Over the weekend, we changed things up a bit and eschewed the Melrose in favor of the Penrose Diner. On our way there, we noticed some construction fencing across the street that had previously escaped our attention.
At 2001 Penrose Ave., next door to the hilariously named Ramada Philadelphia City Center, there's a vacant lot with a sign advertising a not-yet-built shopping center.
Seeing the sign, we immediately thought about another retail plan for Penrose Avenue, a two-story commercial development that's replacing the old Par Four restaurant a couple blocks away. Just one commercial development is interesting, but the two together could represent a little trend. We thought that perhaps Penrose Avenue could be seeing an upswing, maybe related to the access point to the Navy Yard at 26th Street. When we did some more digging though, we came away a little bit discouraged.
It turns out that developers have been trying to build here for close to a decade. Going back to 2007, we see in Google Street View that there's been a sign on this parcel advertising its availability. The sign you see pictured above has been there for at least the last four years. We've probably passed this location dozens of times since the sign was posted but never noticed it until this weekend. Bummer. Does anyone have any idea whether some construction could be happening here soon?
While we wait for something to happen here, we'll continue to enjoy the occasional breakfast across the street at the Penrose Diner. We suggest reading the horrific Tripadvisor reviews for the hotel across the street while waiting for your food.