Last week, we told you about four vacant buildings on the 1500 block of Ridge Ave. that had recently received Doors & Windows violations notices. Today, we bring another such property to your attention, this time closer to Girard Ave.

The blight

1800-08 Ridge Ave. is a beautiful hulk of a building, with 32 rooms and over 16K sqft of interior space. It was last purchased for $300K (yikes) back in 1999, by James and Ernestine Swinton. Its last use was as a rooming house, according to an old listing, and it’s been vacant since before 2005. Looking at the building and considering that it was once next to the Ridge Avenue Farmers Market, we suspect it once had some important use- could it have once been a hotel in a previous life?

Image of the old Farmers Market from Wikipedia. You can see 1800-08 Ridge next door.

Recently, like its vacant brethren a few blocks away, this property received a Doors & Windows violation. Oh, and did we mention it’s property tax delinquent to the tune of over $65K? The property has been on and off the market for years, most recently listed at $850K. Though the size is impressive, and it’s very close to Francisville’s development central at 19th & Poplar, we’re guessing the condition of the building makes such a price impossible for a developer to stomach. Hopefully, the price will come down. Or the sheriff’s office and the law department will get a little proactive. Either way, we look forward to the day when a developer restores this sleeping giant to her former beauty.

From the south. Former Ridge Theater is next door.

Someone redevelop this building!

C’mon, Ridge Avenue needs places like this cleaned up!