When we checked in on 3221 Spring Garden St. last summer, the 24-unit building with 13 parking spots was just starting to get framed out. Passing by last week, plenty of progress is apparent. We're quite confident that the building will be ready to accommodate the wave of new students seeking shelter for the fall of 2014. From the looks of it, even kids looking to make the move over the summer could be in luck.
As we drank in the progress on the north side of the street, a large new building on the southern side of the block caught our eye. For years, 3222 Spring Garden St. contained vacant land and a one-story garage. Now, it's looking rather different thanks to the efforts of the same developers building a triplex at 42nd & Chestnut.
According to public record, MI Builders purchased the property in 2012 for an extremely reasonable $85K. Though the lot is a little less than 16' wide, it goes back 120', which allows for some creative interior layouts. The L&I Map tells us that there will be six apartment units here, along with four parking spaces. The locations suggests student housing, like so much other new construction in Mantua. Given the proximity to Drexel's campus, this seems reasonable. At time same time, with the Spring Garden bridge just two blocks away this could be a desirable spot for somebody who works across the river, assuming they don't mind living in a building full of college students.
What, you're saying that doesn't sound like a dream come true? Stop talking crazy.