right next door, with other retail up the street

Several luminaries are scheduled to appear at the groundbreaking, including district councilman Curtis Jones, which indicates that area stakeholders are on board with the project. We confess, this neighborhood is not our area of expertise by any means, but we wonder, is the community truly satisfied with this project or is it merely accepting the best thing that came along?