The garage at the corner of Cedar and East York on the border of Fishtown and Olde Richmond has sat vacant and blighted for the last several years. Back in 2011, owners applied for a variance to turn the building into two commercial spaces with one being a restaurant. The request was dismissed for reasons we are not aware of. Then, in 2014, a variance was granted for a scooter shop and one residential unit within the structure. Construction proceeded and a second floor was added to the building. However, the project stalled.
In 2018, we saw a variance granted to put a group medical, dental, health practitioner in the building. Through the grapevine, we heard that the user would be a pediatrician. However, no work on the building ever proceeded.
The 2,565 CMX-1 zoned property at 2365-67 E. York St. continued to be an eyesore. Then, on September 26th, alternation permits were pulled for the interior fit out of the medical establishment:
FOR THE INTERIOR FITOUT OF AN EXISTING TENANT SPACE FOR USE AS A MEDICAL OFFICE, ALTERATIONS TO INCLUDE THE ERECTION OF PARTITION WALLS, PROVIDE FINISHES/FURNISHINGS AND ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FIRST FLOOR ONLY. ALL WORK TO BE DONE PER APPROVED PLANS. IF FIELD CONDITIONS VARY CONTACT DESIGN PROFESSIONAL PRIOR TO THE START OF ANY WORK. SEPARATE PERMITS TO BE OBTAINED FOR ALL OTHER WORK.
Work has been happening within the building over the last couple of weeks. It looks like this project will finally proceed and this corner will be cleaned up.
Growing neighborhoods need essential services such as doctors, dentists, dry cleaners, and barbers. Although a pediatrician may not be as exciting to some residents as a beer hall of craft grilled cheese restaurant, we think a pediatrician is an important use. We would have liked to have seen residential units added above the pediatrician. However, we are overall happy to see this project proceed and look forward to more energy on this section of York St.
How do you feel about this project? What kind of use would you have liked to have seen for this property?
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