A site that used to belong to the Frankford Chocolate factory in Southwest Center City Philadelphia will get new life by hosting 40 new townhomes, Curbed Philadelphia reports. Developers OCF Realty, sold 55,000 square feet, a bit more than half the site, to a group affiliated with the firm for $11.5 million after the property was rezoned. The existing brick structure now has a date with the wrecking ball.
It’s just the latest for the closely-watched project, which sees developers raze the entire 150-year-old chocolate factory to make way for a residential and retail project. The now-sold portion of land will be home to 40 townhomes (down from the original plans for 44 homes) and two-car garages. The remainder of the property will be turned into a mixed-use development, with retail and public space, according to plans released last year.
Ori Feibush, head of OCF Realty, bought the property in April of 2018 and quickly had part of the site demolished due to allegedly unsafe conditions. He initially looked at saving part of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but recently decided to raze the remainder of the structure.
“I’ve never been profoundly enamored by (the factory),” Feibush told Curbed Philly last month, adding that he believes the new project will be more well received than what currently sits on the site.
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