The Phoenix's Rise Up in the Air in Nicetown-Tioga
A "sober gym" is proposed in a vacant industrial building as approval hinges on upcoming ZBA vote
Real estate development is always a curious affair, with nearly every single situation containing a multitude of factors, creating a singular story for every address. Take, for example, 1112-20 Roy St., a trapezoidal lot north of the SEPTA/Amtrak train tracks serving North Philadelphia Station. This two-story industrial building, which sits just blocks from several large properties we covered in December, has been empty for nearly 25 years according to property records. Adjacent to a few open lots that are also part of the I-2 zoned property, this parcel sits amidst industrial, commercial, and some residential uses, mixed with a decent amount of vacant land.
While this may seem like a slam-dunk spot for an adaptive reuse, the medium industrial zoning poses a bit of a barrier to development in 2025, as most by right industrial uses have long since left the area. Which leads us to today, as this property seeks zoning relief. Plans were presented to the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) last week for a gym concept from The Phoenix, an organization focused on building “a sober active community.” This national non-profit has been active in Philly since 2017 and are looking to open their first brick-and-mortar spot on this very site. Not a treatment or addiction management center, this is meant to be a space for those at various stages of recovery to feel welcomed, safe, and active.
And this, dear readers, is where The Story of the Building begins to get as juicy as the finale of The White Lotus. As a gym is not an approved use for an I-2 zoned property, The Phoenix was required to meet with the local registered community organization (RCO), the Nicetown-Tioga Improvement Team (NTIT). During the long hearing in front of the ZBA, we heard of a lightly attended initial meeting for the project, followed by a heavily attended meeting that had a much different outcome - namely, a second round of voting that came out against the project, 24 votes to one.
So, what gives? The main concern of near neighbors is the management of those who the gym is designed for, namely that this could be a magnet for drug use. Despite assurances that this was not a clinic/safe site and would have a 48-hour sobriety requirement to enter, NTIT co-director Cynthia Barnes expressed concerns that many of those experiencing addition in Kensington before are now “coming up to Lehigh” after last year’s clear out of the opiate epicenter. There was also some drama around potential text messages according to the NTIT, legality of the rationale for resistance to the project, and potential future rezoning of the property to ICMX, per the planning department - which would allow for a gym by right.
Phew. Let’s scope the very cool plans from LO Design to see what may or may not be coming.
So, what lies ahead? It’s extremely difficult to say, as there were impassioned pleas on both sides regarding whether this is an appropriate project for this site. A statement from District 5 Councilmember Jeffrey Young Jr.’s office offered little in terms of a stance, mostly restating already known facts about the case. Questions from the ZBA members also provided few clues as to how this might go, mostly asking operations-focused questions. But we should know what lies ahead here soon enough, as the ZBA vote for this will take place on Wednesday, April 9th. If we were to wager a guess, we’d put our money on this being approved - mostly due to the potential rezoning of the site that would have allowed this entire project to proceed by right and the propensity for the zoning board to allow most somewhat reasonable proposals.
That said, it will be fascinating to see what happens if this isn’t given the go-ahead. The overall attitude across the city towards addiction-adjacent services is that they’re needed…though they shouldn’t be in my neighborhood. Until that changes, we can expect this sort of story to be written much more often in the coming years.
Seems like a very appropriate use, though neighbors’ concerns do need to be addressed.