American Street has long been home to industrial businesses. As industry left Philadelphia beginning in the sixties, however, it has become a sort of empty, silent stretch, full of vacant lots and bereft of activity. Though many industrial outfits still call American street their home, it's clear that industrial uses can't support the corridor on their own.
Though American street still doesn't have too many residents, it looks like times are changing. The Crane Arts building, converted from a former warehouse, may be a harbinger of non-industrial projects to come.
The SoKo lofts project is an example of a possible future for American Street. The lofts, located at 2nd and Master, aren't directly on American Street, but they're close. And as growth continues in Kensington and Fishtown, it's hard to imagine the zoning code for American street, designed for industrial use, staying the same. The question is, can American street accommodate heavy industrial uses and residential growth?
· Uncertainty And Ingenuity On Kensington's Industrial American Street [Hidden City]
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