Open Thread: Tell us your thoughts on the Callowhill storage facility project

A proposed self-storage facility just off Broad Street in Callowhill is causing controversy among resident and city officials.

The planned development would take up 134,000 square feet of space at 1314 Spring Garden Street, bringing ground-floor retail and six stories of self-storage facilities above. It will also include 12 parking spots, and the facade will be a mixture of black and grey, with large windows facing Spring Garden Street, according to renderings of the space.

But it’s the use of the building has residents in the area, members of the Civic Design Review (CDR), and some city officials, upset. Many people argue that the Callowhill neighborhood is a burgeoning area, one that’s undergoing a growth of restaurants, retail, residences, and public spaces. John Struble, president of the Callowhill Neighborhood Association (CNA) argued during a CDR meeting Tuesday that the development would create dead space in the midst of all that growth.

Members of the CDR agreed with him. Cecil Baker questioned whether it was the right use of the land, Dan Garofalo called the project “a joke,” and CDR Chair Nancy Rogo-Trainer asked if there was any way to make the development more of an “active use” project.

The proposal has spurred a heated debate, not just among residents and the developers, but among city leaders as well. Back in early October, The Zoning Board of Adjustment granted the project a zoning variance, a choice the City Planning Commission opposed. In turn, they filed an appeal of the decision.

After all that controversy, we want to turn to you. What are your thoughts on the planned development? Do you think it’s a good idea to have a storage facility so close to center city? Do you agree with residents about the neighborhood’s development boom?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.