1600 carpenter massing — Massing for the project at 16th and Washington

Over the last couple of years, plans for the Hoa Binh Plaza supermarket site at 16th and Washington in South Philly have been evolving. The site is made up of 2 light industrial (I-2) zoned parcels totaling 73,307 square feet. A large parking lot currently fronts Washington Avenue and a 35,657 square foot low-rise building runs from the parking lot to Carpenter Street.

The diamond shaped parcel at the corner of 16th and Washington was not included in previous plans for the site as it is under different ownership than the supermarket property. It looks like the developer behind the project, Streamline, now has plans to acquire the corner site and to increase the size of their project.

1600 Carpenter Site — 1600 Carpenter Development Site

Updated plans that include both parcels have been released in anticipation of the development team’s meeting with the South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA) on February 16th.

Streamline is now planning to build 12 single family homes with parking on Carpenter St. along with 5 seven-unit buildings and 7 duplexes to the south of the townhouses on the site of the current supermarket building.

On the site of the current parking lot, Streamline is planning a 7-story building with 162 residential units, 23,145 square feet of ground floor commercial space, 119 underground parking spaces, a green roof, and a roof deck. The parking entrance will be located along 16th St. The plans also call for a loading area along Washington Avenue, which would require a curb cut.

1600 Carpenter rendering — Elevation drawing of the mixed-use building

In total, the plans include 223 residential units. We think this is a great project that will replace a surface parking lot and low-rise building with homes for hundreds of people and a commercial space that is nearly the size of the building that is being eliminated. Our main recommendation would be to move the loading area to 16th St. in order to make Washington Avenue safer for pedestrians. Washington Avenue is currently undergoing an evolution from an industrial corridor into a commercial corridor. We would like to see as many curb cuts as possible eliminated from the thoroughfare.

As these parcels are all zoned for industrial use, this project will need a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). We do not see the project on the ZBA calendar currently. Streamline may want to get the nearby neighbors’ feedback before moving forward with a ZBA hearing. Because of its size, the project will also need to appear before the Civic Design Review (CDR).

We look forward to hearing what kind of feedback the neighbors give the development team and if the ZBA is willing to grant Streamline a variance. How do you feel about this project?

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New Plans Call for 223 Units + Retail in South Philly at Hoa Binh Plaza Site