Last week, a reader directed our attention to the corner of 8th & Wolf, to a building that was home to an American Thrift Store location for many years. Back in the days that major supermarkets were satisfied with smaller spaces and no dedicated parking, it was apparently an Acme. Today, the one-story building looks kinda rough.
As it sits, the property doesn't seem like much of an opportunity. But the parcel is huge, at just under 15K sqft. If a developer were to take on the property and demolish the building, there would be room for over a dozen new homes. Or a nicely sized apartment building. Sure, we don't see a ton of construction this deep into South Philly, but the size of this lot could entice a developer looking for their next big project.
A block away, at 7th & Wolf, there's a property that's considerably smaller but to our eyes much more interesting.
The old Equity Savings and Loan bank building sits on a little triangular parcel that's formed by 7th Street, Wolf Street, and W. Moyamensing Avenue. Like the big building down the street, this property was also used as a thrift store once upon a time, but we don't think it's been in active use for awhile. Wouldn't this thing make for an amazing and unique single-family home?
Both of the aforementioned properties have been owned by members of the Smith family since the 1990s. Neither are actively listed for sale, and we have no idea whether they'll be available next week or twenty years from now. But the fact that both properties are now seemingly not in use could indicate that the buildings could soon move. Hey, we can dream. Especially when we see that sweet old bank building, it's easy to imagine the possibilities.