It’s official. The old Armory building constructed in 1886 that has for years lived on South Broad Street in a state a blight is making way for rental apartments. It’s currently being demolished after the ZBA approved developers’ plans to raze the building at 1221 S. Broad St. and construct a six-story building with fifty apartments, a roof deck, and a lot of parking.

Ongoing demolition

“It’s a done deal,” said Anthony Bruttaniti, South Broad Street Neighborhood Association zoning chair.

Rear building is gone

We first shared the blight at the Armory building with you in 2011, and this winter we told you about the 50-unit proposal when Michael Carosella of C&R Building Supply, presented the plan to the SBSNA. We were somewhat surprised that the proposal did not include a ground-floor retail component, but that element has possibly been added to a revised proposal, according to Passyunk Post. Plus there’s 17 bike parking spots and 53 (!) parking spots for cars. The modern looking design of the site was created by Landmark Architectural Design. In the winter, Carosella was poised to purchase the site from the Tolentine Community Center and Development Corporation, which acquired the site in 2003 for the low cost of $106,246.

Project rendering

Boot & Saddle, a new venue/restaurant from the folks behind Union Transfer, recently opened a block up the street. A little farther up, Dranoff’s Southstar Lofts project is progressing quickly, though the next-phase Artisan Townhomes on Fitzwater Street have yet to get underway. As for the embarrassing vacant lots at Broad & Washington, we recently heard about an interesting proposal for them which we’ll be sharing with you a little later on this week.

But if old buildings interest you, we suggest you get down to the armory quickly- pretty soon it will be all gone. And if you like contemporary buildings, come back in a year or so and you should be very pleased. Obviously, we’ll check in again before then.

–Lou Mancinelli