Take in that uninterrupted view of Philadelphia for just a second. That photo from Conrad Benner at Streets Dept. was taken from the roof of Edward W. Bok Vocational High School, simply known as Bok, at 9th and Mifflin St. in South Philly. Recently sold for $2.1M, if all goes according to plan, it will soon be the view from a transformative adaptive reuse project near East Passyunk Ave. from developer Lindsey Scannapieco, owner of Scout LLC and daughter of developer Tom Scannapieco. The view is one thing, the plan is another animal all together.
While Tom Scannapieco is a veteran of the development game, having brought luxury to a new level with 1706 Rittenhouse and with 500 Walnut coming soon, this is Lindsey Scannapieco's first development. "Building Bok" — as it's being called right now — is going to be big, featuring affordable apartments, activation of five roof terraces with possible cinema/beer garden, co-working spaces and 'innovative' ground-floor tenants.
According to Streets Dept.:
"Long story short, Lindsey and her company are trying to transform this vacant school into a one-of-a-kind maker, creative hub for Philadelphia. It will combine workshops, co-working and residential under one roof (something that is rarely done in the US, according to Lindsey.)"
A report from the Passyunk Post notes that the project will unfold in phases and that "temporary artistic uses" will provide "immediate activation." The building was built in 1938 and has 338,000 sqaure feet of space at its disposal. One potential issue is that it currently shares a boiler room with Southwark Elementary, which sits across Mifflin St.
Although this is the first development for Scout LLC, it isn't Lindsey Scannpieco's first rodeo. According to their website, she worked to secure temporary uses for London's Olympic Park.
· Inside Bok: The Bright Future Envisioned For One of Philadelphia's Abandoned Public Schools [Streets Dept.]
· Edward W. Bock Tech [PHL School Sales]