A long-delayed retail development just south of Philadelphia’s Italian Market has received zoning approval, moving plans forward for a vacant property at 1101-03 S. Ninth St. The Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment on Oct. 28 authorized New York City-based Midwood Investment & Development to build a one-story complex called the Shops at the 9th Street Market. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2027.
The roughly 27,000-square-foot building will contain 11 retail bays and a roof deck intended for a restaurant tenant. Plans include spaces measuring between 1,000 and 3,000 square feet, along with a larger, 7,000-square-foot space. Midwood CEO John Usdan said some tenants have signed leases and others are negotiating. He described the prospective mix as including well-known restaurant concepts and health and wellness businesses.
The fenced-in lot has been the subject of several development proposals. Before the pandemic, plans called for an apartment building, with earlier versions reaching six stories and including as many as 182 apartments. The housing component was reduced before being dropped, and Midwood shifted to a single-story retail proposal in 2024. Usdan said the company had wanted to add residents and density but concluded that residential development might place too much demand on the market’s infrastructure.
The project’s name also changed following a request from the Passyunk Square Civic Association. Midwood’s team told the zoning board that the planned rooftop sign previously read Shops at the Italian Market. Usdan said the company accepted the request in recognition of the area’s diversity. Traditional Italian businesses remain prominent north of Washington Avenue, while taquerias and restaurants with roots in Mexico, Central America and South America are the main presence to the south.
The rooftop sign will be illuminated from dusk until business hours end. David Smallets, an architect with the Philadelphia office of Perkins Eastman who is designing the building, told the board that the sign would serve the broader shopping district. The development will have no associated parking, and a previously proposed Ninth Street curb cut that generated substantial controversy before the pandemic is no longer planned.
Usdan said Midwood wants the complex to attract more weekday customers and encourage shopping into the evening. Business in the Ninth Street market area is currently busiest on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. He said bringing a group of restaurant operators into the market could benefit surrounding merchants.
Midwood has owned much of the property since 2012. Explaining the decision to proceed, Usdan pointed to strong sales across the company’s Philadelphia retail holdings. He said additional shops could meet demand at the site and help connect portions of the market separated by busy Washington Avenue.
Changes in the neighborhood have also influenced the proposal, according to Usdan. He said the growing presence of families has created demand for everyday health and wellness services. Food and beverage tenants could include both operators entering the market and existing Ninth Street businesses seeking modern space in which to expand.
