Thursday, November 3, 2011

Empty Lot of the Week-- November 3rd

Lucky Garden Trash Lot

Bounded by Ridge Ave, 12th Street, Spring Garden Street, and Buttonwood Street

That's crap.
                         Now this is one sorry-ass piece of land. The area around it on Spring Garden is finding ways to improve, but this shitty lot is stuck in development limbo, probably forever. Hopefully, as progress continues in the Loft District and other parts of the neighborhood, this shit-lot will finally give way to some construction. The only thing that's historically cool about this lot is that it once had a building that had a giant cast iron statue of Henry Clay on it.

From the Ridge Ave. side in 1858. It makes for one eerie looking picture.
                      In more recent history, the lot has held a brass works and a lumber yard. Someone tried to build a fast food restaurant here awhile back but the Chinatown Neighborhood Association kicked the shit out of 'em. In the mid '00s, the lot was purchased by a developer called Lucky Garden. Lucky Garden built a large mixed-use development on the block to the south, but left this 2 million dollar 30,698 square foot parcel bare as fuck.
                    This lot is a locational goldmine. The confluence of three well-trafficked roads: Ridge Ave, 12th Street, and Spring Garden Street. The lot is zoned heavy industrial and probably needs environmental clean-up, which might be what has held back development here. Though this area actually counts as Chinatown North, I say fuck that and build something here that could be the gateway to the Loft District.
                   There's not much else to say other than BUILD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
                   

3 comments:

  1. Only if the new construction also includes a giant statue of Henry Clay.

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  2. How DARE you suggest we develop this trash-strewn fail. Who do you think you are?

    /sarcasm

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  3. This lot is the place around which Ben Frankin allegedly flew his famous kite--if you believe that sort of thing. See my piece at www.scribd.com/doc/46039160/Franklin-s-Philadelphia-Experiment (toward the end).

    ReplyDelete