Back in October of 2019, we reported that the old Girard Theater at 625-27 W. Girard Avenue in Ludlow was getting demolished. The theater was built in 1891 and was more recently the home of a Fine Fare market. Check out the article from 2019 for pictures of the theater and more background information on it.
If you go by the site today, it looks much different than it did back then. The theater is fully demolished and the property is an active construction site with two elevator shafts rising from the dirt and other foundation work completed. We should start seeing steel and then wood framing erected in the coming weeks and months.
When completed, the structure will rise 6 stories and will hold 48 residential units and two commercial spaces. The development team is utilizing the green roof density bonus and the fresh food market height bonus, so one of the retail spaces will be reserved for some type of grocer. The building will also have a roof deck and there will be 16 bicycle stalls for residents.
This block is really hot. There’s a 20-unit building nearing completion behind this site and a 36-unit, mixed-use project planned next door. We’ll cover both of those developments in more depth in the near future. These projects are playing their part in the revitalization of Ludlow, the western side of Northern Liberties, and East Poplar. We’ve covered several project around here in the past and expect to write about many more nearby developments in the future.
Before you know it, Girard Avenue will be developed all the way from i95 in Fishtown to Broad Street and beyond into Brewerytown (eventually, Parkside too – mark my words). For those that have been traversing these neighborhoods for years, this may seem crazy. But when you look at the transit-accessibility of these neighborhoods and their proximity to Center City, it makes total sense. Walkable, transit-accessible neighborhoods will continue to thrive. Not even a pandemic will stop that trend from continuing.
Kyle is a commercial real estate agent at Rittenhouse Realty Advisors, a homeowner, and a real estate investor in Philadelphia. Kyle uses his extensive Philadelphia real estate market knowledge to help his clients buy and sell multifamily investment properties, development opportunities, and industrial sites.
Email Kyle@RittenhouseRealty.com if you are looking to buy or sell a property
Instagram: @agent.kyle