Packer Park neighbors are surely pleased, as a large blighted building has disappeared from their midst. Last year, we brought 3200 S. Broad St. to your attention, mentioning rumors that owners PSDC would soon be demolishing the property. The building, which had sat vacant for many years, had been an orphanage at one point. Now the site is just a large vacant lot.
The parcel covers almost 3.5 acres- that's a huge chunk of land which would allow for all sorts of different development possibilities. Previously, we speculated about the future for this property. We considered a medical use, like the surgical center and CVS immediately to the south. We thought about commercial use, like the shopping center around the corner on Packer Avenue. We also considered residential as a possibility. Given the size of the lot, over 300 apartments would be permitted by right if the property was zoned for commercial or multi-family use. But it's zoned for single-family homes. If memory serves, a developer could subdivide and build about a hundred homes here by right.
According to Philly Mag, the owners are instead leaning toward office space for this location. This makes sense, given the easy highway access, even if it's not the most exciting use in the world. We wonder what the neighbors and the Packer Park Civic Association would most like see here, though we can say with some confidence that the demolition of the blighted building represents a good start.