A reader checked in with us, wondering about some construction taking place on the corner of Brown and Percy Sts. One would think that this lot, which sits next to elevated train tracks and across the street from PHA homes, had a building on it fairly recently. As it turns out, it’s been an empty lot for nearly a decade.

Dirt pile

Looking up Percy St.

A little interesting history: Chemical works Powers and Weightman was located immediately to the north of this lot, where you see some of the Richard Allen PHA homes today, as far back as the 1800’s. This company is credited for being the first quinine manufacturer in the US, and the mystery lot was the site of one of their warehouses. While the chemical works didn’t make it past the 1960’s and urban renewal, the warehouse survived until 2005.

So… just what’s happening here, on this 9,300 sqft lot? Well, it was purchased by Nature Soy Holdings LLC back in 2006 for $315K. This company is located in a warehouse building around the corner on 10th Street, and the owner of that building also owns the adjacent warehouse building on the 900 block of Brown Street.

Same guy owns the lot and all the adjacent warehouse buildings in this aerial view

Though this lot is just a couple of blocks north of the burgeoning Spring Arts neighborhood, it’s in a bit of a no man’s land. Too far north for residential development, but too far south for Temple University student housing. Logic tells us that this lot will soon be home to an addition to the Nature Soy Holdings empire.

Which is ok by us. Foxes enjoy a little soy, from time to time.