While taking our mind off of the latest Sixers drama (and we aren’t even talking about the arena!), we decided to peruse the recent commercial real estate listings. You know, perfectly normal stuff. Seeing an interactive real estate map always modulates our heart rate after getting riled up as the prime of the reigning MVP’s career is once again thrown into turmoil. Again, we are normal over here. Ahem, so you can imagine our excitement when we came across a listing for 1125-45 Vine St., currently surface parking and a gas station/service center on the NE corner of 12th & Vine. Let’s make like the Flight Brothers and get a rim’s-eye look at the site.

1125Vine-04
An aerial rendering of the nearly-rectangular property

When we went to scope out the site that is bound by Vine St. to the south, 12th St. to the west, the wall of the Reading Viaduct‘s terminus to the east, and Pearl St. to the north, we were greeted by a woefully underutilized property. This half-acre property is zoned CMX-4 – one of the most permissive zoning categories in the city, meaning that something big and mixed-use could go up on the corner. The defunct gas station and empty retail space are screaming out for development in this rapidly changing area that has some of the best Center City views you can find.

1125Vine-00
A dirt parking lot makes up the north side of the property next to Pearl St.
1125Vine-01
Looking NE from the corner of 12th & Vine
1125Vine-02
Another look at the site, with the Goldtex apartments (right) and another project in the works close by
1125Vine-03
More surface parking on the east side, right next to the terminus of the Reading Viaduct
1125Vine-05a
Unobstructed views of Center City are a nice perk

This property just went on the market, so we are hopeful that we see some plans pop-up sometime in the near future. As the photo above can attest, it would hardly be the only development taking place on the corner. Just across 12th, an overbuild of the Jarvis Building has seen major progress since we first told you about plans back in April 2021. The historic building has long had plans for a residential addition to the NOTO nightclub, which makes up the lower floors of the existing building. Originally slated for a high-rise tower designed by Ambit Architecture, plans were scaled back, with Cadre Design bringing us an over-build to the original structure. 120 apartments and 36 parking spaces will fill up this eight-story building, which should soon see its facade go up.

Jarvis-01
A look at the 120-unit building today, wrapped and with windows
Jarvis-02
A rendering from Cadre Design shows off the current 120-unit plan
Jarvis-03
The original 16-story proposal, with a design from Ambit

While sitting directly adjacent to a multi-lane, at-grade arterial road – which happens to be separated itself by a sunken expressway – this site is indeed right in the middle of the action. Chinatown is just minutes away, with Center City not much further, and West Poplar and North Broad Street are close by to round out just some of the walkable options. And who knows? If the Rail Park does indeed finally make progress on its next stages, and the Expressway is capped, this might suddenly become one of the most verdant parts of Greater Center City. Let’s hope that the recent Rail Park push leads to more and more of these car-centric lots seeing big-time upgrades in the coming years.