Thursday, November 6, 2014

Convert or demolish? 'Largest piece of development land in Phila.' on Wash. Ave.



Commercial real estate broker CBRE Inc. is offering the former Frankford Chocolate factory, a 241,000 sq. ft. aging brick facility on a 100,000 sq. ft. lot at 2101 Washington Ave., For Sale. "This is the largest piece of available development land in the city at the moment," CBRE's Robert Fahey says. Features the city's "hottest residential neighborhood, and some very interesting history behind the owner."


The ex-factory's late owner, Vienamese immigrant turned New York low-rent hotelier Truong Vinh Tran, paid a modest $5.75 million for the property in 2007 and proposed a $100 million mixed-use development. Troung's project was scaled down and approved by the city, but languished in the recession; he died in 2012, leaving the project in litigation. Meanwhile the neighborhood rapidly gained value as Center City housing demand has risen faster than the supply.

The site is zoned I-2 and offers buyers a choice: "to convert the existing building into a residential use with commercial space while emphasizing the historic aspect, or demolish the building and start from the ground up," CBRE says. The brick heart of the complex dates to 1865 and may be eligible for federal Historic Investment Tax Credits.

Source: Philly.com

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