The hulking gray structure at the northwest corner of Broad and Washington Streets known as Lincoln Square is coming together rather quickly. For those who have been eyeing the progress, you probably noticed the cool building in the back, which was a former train shed that actually served as a stop on the funeral tour of Abraham Lincoln after he was assassinated in 1865.
It’s undoubtedly the coolest aspect of the development so far, so we’ve been waiting with bated breath to figure out what would actually go in there. Today we have our answer: national health-food grocer Sprouts will fill the 32,000-square-foot space with the Sprouts Farmers Market. Kimco Realty Corp., who’s in charge of the project say it will be open between October and December of this year.
In the vein of Trader Joe’s, Sprouts specializes in fresh, natural and organic produce at more affordable prices than you’d find at, say, Whole Foods. This will be the brand’s very first Philadelphia location—one of 30 it’s opening across the U.S. this year alone.
Photograph: Courtesy BLT Architects
The building it will be located in will maintain its historic Late Gothic Revival elements, with more contemporary architectural details such as a pitched roof, updated windows and doorways and more. If you want to be one of the first to call these fancy new digs home, pre-leasing is now underway, and reps say move-ins will begin as early as this summer. Besides Sprouts, other confirmed retailers at Lincoln Square include Target, PetSmart, Starbucks and Sprint.More details here.
Lincoln Square is one of several developments in that area that is changing the face of industrial Washington Avenue, effectively building a more pedestrian-friendly connection between Center City and South Philly. Check out five of those projects we’re most excited about here.
Photograph: BLT Architects