The revised plans for the building replacing the Broad Street Armory were approved by the Zoning Board on Wednesday. The 50 unit apartment building will now include a green roof and retail space, as requested by neighbors.
According to the developer, the planned 1,000 sq ft of commercial space will only be included if the neighbors want that. Though the Broad Street Armory was a building with a storied and important history (it was built for a militia raised by Benjamin Franklin himself) on a major corridor, it seems that neighbors and the developer have worked together with minimal strife. After a meeting with neighbors back in February, one attendant wrote:
"All in all there was no real opposition. And in the 25 or so years I've been doing this, I have never seen a meeting with this many people (about 60) and this large a project go this smoothly."
The fact that the developers have been responsive to requests from the community is also a good sign. As for the apartments themselves, most of them will be two bedroom, two bath apartments with laundry facilities in each unit. In February, their rents were estimated to be between $1500 and $2900. The building will also include indoor bike parking (rapidly becoming a trend) and outdoor surface parking.
· Armory's replacement now includes commercial space; developer to present tomorrow [Passyunk Post]
· A First Look at the New 1221 S. Broad Street [Philadelphia Real Este Blog]
· Broad Street Armory Not Long For This World [Passyunk Post]