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Greensgrow Farms eyeing empty lot at 51st and Baltimore

August 8, 2013

51stBaltimore

UPDATED 8/9/13 at 2:10 p.m.: After a few readers asked about the petition in City Paper, we reached back out to Greensgrow to get more info. According to Greensgrow’s Ryan Kuck, as a phase one step, the farm hub gathered signatures from business associations and community leaders for each proposal they’ve assembled. If any of the proposals move forward and once they’ve identified a site, Greensgrow will reach out to the community through meetings and the like for community input.

As we reported in June, a garden center was being proposed at an empty lot at the southeast corner of 51st Street and Baltimore Avenue (pictured). A couple of weeks ago City Paper wrote that Kensington farm and garden hub Greensgrow has its eye on two plots of West Philly land, including at 51st and Baltimore. We checked on it and found out that nothing is set in stone, although, according to a Greensgrow rep, those sites are among many swaths of West Philly land they are considering as their next home.

Ryan Spak, owner of the corner lot on Baltimore, said much the same when we spoke to him this week. While he would be “honored” to bring a garden center to the lot because “the neighborhood deserves one,” he said that he is considering multiple possibilities for the land and an operator has not been identified. As for Greensgrow, Ryan said they were at the community meeting at Seeds Gallery on June 21 and showed interest, but he would not confirm if they are in talks.

We’ll keep you posted on this development when we have more information.

-Annamarya Scaccia

3 Comments For This Post

  1. strongforu Says:

    That guy is full of himself. That lot has been empty for years. Now, when a viable community garden opportunity is available, he suddenly has other options for it?

  2. Subawho Says:

    I’m not sure who “that guy” is but I think you are confused. Ryan Spak owns the lots on the SE corner of 51st and Baltimore and would like to lease it to Greensgrow as a retail operation. He isn’t just in support of the proposal, he’s trying to organize it. Its just Greensgrow would like to also tie in some of the other nearby empty lots and there is some question about whether our councilwoman is going to get behind selling or leasing these additional lots to Greensgrow.

    Read the City Paper story, the picture makes it clearer.

  3. strongforu Says:

    Thanks for the clarification. Forward, West!

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