In late May, we told you about plans from the folks at People’s Emergency Center to rehab Hawthorne Hall. The plan for this curved, mud-toned, historic, and beautiful building along the 3800 block of Lancaster Avenue is to create a retail space for Mighty Writers, a restaurant space, residential units, and a theater space. When snapped photos of Hawthorne Hall, we noticed fencing, a foundation, and the framework of a former gas station sign across the street, and remembered a project we told you about almost a year ago.

Hawthorne Hall

Image from last month. Note the foundation on the right.

Sure enough, when we passed by a couple of weeks ago, a three-story structure had been framed out at the location, at the intersection of N Saunders & Lancaster. Last year, permits were issued for the demolition of an old gas station at 3842 Lancaster Ave., and for the construction of a three-story building with three residential units. The property, situated on a small triangular lot, sold in February 2012 for $65K. Check out what it looked like last year, compared to what it looks like today:

Last year

Recent shot

We wonder if Lancaster Avenue might be the next West Philadelphia thoroughfare to get the redevelopment treatment. Baltimore Avenue is just about filled up commercially out to 51st Street. And Drexel University and the Science Center are building along the eastern ends of Lancaster Ave. and Market Streets, respectively. As improvement projects like University City District’s pedestrian lighting campaign along the 3400 block of Lancaster, the same block were Drexel recently announced plans for a 24-story dorm, new students and the recent graduated might be more attracted to West Powelton. And the 10 trolley (a Naked Philly favorite) will be there to take them right into Center City.

–Lou Mancinelli