Phoenixville has approved a mixed-use project that will use the site of Bridge Street’s abandoned slaughterhouse, writes Evan Brandt for the Daily Local News. Developer Manny DeMutis plans to call the project Steelworks, and it will include 375 apartments and more than 40,000 square feet of commercial space and will extend Hall Street. 

The slaughterhouse and surrounding buildings have sat vacant for years. “I came in 1979, and it looked like that,” said DeMutis.  

With Phoenixville’s growing population, it is time to make good use of the site. The Steelworks plan will bring even more growth to the borough. 

While the project will tear down some row homes, DeMutis said that the families are currently being relocated.  

“It will be a dramatic change to that area,” he said. “We’re recycling the ground. It’s going to create jobs.”  

Steelworks will make the space more walkable for residents. These days, availability for outdoor exercise is a must-have for new mixed-use projects. Extending Bridge Street and Hall Street allows residents more access to downtown. 

Additionally, utilities for Steelworks will be placed underground and out of sight. It will include 370 private parking spaces, with more open spots for public use in the retail area.  

Read more about Steelworks in the Daily Local News.