OCF sells half of Frankford Chocolate Factory property

The development of the former Frankford Chocolate Factory site took a big step forward this week with the sale of nearly half of the Washington Avenue land.

OCF Realty, the developers behind the project at 2101 Washington, sold 55,000 square feet—out of the site’s total 100,000 square feet—to a group affiliated with OCF, according to the Philly Business Journal. OCF had already gone through the zoning process to get the portion of land approved for the development of townhomes prior to the $11.5 million sale.

It’s just the latest for the closely-watched project, which sees developers raze the entire 150-year-old chocolate factory to make way for a residential and retail project. The now-sold portion of land will be home to 40 townhomes (down from the original plans for 44 homes) and two-car garages. The remainder of the property will be turned into a mixed-use development, with retail and public space, according to plans released last year.

Ori Feibush, head of OCF Realty, bought the property in April of 2018 and quickly had part of the site demolished due to allegedly unsafe conditions. He initially looked at saving part of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but recently decided to raze the remainder of the structure.

“I’ve never been profoundly enamored by (the factory),” Feibush told Curbed Philly last month, adding that he believes the new project will be more well received than what currently sits on the site.

Groundbreaking could start as early as August.