Million Dollar Listing, Ambler
The Colony Club renovation project was listed for sale this morning. There has been quite a bit of talk about the projected scope and sale price of the units, but no firm details, until now… Word on the street was there would be a total of three condos listed somewhere in the $750k range, but it turns out that there are only two units, each listed for $998,500. Assuming these sell at or near asking price, it will be the highest residential real estate transaction to take place in Ambler Borough. With the pace of the real estate market over the past several years, it was a matter of time until we got to the $1M mark, however, I certainly expected it to be one of Ambler’s historic architectural gems, not a new construction townhouse.
That said, the developer didn’t raze this historic building in order to create these homes, but is thoughtfully repurposing and renovating the structure that has been a part of Ambler’s fabric since 1894.
The building at the corner of Race and North Ridge was initially home to the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Ambler (now Calvary United Methodist), then the Knights of Malta, and most notably, in 1912, the Colony Club. The Colony Club was a local women’s group whose charter stated that its purpose was “to create among women an organized center of thought and action, and to promote such public measures as shall be conducive to community welfare.” The group took on many civic activities including, championing local environmental concerns, organizing a Red Cross chapter during WWII, they even started the Ambler Library when the group purchased 12 books for $20 in 1923.
I appreciate that the developer retained the building and is also keeping the Colony Club name; it will be interesting to see what finished product looks like. According to the listing, both units offer three bedrooms, two and half baths, 2,725 and 3,005 square feet (respectively), parking for two cars (no garage), and will be part of an HOA. The listing detail can be viewed though the links below. Also, of note, the same developer is currently adapting St John’s Church across the street in a similar fashion. Stay tuned!
25 North Ridge, Unit A
25 North Ridge, Unit B
The properties are listed by Nancy Bond at Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach Realtors and photos of the Colony Club are from Wissahickon Valley Historical Society.
