You might think that a company called Drexel Bindery would be located somewhere in West Philadelphia, perhaps near Drexel’s campus. But you’d be incorrect! In fact, Drexel Bindery operated out of a building at 1308-10 W. Girard Ave. for decades, just a few blocks from the Temple campus. But you already know this if you’ve been following this blog for awhile, as we told you about this property five years ago when the owners of the bindery were looking to build an addition onto their building and add 12 residential units. A the time, we wondered about the viability of a project on this block, but our wondering was ultimately for naught. A current photo of the building clearly illustrates that the plan never came to fruition.

We bring the property back onto your radar because developers purchased the property about a year ago and are now pursuing a new project here. The plan, which goes to the ZBA this week, calls for the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new six story building with ground floor commercial, 45 apartments, and 13 parking spots (ostensibly accessed via Cambridge Street). The property is zoned CMX-4, a fairly permissive zoning designation, so we suspect the project is only seeking minor variances and therefore has a strong possibility of receiving approval.

We weren’t so sure about this location half a decade ago, but today this project makes sense, in all likelihood as a building that targets Temple students. We’ve seen a few different residential developments on or near Girard Avenue in recent years, likely built with students in mind, with the 120-unit project at 16th & Girard being the most prominent example. Looking at the rest of the 1300 block of W. Girard, we see a number of older buildings and businesses, with the properties dramatically underused as far as the block’s zoning designation is concerned. We wonder whether the project at the site of the former bindery, assuming it moves forward, might inspire copycat projects on the block. Given the density and height permitted in this zoning district, we’d think it seems more likely than not.