Last night, developers presented plans at the monthly SOSNA zoning meeting for a new building at 2401 Washington Ave., a property that today is a vacant lot. You can imagine, this kind of development would tickle us pink.
At the meeting, representatives from Harman Deutsch talked through the project before a relatively small crowd, detailing a proposal for this oddly shaped lot. In short, the plan calls for a five-story building with 113 units, about half as many parking spaces on the first floor, and commercial space on Washington Avenue. Check out some pretty images of what's currently on the table.
Next up for this project with be SOSNA's Architectural Review Committee, then another public meeting where the community will take a vote. After that, it's off to Civic Design Review before finally landing at the ZBA. As last night's presentation was informational only, we imagine some aspects of the project may change before all is said and done. Still, we're optimistic that something resembling what we're showing above will eventually wind its way through the community and zoning processes and eventually win approval. If and when it gets built is another story.
Unfortunately, Washington Avenue is littered with exciting proposals that haven't yet come to fruition. A mixed-use building at 19th & Washington remains on the boards. 1601 Washington Avenue has a fence around it, but construction hasn't started yet. And the Frankford Chocolate Factory, once subject to a bold reuse plan, is back on the market. But oh, if all of these projects, plus maybe an entertainment venue, were to all take off at once? Lord, what a positive change that would bring to this potential-laden stretch. Perhaps 2015 will be the year.