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Millcreek Tavern to be replaced by residential building

December 19, 2018

The Millcreek Tavern at 42nd and Chester Ave. will soon be gone and a five-story, 42-unit residential building aimed at students could soon take its place.

Developers pitched a preliminary plan to the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee on Monday night for the building, which would require variances for height and number of units. Representatives of Core Development told the committee that they purchased the building about 10 days ago, are in the “very early conceptual stages” and have yet to apply for the variances. 

The informal presentation was to gauge initial reactions from the zoning committee and nearby residents.

Core Development owns and manages other properties near 42nd and Chester, including 4134 Chester and 4213 Chester, which are aimed at University of the Sciences students.

The proposal for Millcreek property includes 5,500 square feet of ground floor commercial space that could include a “neighborhood restaurant,” according to developers.

Core Development has no plans for affordable housing and estimated that studio units would go for $950 per month; one-bedrooms for $1,250; and two-bedrooms for $1,500.

The developers say they will apply for zoning in January or February. At least one more public meeting will be scheduled for the project, so stay tuned.

8 Comments For This Post

  1. Sharon Settles Says:

    Why will there not be any affordable housing? Is this Core Development way of gentrifying the neighborhood? The students aren’t the only people who live in the Southwest and West Philadelphia who may be looking for a place to live.

  2. Normal Person Says:

    If a private company buys private land, they may build what they please and charge rent based on market value. What obligation do they have to lose money on their investment? If you don’t agree, you can buy the property and develop it and charge what you please. Or better yet, don’t live there! $950 per month IS affordable to many individuals. Smart by the developers! Win! Maybe you should stop complaining and make more money so you can afford the housing! Sad!

  3. west philly resident Says:

    The private company has the right to build a single unit on the property, but it wants to build 41 units on the property. The private company is asking for a major zoning variance and does not have the right to do that or to destroy a neighborhood. The student population is declining rapidly. The area around Mill Creek is quite dense with apartments (and a big ugly sprawling cheaply built unit on the same block by this same developer). West Philly would be wise to start thinking about preserving the scale and quality of life of its neighborhood before it becomes completely blighted with cheaply built housing by developers making a fast buck. In a couple of years, these poorly built buildings are going to be slum-quality. Penn and USciences are building huge buildings for students. It took lots of money and effort to recruit homeowners to West Philadelphia, because homeowners lower crime rates significantly, insist on neighborhood services, are stable, pay taxes, maintain property, invest in the neighborhood and in neighborhood organizations. All these cheap large scale consruction is ultimately going to destroy property values and bring the high crime rates back as these properties deteriorate and become sites for predators. UCD needs to rethink it’s relentless development strategy before it destroys what it took years to create.

  4. goldenmonkey Says:

    No, your sky is falling scenario won’t happen and resorting to such hyperbole only weakens your arguments.

    The student population is no by means “declining rapidly” in the area. If I’m wrong, please provide documentation. Additionally, people from all walks of life wish to live in this area, including those whose kids could attend Penn Alexander. More than one single-parent family lives in housing exactly like this for the sake of their children’s education (the new complex would be in the PAS catchment).

    I’m no fan of this style of construction, but it’s not 1915 anymore. Should these buildings fail to maintain their integrity, they’ll lose renters and will fail. In a worst case scenario, they’ll be torn down and a new structure will replace it.

    “Slum quality” housing is never going to happen here. I’ve been here for over 20 years and things just keep getting better. If anything, removing what at times has been a rather notorious bar should better he neighborhood in general. More residents means more eyes on the street mean less crime. It also incentivizes the adjacent universities to increase foot patrols.

    Finally, what exactly does UCD have to do with this? I’m genuinely curious.

  5. West Philly Says:

    Bar or residences? What’s better for the neighborhood? Drove by many times. Never thought about going in. A restaurant with bar could go on ground floor.

  6. Band member Says:

    More apartments? Too bad that place wasn’t run by someone competent and less shady. It could have been a marquee place for music.
    Unfortunately, it probably would have STILL been bought by a developer and turned into apartments, because that’s the miserable reality of real estate these days. The only ones who hang onto their properties are the ones who aren’t lured by the money of increasing property values that can make a buck and leave.

  7. karen murphy Says:

    Born and raised there why should we have to move because these people come in with these buildings for the students whose parents pay most of there rent while we pay our own stop raising the prices can’t we just get along

  8. OG WP Says:

    It sucks to see the republicans on here saying stuff like “they dont need to include affordable housing”. developers suck, these new buildings suck, been here for 30 years and you new entitled folks need to take a hike.

    On another note, its really sad to see the track and turf disappearing. its one of the first places i ever learned to drink. RIP

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