Just the other day, we mentioned that MM Partners had purchased the former liquor store on the 2500 block of W. Girard Ave. and were planning a full renovation and hunting for some new commercial tenants. Somehow, snapping the photos for this story, we managed to ignore some additional construction taking place right across the street. For many years 2536 and 2538 W. Girard Ave. sat vacant, serving from time to time as somebody's parking spot. But today, both are seeing new triplexes rise with one of the buildings several months ahead of the other.
2536 W. Girard Ave., the corner property, was owned by the City for many years and sold to a company that seems to be associated with Streamline Solutions about a year ago. As we said, they're building a triplex here, and the units are being offered as condos. Unit #3 is now on the market for $325K, and includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms over three levels. The other units had been listed for sale for $365K, but are not on the market at the moment. Next door, you can see another building is now getting framed out. According to public record, Callahan Ward is the developer here, and permits indicate they're also building a triplex. We'd guess that this will also be a condo play.
You might not expect it, on this growing commercial corridor, but both of these projects are by-right residential developments. From W. College Ave. to 29th Street, all of West Girard is zoned for commercial use except for a dozen properties on the south side of the street, between College Ave. and 26th Street. In the grand scheme this isn't such a big deal, and at least they're zoned for multi-family use, to maximize density and increase the customer base for the businesses on W. Girard. It seems quite likely that the folk who move into these properties will eventually patronize whatever businesses open in the former liquor store across the street.