We spotted a zoning notice a couple of weeks ago on a ho-hum building near the corner of 12th & Vine, but (as you might expect) were speeding by too fast to take a closer look. A few days later, we remembered to check the L&I Map and discovered that the owners of the property have plans to rehab it in the near future.

The white building

According to the zoning application, developers intend to construct a two story addition in the rear of the property, build out three apartments upstairs, and have a vacant commercial space on the first floor. Hopefully, the work will also include some work on the building’s facade, which could use a little love. It seems there are no concrete plans as of yet for the commercial space, though we wonder whether any sort of retail operation…

The Drunk Tank. If you’ve ever consumed what others may consider to be too much alcohol and gotten mixed up one way or another with the police, you might have ended up there. In Philly, it’s known as The Roundhouse, located at 700 Race St.

The Roundhouse

This year, the building is listed on the Preservation Alliances Endangered Properties list. When the Philadelphia Police move their headquarters to another building on the list from years prior, the Provident Mutual building at 46th and Market, a move that is expected to take a few years, the Roundhouse will be left unoccupied.

Could be vacant in the coming years

It was constructed during the 1960s and regarded as a watershed moment in the redevelopment of Center City spearheaded by Ed Bacon and Richardson Dilworth (You’ve heard of 

We just happened upon this construction the other day, and figured we’d share. 125 and 127 N. 11th St. were, as recently as a couple of years ago, older buildings that looked as though they could use a facelift. The corner space had been home to a business called Juanita and Juan’s (with a cool sign) and had most recently contained Leh’s Collection of Arts (with a central PA phone number, for some reason). The building located one off the corner was painted blue and looked like a former commercial space had been converted to residential use.

In the past

Both buildings are currently experiencing renovations, with the first floor space on the corner building completely opened up, and the same happening for the formerly blue building to the north. It’s not blue anymore, and according to permits that were pulled last…

A reader tipped us off the other day after they noticed some construction activity taking place at 908 Cherry St., an old warehouse/factory building. We swung by the building the other day to take a look, but can’t say we noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Looks rough

Peering upward

Though we saw no workers on the site, we were undeterred and checked the L&I map to see whether any permits had been pulled here in the past couple of years. Turns out, we were able to turn up some info.

First, and rather surprisingly, we learned that the vacant-looking building is currently in use, with the basement and first floor being home to a company that engages in “food processing of chicken and meat for wholesale and distribution.” So… that’s something we didn’t…

Last spring, we told you about plans to build an addition on the top of 1025 Arch St., just down the street from Reading Terminal Market and the unfortunate Home2 Suites hotel. As you can see in the photo below, this addition has, in fact, taken place, though work probably isn’t yet completed.

Three new stories

As if to not get left out of the fun, owners of a building just a few doors away appear to be planning a similar expansion. The owners of 1019 Arch St., who in 2011 unsuccessfully attempted to sell this property for $2M, will present to the ZBA next week a proposal to build a four story addition onto their building.

It's the one on the right, next door to the building with the fenced-in

…

A few weeks ago, we noticed an upcoming zoning hearing for 814 Spring Garden St., a large parcel next to the old Reading viaduct that was once home to a FedEx terminal but in recent years has hosted flea markets. The property, which occupies nearly 110,000 sqft, sits next door to one of our least favorite addresses in the city.

The property

Next door. Ugh.

On November 28th, developers will present a significant project for this site to the ZBA. According to the application, the project will include a three story addition to the existing building which will include sixty-six residential units. The first floor will remain as an “exhibition space,” and will continue to function at times as a flea market.

Fear not!

This project went before the