Projects, both exciting and mundane, stall all the time. One such project is 1244 Ridge Ave., a property we last checked in on a year ago– and hasn’t changed a bit since. This building lost its fourth floor somewhere along the way, but will someday be restored with an eye toward its past as well as a clearly contemporary interpretation.

In the past

From a year ago but it still looks the same.

But now we’re hearing that this stalled project could soon kick into gear. “There is movement,” according to spokesperson for the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation.

This means that we could soon see the first sign of action here since a fence was installed around the property over a year ago. Before that, the building was more or less open to whoever happened to walk by, a squatters’ paradise, if you will. Plans to transform the 20K sqft building into 12 two-bedroom and four one-bedroom rental apartments were designed by Harman Deutsch.

Rendering of the (near?) future

Perhaps the newly opened Tower Place and possible movement at the Divine Lorraine have provided financiers the confidence they need to support this project. The building sits in the shadow of the Divine Lorraine as if waiting for divine intervention to restore it anew. And with the success of other projects in the “Spring Arts” neighborhood, one can envision this 1244 Ridge project will work out in the end. And hopefully, that will generate interest in the old Nationwide Auto building across the street and also lead to the redevelopment of other vacant land in the area.

–Lou Mancinelli