The Sedgley Apartments, located at 400-3 S. 45th Street.

The Sedgley Apartments building, which has stood on the corner of S. 45^th and Pine Streets for more than 100 years and has been gutted in recent weeks, will be renovated to house “luxury” apartments, according to its new owners.

The Sedgley’s new owner, 400 S. 45^th Street LLC, which bought the property in February, plans a complete overhaul of the Romanesque-style building’s interior (the exterior will stay intact, save landscaping and window updates.) Work on the Sedgley, which was built circa 1900 when developers were looking for corner lots for high-density housing, has been left vacant for the last few years. Renovation should be finished by the fall.

The specs of the new apartments will sound familiar – hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, central air, washer and dryers, and custom tile. The majority of the market-rate units will be two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with two baths, with some one bed/one bath options available.

“It’s a unique opportunity to convert a beautiful greystone building in a premier area and we want to make the most of it,” said 400 S. 45^th Street LLC principal Noah Ostroff.

– Annamarya Scaccia

The firm behind the proposed residential housing project at 43rd and Baltimore will soon begin to seek community input, including the launch of a forum-like website, according to a letter from the chair of the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee.

We first reported on the 92-unit residential complex proposed for the vacant lot at the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue, across from Clark Park, a month ago. Since publishing the story, a lively discussion on what this development would mean for West Philly took off, with a number of residents emailing concerns to Barry Grossbach, chair of the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee. Grossbach recently addressed those questions in a statement released by the Spruce Hill Community Association.

“Here is what we know. The property owners sought, and were given, a ‘conditional’ zoning permit subject to design committee approval by City Planning,” writes Grossbach. “The site, currently zoned Rm1 under the new code, does not require any parking as part of any multifamily development. This is particularly important to understand given the emails insisting that Spruce Hill not allow this lack of parking to stand. The plans submitted by the owners meet the requirements of the code under Rm1 zoning, and lamenting the lack of parking will not address those concerns in a meaningful way. A ‘conditional’ permit is good for one year, and the clock does not start ticking on any time schedule until the owners seek to change ‘conditional’ to ‘permanent.’”

According to Grossbach’s statement, before seeking that change, the property owner, Clarkmore LP, controlled by Thylan Associates, has enlisted the help of U3 Ventures, a local real estate advisory and development firm, to engage the community in fostering alternative design plans. The process, writes Grossbach, will include a series of insightful roundtables with residents, and the creation of 4224Baltimore.com (which is not yet up and running), a website dedicated to the project news and information. The plan is for the website to feature an online discussion forum moderated by “Spruce Hill community members” where residents can express qualms about issues ranging from “building size to parking concerns,” according to Grossbach’s letter. The development team will not edit the forum’s content, but will participate in the discussion.

The development group will also have a table at the Spruce Hill Community Association May Fair on May 11.

“Many of us in Spruce Hill have looked at 43rd and Baltimore with a mixture of apprehension and hope over these ‘vacant’ years—expecting that something would surface as a development scheme and praying silently that we would not only survive it but applaud it,” writes Grossbach. “We have a unique opportunity here…We have the chance to think big and bold and, hopefully, find that sweet spot in shaping development for a site that both community members and property owners applaud without reservation.”

– Annamarya Scaccia

In late 2011, we reported the West Philly-based real estate developers, the Orens Brothers, plan to revitalize the infamous Croydon Building into a seemingly-affordable 127-unit apartment complex. Work on the extensive project is now underway.

The air surrounding the looming 25,875 square-foot structure on 49th Street between Locust and Spruce Streets was heavy with raucous construction clatter when we visited the location Thursday afternoon. According to one worker on site, renovations of the Croydon began four months ago and should last two years, with the two wings hopefully completed by the fall. Representatives from the Orens Brothers could not be reached for comment.

The Orens Brothers bought the Croydon Building in 2011 for $1.75 million, with renovations budgeted at about $10 million. The once homogenous development, built in the early 20^th century, became known by squatters as “Paradise City” after it was abandoned in the late 1990s. It was also the site of 2007 murder that resulted from a fight between two squatters. The building had been a focus of community concern for many years.

– Annamarya Scaccia

Last fall we wrote about a new development project in Cedar Park – the conversion of an old warehouse near 49th and Pentridge into office and studio space called The Cedar Works. The renovation of the historic building at 4919 Pentridge Street, which took a full year, is now complete and residents are invited to the Grand Opening party this Saturday (Apr. 13), at 7 p.m. to check it out.

Andy Peifer, one of The Cedar Works’ owners and long-time Cedar Park resident (his family lives just around the corner), says that the 15,000-square-foot property has had occupancy since February and now has 17 of the 21 studios rented. The tenants are a mixture of artists and professionals with a variety of media and work represented: pottery, spinning and dyeing of wool, jewelry and leather working, mental health therapy, guitar building, oil painting, sketching/drawing, web development, photography, interior design, printmaking, and writing/publishing.

At the grand opening party guests can meet local artists and visit their studios and check out the new community meeting and event space. This space is also already being well used for events, such as Philadelphia Folklore Project, Honoring our Elders, etc., training (Training for Change, Action United), and meetings (Quaker meeting, AIDS Policy Project).

“We are looking forward to becoming an additional resource for the Cedar Park neighborhood,” said Andy.

For more information about The Cedar Works, visit: thecedarworks.com.
 

Renaissance Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center’s renovation plan includes demolition of these two attached houses on Chester Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets.

Residents living near the 4700 block of Chester Avenue can expect to see a face-lift to the area this year as Renaissance Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center undergoes renovations.

Renaissance (formerly Park Pleasant Nursing Home) will revamp its grounds encompassing Chester and Kingsessing Avenues under the guidance of its new owner, Nationwide Healthcare Services, which purchased the 123-bed long-term and short-term care facility January 1. It is part of Renaissance’s larger effort to become “a focal point of [the] community,” said Nursing Home Administrator Carmella Kane.

“One of our goals is… to have a long-term care facility to serve the community,” she said. “Aesthetically, we want to be the best thing around.”

The overhaul will include garden beautification, interior remodeling to residential living space, and demolition of two attached, vacant residences adjacent to the Chester Avenue Dog Park on the corner of 48^th and Chester (Renaissance owns both the homes and the park, which will remain intact.) Signage reflecting the facility’s new name is already posted on the property.

According to Kane, Renaissance hasn’t scheduled a start date for demolition of the two houses, which are currently being gutted, as permits have not been obtained. The administrator denied rumors that the site will turn into a parking lot; instead, she noted what it will become is “unknown.” There are no plans for construction on the area, however.

“We will not do anything to hinder the community but they’re dilapidated buildings,” Kane said, “and nobody has lived in there for years, so it’s not like they’re tearing down existing living space…We’re going to be very conscious of the community.”

She said Renaissance will keep the community notified of renovation updates and other related news. By the way, this Friday, Apr. 12, one of Renaissance residents is celebrating her 100th birthday and community members are invited to the party that begins at 2 p.m.

“Nursing homes have such a stigma anyways,” Kane said. “We want to be a positive part of the community because we’ve been here for so long.”

– Annamarya Scaccia

The final public meeting on the University Southwest District Plan is tonight at Quorum in the University City Science Center (3711 Market St.). The meeting is an open house and community members are invited to attend any time between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

At the meeting, the City Planning Commission will present the draft of the plan including recommendations for zoning changes in the area. You can also learn about the feedback the planning commission received from the Philadelphia2035 online game. The game developers will be there to share results and hear from you about your gaming experience. Most importantly, they will award $500 prizes to the top three local causes supported by participants. The following causes were presented in the game: Greening Lea initiative, Neighborhood Bike Works, the Kingsessing Recreation Center and the University City Arts League. More than 900 people signed up to play the game.

For more information, please contact Andrew Meloney, 215-683-4656, Andrew.Meloney@phila.gov.