The building is being developed by Bart Blatstein’s Tower Investments of Philadelphia. It will be 15 stories tall and will replace the surface parking lot between the movie theater andto the immediate west. Blatstein owns and developed both of those projects as well.
Although the development is right across the street from Temple University and flanked by another large student-apartment building, Roller said it wouldn’t be aimed at undergraduates. There will be a total of 62 parking spaces included in the project, replacing the 16 that currently exist. However, unlike the existing parking lot, which is open the general public, the new spaces will be open only to residents.“It was a big shock for the community. Everybody was unhappy,” said William Harris, president of the United Neighbors Alliance Civic Association. “We’re getting hit with a lot of large projects. So when you combine them, it’s like, ‘Oh, my goodness.
“The biggest red flag was the number of single units,” said Harris, “which screams potential student housing.”