More Parking Spaces Earns Neighbors OK on Main Street Apartments

Four parking spaces go a long way.

Giving preliminary approval for 45 new apartments at the former Wilde Yarns Factory on Main Street, the Wissahickon Neighbors Civic Association said more parking spaces changed their minds.

approached the neighborhood group about transforming three buildings at the former Wilde Yarns Factory—the triangular corner of Main Street and Ridge Avenue—into new apartments with 41 parking spaces on site, and 12 spots on Main Street.

With parking a premium in the Roxborough-Manayunk area, the civic association requested what was the legal minimum—one parking space for every unit.

"The idea is great. I think you did a good job. But you totally missed the boat on parking," Anna Kirmes said Oct. 1.

On Monday, Janzen and Bloomfield reapproached the group with a plan that found the extra four spaces—bumping it up to 45 total.

"If parking was the only issue, we resolved it," Bloomfield said.

The developers acquired the property in the hopes of transforming it into housing that preserves the building's unique architecture. Additionally, they said they would move to make the factory on the National Historic Registry.

Since redrawing their site plans, they said they resubmitted them to the Department of Licenses and Inspections. 

The plan calls for one bedroom (priced at $1,300) and two-bedroom ($1,800) units, with access on Main Street and also on Little Cresson Street.

Now that they have general neighborhood approval, they will apply to the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment to get onto its hearing calendar. At that point, the neighbors will take a vote to officially endorse the apartments.