News
The Roxborough Review
Mixed Uses to Come for the Old MCP Site
By Bernard J. Scally
Aug 22, 2007
At a meeting of the East Falls Community Council Zoning Committee meeting, residents had the opportunity to see the possible future use of the Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) site. Gary Gordon and Jason Friedland of the Iron Stone Group asked the committee for a variance to turn the site into a mixed use area for residential and commercial interests. Iron Stone is one half of the partnership that bought the MCP campus located on Henry Ave. more than a year ago. Iron Stone has promised to keep a section of the facility for medical use but the market for opening hospitals is declining.
"Closing hospitals has been easier than opening them," said Gordon. "So we are trying to recast the space to the best of our ability."
Iron Stone does pledge to preserve much of the buildings including the facades. The plans for the front two buildings, to be known as One and Two Falls Center, will have 350 residential apartments. The plans of the rear building behind Two Falls Center, 3559 Scotts Ln., will have 120 residential apartments targeted for a senior living facility. A coffee shop is planned for the 3,000 sq-ft gatehouse on Henry Ave. Approximately 250,000 sq-ft. of space is planned for commercial use in One, Two and Three Falls Center.
"It is not going to be a complete medical complex and it is not going to be a complete office complex." said Gordon.
In rounding out the usage, between15,000-20,000 sq-ft is planned for usage as a gym-fitness center in One Falls Center. But the most exciting is usage of the MCP cafeteria for Capogiro.
Capogiro is a Philadelphia-based Gelato maker. Many of their pints can be found in specialty food stores such as Ingredient, located on Main St. Capogiro is also served in area restaurants. Their flagship store on 13th and Sansom Sts. is where the gelato is made. It is a tiny basement and they want to expand.
"They have turned away potential workers because they were too tall," said
Gordon.
But certain floors of buildings may be changed. Certain hospital rooms such
as the operating rooms, which had been updated in 2004, may remain untouched;
a future consideration for their use may include outpatient surgery.
"Some floors will be gutted and redone from scratch," said Friedland. So far, details are still preliminary.
According to Friedland, the average size apartment, one bedroom, will be about 800 sq-ft. The range of apartments will vary from $700 for studios to $1,300 for two bedroom facilities. The main target for these places would be graduate students at the Drexel Medical School and other varied residents.
One of the main concerns of residents was the type of senior care facilities at the Scotts Ln. building and the impact of parking. There is large amount of residential housing behind the Falls Center site. Residents worry about the increase of commercial traffic through the narrow residential streets. Since Capogiro is a small company it seems unlikely that large commercial vehicles will travel through the area. Most business traffic is said to take place during the day.
Iron Stone also said that they are looking at a senior care business model that will keep parking troubles down to a minimum.
"Our goal is for a site that works," said Gordon.
