Architect Brian Phillips from architecture firm ISA presents proposal to convert church near 46th and Spruce into apartments (Photo by West Philly Local).
Developers presented a plan to the Garden Court Community Association (GCCA) last night that would convert the Good Shepherd Community Church near 46th and Spruce into apartments and add another smaller building on the property.
The proposal, made to a standing-room-only crowd, was met with mixed reviews. Preservationists welcomed the adaptive reuse, while many neighbors near the property at 314-316 S. 46th St. opposed the plan.
“We simply can’t absorb any more high-density housing in this area,” said Eric Santoro.
Santoro said he gathered more than 80 signatures from neighbors near the property who opposed it. He called the developer’s original plan to demolish the building (a demolition permit was obtained in December) a “coercive weapon” to force neighbors and others to accept a plan that saved the building.
The proposal calls for converting the 1930s stone church building into 20 studio and one-bedroom apartments ranging in price from $900 to $1,500 per month. It also adds another smaller building on a section of the property that is currently a garden area that would include 12 apartments. The new structure would be built of wood and patinaed metal and would be the same height as adjacent duplexes.
The plan does not include affordable housing.
Good Shepherd has experienced a decline in its congregation over the 40 years it has been in the building and is eager to sell the property. The sale is contingent upon city approval of the project.
The property is zoned RSA-3, which means that single family homes are allowed “by right.” The developer, Hightop Development and Real Estate, is asking the city for variances for the number of units and setbacks along 46th Street. The plan also calls for no additional parking, which drew the ire of many neighbors.
But Hightop’s David Landskroner said few tenants owned cars at his neighboring property, the newly built structure at the corner of 46th and Spruce. This project, he said, would be aimed at young professionals.
“As a developer I don’t do student housing,” Landskroner said. “That’s not my business model.”
Landskroner originally planned to demolish the church, but said he was urged by preservationists to come up with a plan that would save the building.
Those same preservationists asked those at the meeting to not sacrifice a chance to save the church because of parking.
“The moment you prioritize parking over other quality-of-life issues … I think that’s a dangerous mistake,” said George Poulin, the president of the University City Historical Society.
Some residents urged Good Shepherd congregants at the meeting to reconsider the sale and work with them to come up with another solution.
Good Shepherd Pastor Cleveland Best pushed back, citing mistreatment from neighbors over the years. Best said neighbors have called police on congregants who have double-parked near the church and because of loud music during services.
“Police have come inside our church,” he said. “For 40 years you could have worked with us, but you guys have always been coming to us with the negative stuff.”
A hearing date has not yet been set with the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment. A slim majority of those in attendance last night voted against the project. The vote is not binding.
June 5th, 2019 at 10:39 am
I thought that this was an OFC project? Is this a shell developer? OFC has numerous times said that they would preserve historic buildings in order to get variances, and then tore them down anyway, without repurcussion. I wouldn’t trust this plan at ALL. Though agreed that it doesn’t make any sense to demand parking. Where would it go? Young professionals in cities aren’t buying cars. They are using public transportation and bikes, as they should.
June 5th, 2019 at 12:31 pm
What a spiteful pastor. Now the community is getting fleeced by the shepherd.
June 5th, 2019 at 2:54 pm
This was never an OCF project. The OCF blog (Naked Philly, cringe) has written about the project just as it has written about many projects that the company has no dealings in and very likely enjoys the confusion and attribution to it projects that it is merely blog-reporting on.
June 6th, 2019 at 2:01 am
The church has been offered one million. Not all the bathrooms of the 32 units would have windows. The efficiencies would only average 500 sq. ft. The Post brothers have sold the Garden Court Plaza already. The new owner is planning to subdivide those apts. What is the limit on our density?
June 6th, 2019 at 11:13 am
Robin Gresham-Chin, what exactly is going on with GCP?
June 6th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Well, if it actually does 1) save the building 2) and increase density 3) without parking minimums, that seems like a win for ‘neighborhood character,’ affordability, AND reducing congestion. Sign me up. Low-density single-family zoning and mandatory parking minimums will simply ensure that no one CAN move here because the housing stock is all too expensive, while at the same time worsening traffic gridlock.
I see a lot of lawn signs welcoming immigrants around here, yet not a lot of willingness to actually make the necessary space so that everyone who wants to live here can.
June 6th, 2019 at 9:19 pm
Adapt it. Build the units. There’s no need for more parking. Not everyone needs or has a car—especially with our looming global climate crisis. The trolley is just south, MFL is just north, and buses in between. It’s laughable and outright dishonest for anyone to argue that this is “high density” and that this neighborhood can’t handle 20 studio apartments.
I don’t live in this area, but I’ve passed through often over the years…and my guess is you have white people who gentrified the area and who have been calling the cops on African American churchgoers…and now the white gentrifiers want to close off the neighborhood after effectively pushing the congregation (who used to be residents) out. Can there be any reporting on *this*? It seems like this context would be helpful for understanding this meeting and the reactions.
June 7th, 2019 at 3:11 am
A correction: GC Plaza is not officially sold yet. Btw, while I prefer it, since when has windows in a bathroom been a requirement? Also not my preference, look at the trends among multi-unit buildings re price per square foot. Only smaller units are affordable. It’s not pretty, but it’s happening everywhere. Interestingly, homeowners who rent seem perfectly happy to tag along with charging the higher prices. Finally, of the many buildings that have been in the area for decades, and only GC Plaza has parking; not the condos, or the houses that get broken into multiple units that also add to parking demand. So let’s be consistent.
While density may not be your preference, it’s not necessarily bad when managed. Livin’ in the city….
June 13th, 2019 at 10:09 pm
I’m with mw. Saving “neighborhood character” shouldn’t simply mean maintaining a building’s aesthetic. It should mean that we also preserve affordability. And yes, it’s nice to have parking, but we live in a city.