JLL
By Paul Schwedelson – Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal Mar 17, 2024
With hundreds of apartments being built along City Avenue, business leaders are setting a new vision for the car-centric corridor with more sit-down restaurants, entertainment options and grocery stores.
While the disjointed 3-mile stretch on the border between Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township is currently dominated by parking lots, office buildings and strip malls, the City Avenue District’s new master plan aims to transform it into a more walkable district with seamless connections.
The master plan, presented to the Lower Merion Township’s Building and Planning Committee last week, calls for increasing the diversity of retail tenants to create a more vibrant destination. Based on analysis from retail brokerage MSC and consultant RCLCO, the plan projects there will be demand for 950,700 square feet of retail space within the City Avenue District in 2032, up from the 905,100 square feet of demand in 2022.
