New Apartment and Townhouse Development Breaks Ground on West Washington Ave
A new apartment and townhouse development has recently begun construction at the western end of Washington Avenue, next to the railroad viaduct and the intersection of Washington Avenue and Grays Ferry Avenue. This development is referred to as 2501 Washington Avenue, because it is also at the intersection of 25th Street and Washington Avenue. It is replacing a vacant lot in the formerly industrial area. It is being built by High Top Development and designed by PZS Architects.
2501 Washington Avenue will have 64 rental apartment units in a five story building at the corner of 25th and Washington. The first floor will have an 11,000 square foot retail space and each floor above that will have sixteen units per floor, with one and two bedroom units. There will be a terrace above the first floor with a plaza for the residents. The developers are considering a gym, a grocery store, or a restaurant or café with outdoor seating for the retail space. A curved driveway will connect 25th Street to Grays Ferry Avenue and will be lined with seventeen townhouses. The townhouses will be three stories and will have balconies and nine foot backyards. Some of them will be next to the sloping hill leading to the railroad viaduct. The townhouses will have a homeowners association. The developers plan two duplexes on Grays Ferry Avenue and a stone courtyard plaza with benches. The façades of the buildings will be modern, with brick, metal panels, and concrete panels. There will be a 48 space parking lot behind the apartment building and 30 bicycle parking spaces.
This new development is next door to a site where another apartment building, with retail, is planned at 2401 Washington Avenue. Grays Ferry Avenue has steadily seen new townhouses built down the street from the very large Naval Square development that Toll Brothers has built at the former Naval Academy, later a naval retirement home. And the former Frankford Chocolate Factory at 23rd Street and Washington Avenue is scheduled to be renovated into apartments. 2501 Washington Avenue will help jump start further development in the southwestern corner of Center City.
By, Gabriel Gottlieb
