As recently as last year, the long-vacant Mt. Sinai
Hospital at 4th and Reed streets in Pennsport seemed to be on track for
redevelopment.
Developers at Greenepointe Construction had presented plans to convert the century-old
building into nearly 200 apartments and a few dozen townhomes. The plans were
supported by local civic associations, and the Zoning Board of Adjustment had
even approved the variances the developer needed to complete the project.
But after a neighbor appealed the zoning decision—she subsequently withdrew the appeal saying she was
“ok with” the project—there’s been no word about the redevelopment moving
forward. Property records show that the hospital is still owned by a Chester
Springs-based partnership that bought it in 2002.
Apparently any plan to repurpose the existing building
has been dropped: on New Year’s Eve, the owners pulled a permit to completely demolish the hospital to
create a vacant lot. Dr. James Moylan, the president of Pennsport Civic
Association, said that the Concordia Group is behind the latest redevelopment
plans, but he couldn’t say exactly what those plans entail. He said he hoped to
have updated plans this week.
Ron Patterson, an attorney at Klehr Harrison who pulled
the demolition permit, said he couldn’t elaborate at the moment.
In September, the Concordia Group made a successful bid to purchase five closed school
buildings from the Philadelphia School District. Those included Germantown High
School as well as Abigail Vare Elementary, which is also in Pennsport. In
December, String Theory Charter School said it was
interested in taking over Vare Elementary. The School District is currently
reviewing 40 applications for new charter schools.
"Very much looking forward to the eventual
development of [Mt. Sinai]," said Dr. Moylan, in an email. "It's been
empty for 17 years. Hoping it will be a nice progressive extension of the
neighborhood."
Check PlanPhilly for updates on the Mt. Sinai project.
Source: PlanPhilly.com
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