The drama and tension around real estate development are part of what makes it so darn captivating – at least if you’re a real estate blogger. But seriously, who doesn’t like a good mystery? Take, for example, the case of 932 Arch St., which is mysterious even for the way that “932 30th St Staion” comes up when you type the address into Google Maps. This SE corner of 10th & Arch has been up to something going all the way back to 2012, with check-in from 2014 discussing the already years-long delays. But fast forward another ten years after yet another visit in 2020, and things are just as mysterious as ever. Or, shall we say, were.
After seeing a post by the always-informative Philadelphia Industrial & Commercial Heritage group, we decided to make our way to the corner to check out a new sign. As in literally: a new sign is now up on site, containing a brand-spanking new rendering. Not only that, but a new foundation is being dug out along 10th St., meaning perhaps something is afoot? Perhaps footers are afoot? Let’s make our way around the site first before scoping out the new plans.
That’s right, it seems as if there are honest-to-goodness plans at long last for this site, which wraps around the building on the corner. Long rumored to be a hotel, the most recent zoning permits indicate that the site is indeed planned to be a ten-story hotel fronting both Arch and 10th, with no car parking and two commercial spaces along Arch. Details are still limited, with the design from SgRA appearing pretty straight-forward, with what looks to be a greenish/grayish hue for some sort of corrugated paneling on the facade. The latest building permits for the site have expired, so once again, we’re not fully sure of what is happening here, especially with seemingly abandoned (but still “In Process”) plans for 13 floors out in the ether, too.
After all of this time, we have to say: we kinda like it! While certainly not groundbreaking in structure or finishes, this isn’t trying to do too much and – materials permitting – should be a nice architectural addition to the neighborhood. Especially since this could potentially be a sleep-over spot to those attending events at an even larger proposal just across the street.
That’s right, this could potentially sit just steps away from 76 Place, which would come up to the corner of 10th & Cuthbert, exactly catty-corner to the hotel. Interestingly, there don’t appear to be any renderings of what the arena could look like here, though shots from afar indicate this could be a rather large video display. Might we see a new arena and a new hotel come 2031, when rough timelines indicate a finished Center City spot for the Sixers could be a reality? Perhaps, but as the last dozen or so years have shown us, it’s best not to count our chickens – or our developments – before they hatch.