Dranoff Properties has played a significant role in redeveloping South Broad Street over the last decade, with Symphony House, 777 South Broad, and Southstar Lofts all adding height and density to Philadelphia’s most famous thoroughfare. Tonight, near neighbors will learn about another proposed Dranoff project, this time at the corner of Broad & Pine. The low rise building that’s currently at the corner functions mostly as a parking garage, and has a Starbucks on the first floor. The building has been there for many years and has served a similar purpose over a long period, as these photos would indicate:

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Back in the 1920s
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Better view of the property from the 1920s

Remarkably, the building is still intact and looks pretty similar to the way it looked almost a century ago.

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Current view

At a Washington Square West Civic Association zoning meeting Tuesday night, we’ve learned that representatives from Dranoff Properties will be presenting a plan to build a 28 story condo building with 56 units, underground parking, and retail on the first floor at this corner. We assume that this will mean the demolition of the existing building, not that the developer will be building a new structure while keeping the facade of the existing building, but we honestly aren’t sure at this point. As was the case with the similar One Riverside project, completed recently on the banks of the Schuylkill, Cecil Baker + Partners will be doing the design work. And… that’s all the info we have for right now.

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SLS site up the block

A couple years back, we told you about another planned Dranoff project for South Broad, the SLS International Hotel & Residences. The former home of Philadelphia International Records was demolished in preparation for this project, but the site hasn’t been active in a long time and is currently sitting vacant, as you see in the photo above. We have no idea if and when the SLS project will start moving forward, but we’re encouraged that the planned condo building being presented tonight is a much simpler concept with a model for success with One Riverside. It wouldn’t surprise us at all if the condo building went up before the SLS project. Don’t forget though, this developer has a significant track record, so it’s also possible that we could see two projects under construction on the same block at the same time from the same developer.