Construction of an addition to the Garden Court Plaza, located at 4701 Pine St., has begun. The work is currently taking place at the back of the building on 47th Street between Pine and Spruce, which will be the primary access to the construction site, according to the Garden Court Community Association. The sidewalk on the west side of the whole block is closed due to the construction.

As a reminder, the plan includes the construction of a six-story, 220-unit addition above the Plaza’s parking garage (see rendering below). Continue Reading

Rendering of the proposed 6-story addition with 220 apartments over Garden Court Plaza’s parking garage at 4701 Pine Street (Image by BLT Architects).

The owners of Garden Court Plaza, the 14-story apartment building located at 4701 Pine Street, are porposing a 220-unit addition above the complex’s ground floor parking garage.

The project is “by right,” meaning it complies with the zoning code (CMX-3) and variances are not required. However, due to its scale, the project has to be approved by the City Planning Commission’s Civic Design Review Committee.  Continue Reading

The Post Bros. have placed their zoning application for a 243-unit addition to Garden Court Plaza at 4701 Pine St. on hold following a public meeting last week, according to the Garden Court Community Association.

A large majority of the approximately 70 people in attendance opposed the plan, which requires special zoning approval from the city. Public comment is factored into that decision. Much of the opposition focused on the availability of affordable housing and parking.

“The Post Brothers have heard our voices loud and clear and want to work with the community to address the issues raised at the meeting,” reads a statement on the Garden Court Community Association website. “They do not intend to proceed with the project without community support. As a result, their zoning application has been put on hold. GCCA Zoning Committee will be working with the Post Brothers to meaningfully address our community’s concerns, especially with regards to housing affordability.”  Continue Reading

Post Bros. co-founder Mike Pestronk during presentation of the proposed addition to the Garden Court Plaza at 47th and Pine at last night’s Garden Court zoning committee meeting.

A crowd of about 70 people gathered to hear about a proposed 243-unit addition to the Garden Court Plaza complex on the 4700 block of Pine Street voted overwhelmingly against the plan.

Proposed building rendering (view from Pine Street).

Post Bros., the current owners of Garden Court Plaza, want to erect an adjacent building that would bring the total number of residential units of the complex at the corner of 47th and Pine to 389. The plan requires the city to issue variances for both building height and density. Current zoning for the site allows for a building with a maximum height of 38 feet. The proposal would double the density maximum for the site, currently set at 170 units.  Continue Reading

After more than a year’s wait amidst a saturated coffee market in West Philly, a Kensington coffee shop, ReAnimator Coffee, is indeed expanding into Garden Court on the 4700 block of Pine Street. With a planned opening in mid-November, ReAnimator will join the ranks of independent coffee shops like The Satellite Cafe, Coffee Market, Green Line Cafe, Milk and Honey, United by Blue and others. ReAnimator Coffee’s new location will be based out of Garden Court Plaza apartments, a complex that was recently acquired by the Post Brothers.

ReAnimator co-founder Mark Capriotti and his business partner Mark Corpus both believe that the area calls for a brick and mortar shop because bulk coffee bean sales have been doing well at ReAnimator supplier Mariposa Food Co-op; they both also believe they have something new to introduce to the area.  Continue Reading

We are starting to learn a little more about the retail that will be moving into the ground floor of the Garden Court Plaza apartment building at 47th and Pine. An official from Post Brothers, the real estate developer that acquired the building last year and announced their plans to court new retail businesses, said last night that ReAnimator Coffee, which has current locations in Fishtown and Kensington, has agreed to take one of the spots.

Post Brothers managing director Randy Hope told the Garden Court Community Association annual meeting that the firm is also “in conversation” with a “full-service restaurant.”

“One thing that I promise won’t be coming there is a 7-Eleven or something like that,” he said.

Hope did not say when ReAnimator Coffee might be moving in. We’ll keep you posted.