In the News... Dual Apartment Buildings at Broad and Callowhill on Track for Groundbreaking

It’s been well over a year since we’ve checked in on the two mammoth lots that encompass the the southeast and southwest corners of North Broad and Callowhill. So long, in fact, that even we began to ask, is this project still alive?

As it turns out, the answer is yes. Parkway Corporation owns the land and has partnered with The Hanover Company out of Houston, Texas to develop both parcels. The mixed-use project will include 339 apartments, between 15,000- and 16,000-square-feet over four corners of ground floor retail and 370 parking spaces. Joe Zuritsky, president of Parkway Corporation, told Property that the team could break ground on the project as soon as the end of the year.  “It’ll be a fantastic beginning of North Broad Street,” said Zuritsky, about the two large undeveloped plots south of Spring Garden Street.

According to the zoning permits granted in March 2014, the lot at 322 North Broad Street (west side) will house 229 apartments and feature an outdoor pool. 339 North Broad Street (east side) will have 110 units. Here's the proposal that the partnership submitted to the Civic Design Review back in February 2014 as a refresher (.pdf).

North Broad is brimming with action, as Bart Blatstein as already remade the former State Office Building into luxury apartments. He also owns the Inquirer Building at 400 North Broad Street, which sits directly across from the Parkway lots on Callowhill and could become a hotel. What's more, the Rail Park is chugging along nicely, Rodeph Shalom just opened their new annex and Eric Blumenfeld pretty much owns the rest of the larger projects before you get to Temple University, an entity that is also in various stages of development on key parcels north of Girard Avenue. Phew.

As for the latest run on surface lots in greater center city, let's just say we won't shed a tear as they start to go the way of the Dodo. Here is but a sampling of projects in the works that will soon replace surface lots:
•The W/Element Hotel at 15th and Chestnut
•32-story tower at 709 Chestnut Street
•Walnut Estates at 22nd and Walnut
•"Fergie's Tower" at 1213-19 Walnut Street
•The Adagio at Front and Sansom
•Two lots on Bainbridge Street

http://www.phillymag.com/property/2015/07/06/parkway-corporation-broad-callowhill/