Gretz Who's Back? Brewery Redevelopment Heads to Zoning
200 units, retail, and a 48-car garage have long been planned at the former Kensington brewery
Philadelphia was once one of the epicenters of beer creation, with the former Gretz Brewery at 1524-38 Germantown Ave. a relic of those sudsy days. Now historically protected, this complex was built in stages starting in 1885 before the brewery eventually closed in 1961, after most local breweries shut down due to national competition. Thankfully, most of the old complex still stands today, though admittedly in pretty rough shape.
But plans have been in the works here for a while, with a proposed addition and a fix-up bringing 200 units and plenty of retail making its way through CDR back in 2019. After that, refined plans were presented to the Historical Commission in 2021, with the Rufo Companies developing the complex and T + Associates handling the architectural duties.
These big plans have been stalled for several years, with a zoning permit issued in July 2022 extending another previously issued zoning permit. This permit stated that a building permit had to be obtained by 4/17/2023 to remain valid, and it seems as if that has happened, despite the site looking the same. Why are we so sure? Because an August 7th ZBA meeting has this back on the agenda, with the same concept being presented as before. Speaking of those plans, let’s dive into those details a bit further.
Obviously, this would be a considerable change for the area. We love seeing the existing buildings getting some love, but we aren’t entirely enamored with the panel-heavy approach to the addition. We understand why paneling is included, but we don’t have to love it, especially since it in part covers the amazing 90-foot-tall smokestack that is so prominent. Oh, and this huge project joins two others that are starting to move forward, further impacting the neighborhood.
We first come to the last phase of Avenue V at 1649 N. 5th St., which is adding exactly 200 more units. The Riverwards Group is developing this directly next to their recently completed condos, with HDO Architecture handling the design. Look for six contemporary stories, with parking for 51 cars/92 bikes in this residential-only project.
Finally, we have another long-delayed project, this one at 1700 Germantown Ave. which has been a center for graffiti for years. 26K sqft of commercial space is coming, along with 92 efficiency units and underground parking for 42 cars. Flow Development is taking the lead here, even taking up some of the commercial space for their own offices in this design from Living City Architecture. Interestingly, the development team has a form for public comment, offering a way for neighbors to voice their feelings about what’s in store; hell yeah. While there was digging last time we were by, the site was completely dug out and empty of action today.
Do you think 500 new residents across these couple of blocks will change things a bit? We’re going to go out on a limb and say yes, yes, they will. With so many market-rate units coming online soonish, the wait at Human Robot is likely to get much longer in the next few years. We’re going to slam a few dozen Milk Tubes as we ruminate on the irony of enjoying a craft beverage in the shadows of a historical remnant from the city’s hops-heavy past.