MM Partners has traditionally done a ton of development in Brewerytown, with a particular emphasis on rehabilitating storefronts on Girard Avenue. Now it seems they've got their sights set on a new corridor- Fairmount Avenue. Recently, a sign appeared on the front of the long-vacant Country Fresh Market building at the corner of 17th & Fairmount announcing the property's upcoming renovation. Along with attaching MM Partners to the project, it included a nice lookin' picture showing us what we can expect.
We reached out to MM Partners, and learned that they're planning seventeen loft apartments with 1:1 parking, two new homes (ostensibly on Melon Street), and five retail spaces. Remarkably, four of the five commercial spaces are already leased. As this property falls within the Spring Garden Historic District and clearly contributes given its unusual look, the developers are bound by Federal historic guidelines. We're most pleased to see that the original window sizes and shapes will be making a comeback.
Once work gets moving on this project, it will join two other projects nearby that are in full swing. In the middle of the 1700 block, a mixed-use building is progressing nicely. And at 18th Street, new windows should soon arrive for the former Mortgage Security Trust building.
Combine these projects with others that have come online in the last couple of years, like the Tela's building, the Blue Cat building, and the JBJ Soul Homes, and we see an embarrassment of riches for Fairmount Avenue. There's still a handful of development opportunities on the corridor, but we suspect they'll be snatched up soon enough.