If you’ve ever been to John’s Roast Pork or driven through the surrounding suburban-style strip mall section of South Philadelphia, you’ve probably noticed the manufacturing plant at Swanson and Snyder Streets. The property has been home to one kind of industrial plant or another for more than 100 years. Most recently, Inolex, a maker of health, beauty, and wellness products, has occupied the parcel. It looks like the 100 year manufacturing run is over, though.
Zoning permits were issued earlier this week to demolish the plant and to construct an auto-oriented retail center with 6 commercial buildings and 269 automobile parking spots. There are some pretty popular chain brands that will occupy the new buildings.
The building closest to Snyder Avenue will be a Raising Cane’s Chicken and will include a drive through window. This popular chicken chain recently opened 2 other stores in Philadelphia. Behind Raising Cane’s, there will be a Chase Bank with a drive through window. A Shake Shack will occupy the building at the corner of Weccacoe and Vandalia Street (where the train tracks are). No tenant has been secured for the building behind Shake Shack. The large building on the southeast corner of the site will be a Lidl grocery store. The last building on the southwest corner of the site will be an Advanced Auto Parts.
If you take a look at the site plan below, you can match each business to it’s future location:
- Building 1: Lidl grocery store
- Building 2: Raising Cane’s chicken
- Building 3: Advanced Auto Parts
- Building 4: Shake Shack
- Building 5: TBD
- Building 6: Chase Bank
We imagine that there will be some environmental remediation required on the site after a century of different kinds of manufacturing taking place on it. Since it will be a pad commercial site, it will likely require less remediation than if a mixed-use building with a basement were to be constructed on the land.
How do you feel about this project. Are you happy to see plans in place to turn this historically industrial site into a shopping center? Do you like the collection of chains that are already planned for the site? Would you rather see a mixed-use building with apartments and ground floor commercial space built here? What kind of business would you like to see open in the building that hasn’t been reserved yet?
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