As we mentioned earlier this week when we wrote about the demolition at the former Wilkie Auto Body Shop, the massive project at 600 N. Broad St. is more or less complete. The site, which once held several Wilkie car dealerships, has been transformed by EB Realty Management Corp. and PMC Property Group. These partners have taken a car dealership and the former clothing manufacturing building turned garage behind it into two upscale restaurants, an upscale event space, and ninety seven rental apartments with parking.

In the past, looking north

Just the other day

Vie

Route 6

Many apartments have been rented, and a few are still available. Route 6, Stephen Starr‘s seafood spot, and Vie, Joe Volpe’s enormous catering hall, are both open for business. Alla Spina, Marc Vetri’s Italian pub, is still a few weeks out and will be located around the corner from Route 6, on Mount Vernon St.

We truly can’t say enough about how important this development is to the area that has only improved in the past five years or so. Just a few years ago, Lofts 640 and Osteria sat on an island on this block of North Broad Street, without additional high-end residential or commercial spaces for blocks around. With this successful project almost complete, the beginnings of a corridor are taking shape, with help on the way from Tower Investments to the south. For years, the city has tried to breathe more mixed-use life into the Avenue of the Arts on South Broad Street. Within a few years, it’s possible that North Broad could become its equal.

Just not something we could have imagined even a couple of years ago.