Recently, we got a tip that zoning notices had appeared on the southeast corner of 22nd & Walnut, a property that's currently being used as a surface parking lot. We've visited this intersection a couple of times in the past (formally at least, we've been here hundreds of times just walking around town), noting some brick cleanup on the Walnut Plaza building on the northeast corner and reflecting on the pre-gas-station days of the northwest corner. But if the project currently under consideration ends up happening, it would represent the biggest change for this corner in years.
From what we can tell, this property has been a surface lot for decades. Before it was demolished in 1970, the once-home of George W. Childs stood on this corner. Childs, in case you're unfamiliar, once owned the defunct Public Ledger, at one time the most read newspaper in Philadelphia. A school in Point Breeze bears his name.
According to the zoning notice, developers are planning six homes for this lot, each of which would have two-car parking. Our best guess is that the homes will front 22nd Street with a parking aisle in the rear, accessed via Chancellor and Walnut Streets. Or perhaps they'll go with three homes fronting Walnut and three homes fronting Chancellor, with the curb cut in the middle on 22nd Street. We're thinking we'd rather see that approach, as it would improve the pedestrian experience on Walnut Street by eliminating a curb cut that's been there for many years.
We'd typically look for more height and density given the downtown location and the size of the lot, but given the mixed-scale nature of the surrounding blocks we could go either way. We're mostly glad, as usual, to hear about a surface parking lot in Center City going the way of the dodo bird.