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A leasing brochure released in early March has piqued the interest of thousands of South Philadelphians as developer Bart Blatstein prepares to invest in an eyesore at the corner of Broad Street and Washington Avenue.
The developer, famous throughout most of Philadelphia for his 2009 investment in Northern Liberties’ Piazza, has been working towards recruiting businesses into a multiple-tiered hub of mixed use for over a year now. And by late ’15, the largest intersection south of City Hall could be poised to house a cinema, grocery store, fitness center and a mix of retail and restaurant spaces.
“The piazza is a completely different development. When I developed there it was barren,” Blatstein said. “There was nothing there for blocks, and I had to create buzz.”
Not so for this space.
“A retail center is a process that takes time. You go after your group of tenants that you want, and there’s been tremendous interest,” he added with encouragement. “I’m very, very happy with the interest, and you take your time. A center like this is like putting a puzzle together.”
South Philadelphians are buzzing with its potential, and it will no doubt spark civic association and zoning meeting attendance with interested and concerned citizens and online talks.
When local writer Albert Stumm of the Passyunk Post revealed hypothetical schematics by way of the leasing agent’s marketing efforts, the comment section lit up. There seems to be a portion of South Philadelphians crying foul: 1,000+ Facebook shares and 93 comments later and there are rants about gentrification, inappropriate use of space and requests for specifics.
However, there’s a great deal of enthusiasm from neighbors who see the intersection as an ideal site for much-needed neighborhood resources. Specifically a grocery store, the primary request by most accounts. The nearby structures include The Rock School for Dance Education, 1101 S. Broad St., the Marine Club Condominiums, 1100 S. Broad St., a largely-unused Monro Muffler lot, 1004 S. Broad St., and a McDonald’s, 914 S. Broad St.
The intersection, functioning as a new hub of commerce, transportation and social engagement, will bear a great deal of influence on homeowners and renters within a usable radius. Metro Commercial Real Estate, Inc.’s, the exclusive leasing agency, has marketing material that reports a ’13 estimation of the space’s service area population at 313,324, and a seemingly current “daytime population” of 474,434.
Pam Zenzola, president of the Passyunk Square Civic Association and resident of the 1300 block of Federal Street, is probably one of the most excited about it.
“When I see Broad and Washington, immediately what comes to mind is jobs. Construction. Whatever the building or development is going to be, we can’t afford to have an empty lot,” she said with excitement. “We have schools that need help. I see that and I think revenue for the city.”
Many of the residents who have been around for some time are simply excited that a block that’s remained empty is getting put to good use.
“It’s a lot that I have, my whole life, seen vacant. Well, now something is actually going to be there,” Andrew Dalzell, the South of South Neighborhood Association’s president and resident of the 2000 block of Fitzwater Street, gushed. “The time is now and [Blatstein] sees the opportunity and that’s awesome. It represents a massive opportunity for South Philly and for all of those neighborhoods.”
It is quite an intersection; a natural boundary that divides SOSNA from Hawthorne, and Passyunk Square from Newbold and Point Breeze. It’s one of the last large open spaces left in South Philly, and some residents are worried that a big rubric of corporate retail boxes will be a blight to the community, at least aesthetically, if not also in ominous macroeconomic circumstances.
“The parking lot is not going to be visible from Broad and Washington,” Blatstein reassured on the visual front. “Too much [parking]? I’ve rarely heard that complaint. It’s just not practical for families. If they’re going to get a zip car and go shopping, they need a place to park. You need that amenity.”
Anthony Coratolo, the newly-elected Newbold Neighbors Association president and a resident of the 1300 block of South Hicks Street, is optimistic about the desirable incoming services.
“If the selection of stores and amenities is well-balanced, that’s key, too,” Coratolo said. “At this point any grocery store would be good. Especially this side of Broad Street. On the other side, you have East Passyunk Avenue, where businesses are popping up and staying alive.”
“We need grocery stores. Period. End of story,” Dalzell concurred. “Wegman’s, South Philly Food Co-Op, Trader Joe’s, whatever — we need it. We’ve heard it loud and clear from our neighborhood that’s saying ‘We need grocery stores.’ Broad and Washington’s a good spot for it.”
It seems clear that South Philadelphians will be making their voices heard and that Blatstein will be listening.
“I understand. They’re entitled to as much information as they want and as much time as they want,” the lifetime Philadelphian admitted. “And we’re working together. It’s a collaboration.”
“It absolutely behooves them to come before a civic,” Zenzola said on Blatstein’s willingness to be receptive to citizens’ needs. “Even if it’s not required, to suddenly get beat down by people calling City Hall and their councilman, you might as well get a feel upfront for what the community wants or doesn’t want.”
“It’s going to be a question of what civic participation is going to be,” Dalzell agreed. “How much leverage is the community going to have on this?”
The key to success will be early and organized arguments at key civic engagements.
“Responsible development is where you include services for the community,” Coratolo said. “Hopefully, they’ll consider that there are a lot of different needs and a variety of price points, different types of retail, and engage the community in figuring out what they really need.”
The neighborhood civic that will host this new hub is Hawthorne, and the Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition’s officers, seemingly, declined questions for privacy’s sake.
“I’ve already met with them,” Blatstein said. “Like in every development I do, no matter what it is, I’m available at any time to meet with any groups that want to talk. I’m happy to spend as much time as necessary, and that’s how I’ve always operated.”
To be sure, we’re as many as 20 months away from a ribbon-cutting. But the process has been going on longer than one would imagine, and it’s picking up momentum.
“These things don’t happen overnight,” Blatstein added. “Good things don’t happen overnight.”
Contact Staff Writer Bill Chenevert at bchenevert@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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