Several weeks ago, developers looking to build on the 100 block of Spring Garden Street, near the waterfront, on a parcel just east of I-95, reached a compromise with the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association for plans to construct a six-story building with ground-floor retail and twenty-five apartments.

Developers for 117 Spring Garden St. first appeared before the NLNA over the summer. But the members of the NLNA, as if repeating their mantra, asked the developers to reappear with revised plans with a height that reconsidered the view of neighbors who already live along Fairmount and Brown Streets, whose views could be impacted by the development. As a result, the building will remain a full six-stories along Spring Garden, but the proposed 50' height at its north end has been lowered to 40' feet. Some comments from our original post on the project upbraided the NLNA for their continued adherence to requiring developers to follow the 38' height stated in the zoning code.

With the large number of zoning apps the NLNA zoning committee has heard this year, it’s interesting to see how the committee has worked to advise developers while attempting to maintain the character of their neighborhood, even if that means a focus on size and height. Some commenters have accused the NLNA of NIMBYism, others have praised their efforts to prevent Northern Liberties from resembling a skyline of towers.

The NLNA is just taking things one project at a time and that method has rebuilt the neighborhood over past two decades. If it's hi-rises you are looking for, they’re coming to the waterfront in the form of luxury apartments as part of Penn Treaty Pennthouses Phase II.

And still, with all this talk of plans at 117 Spring Garden St., it's not definite that a shovel will hit the ground in the coming year. “Sometimes what [developers] do is get it all set up and then they sell it,” said Freedman. Stay tuned.