Yesterday, a reader gave us the heads up about a zoning application for 1118 Chestnut St. that made our hearts flutter with excitement. Haven’t been here lately? Well, it’s probably even worse than you remember. Vacancy lines the south side of the street, with shuttered businesses and several blighted buildings lined up in a row. But that all stands to change if developers get what they seek at the ZBA.

This is awful

According to the application, some of the buildings above will soon be demolished. The plan here, as we understand it, is to combine the properties pictured above and “demolish a six story and five story portion,” and then to build a seven story addition that rises over a hundred feet in the air. In the building will be commercial space on the first and second floor, and eighty apartments on the third through sixth floors. What will happen on the seventh floor is beyond us, maybe mechanicals?

Closer look at two buildings

Looking at public record, it appears that Brickstone Realty purchased 1122-28 Chestnut St. earlier this year. We’d guess that the sale of 1118-20 Chestnut is still pending or just hasn’t been reflected in public record. Short of getting a comment from the developers (which we’re working on), we can’t be sure that our assumptions on the details of the project are exactly correct, since we’re basing them on a reading of the refusal plus some information passed along by some union guys protesting the project outside. Already.

Hopefully, the project will get the approvals it needs and a huge chunk of East Chestnut Street will get a much-needed shot in the arm. There are still plenty of other buildings on this stretch that could use some help, but ideally this development will encourage disinterested owners to sell and more involved owners to give their properties some new love.

Look for an update soon on this project, as soon as we can get our hands on some more info.