A reader tipped us off the other day about a new zoning notice at 412 S. 13th St., a mixed-use building called Waverly Court that's also home to the restaurant Amis. It's clear that the building is a conversion from some prior use, but we couldn't tell you the purpose for which it was originally built.
The zoning application indicates that the property owners are hoping to increase the number of units in the building by adding to its footprint and its height. It calls for a six-story side addition to the building, and a two story addition to the existing structure. At the end, the building would contain thirty-seven apartments, eleven parking spots, thirteen bike parking spots, and of course a wonderful restaurant (no change there). We haven't seen plans, but it would seem like the side addition would sprout on the parking lot next door.
Pearl Properties, a developer that's been doing quite a bit of new construction around town in recent years including the Granary in Logan Square and The Sansom in Rittenhouse, owned this property for several years. They sold it to other developers earlier this year, and it seems like the new guys are trying to bump up the value of their investment with some additional units. This seems like a reasonable plan to us, and if it means the end of another Center City surface parking lot, so much the better.
Was anyone at the community meeting last month where this was presented? We'd be interested to hear about the neighborhood response.