City’s social good accelerator to use former 3rd Ward building as HQ

FastFWD, the city’s soon-to-launch social enterprise accelerator, will be headquartered inside the former 3rd Ward building in Kensington, GoodCompany Group cofounder and FastFWD partner Garrett Melby announced last night at GoodCompany Group’s demo day.

FastFWD will occupy some of the 27,000 square feet space as part of a partnership with Impact Hub Philly, the coworking space that opened in 3rd Ward this fall and will continue to operate there. The 12-week accelerator will host 10 entrepreneurs focused on public safety.

Apply here by Dec. 20.

3rd Ward Philly, the maker and education space that originated in Brooklyn, closed suddenly earlier this month, though instructors hadn’t been paid for weeks and other rumored dysfunction had been swirling.

Putting a social good program in Kensington, near transit and out of Center City can make sense, particularly when fit into the logic that the beautifully-renovated and massively underutilized space needs tenants. Let’s hope FastFWD got a great deal.