Although everything might now be hung up in the planning stages, someday soon, Bridesburg could see a shiny, new, state-of-the-art elementary school where a blighted supermarket now stands.

Located at the intersection of Bristol and Richmond streets, the property that was once a Thriftway store has long sat untouched.

Patrick Field, principal of Franklin Towne Charter High School, at 5301 Tacony St. inside the Frankford Arsenal, said his school noticed the property when the school began to consider expansion. The facility is hoping to grow from a charter high school into a full kindergarten through 12th-grade system, and Field said the said the property will be the perfect site for a planned elementary school.

"We wanted something close to the high school that would let us extend our reach into Bridesburg," said Field.

The school obtained approval to operate an elementary school from the Philadelphia School District back in February. Since then, Field said, the school has been planning the new school and talking to architects to determine a design for the new building.

But, the district will not allow Franklin Towne to simply open a school. Instead, for the first year, the school will only offer classes for third, fourth and fifth-graders.

The next year they will add in kindergarten, first, second and sixth-grades.

After that, two years from now, the school plans to begin hosting a seventh-grade class with an eighth-grade class to follow the year after.

By 2012, Field expects the new school to have a capacity of over 800 students in grades K through 8.

"By then, we will have about 800 students in a brand new, state-of-the-art facility," said Field.

But, just what form that school, planned for the 2.3-acre site where the vacant Thriftway is located, will take is still up in the air, said Field.

He said the school is still in discussions to buy the land and they are working with various architects in order to determine potential designs and the inclusion of various amenities for the new school.

The potential cost of the project is still undetermined, said Field.

"I couldn't even begin to talk about costs," said Field when asked what the school may cost to build or what might be the cost to purchase land at that intersection. "But, this will be a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art project."

According to Field, the school decided to expand and add an elementary school after repeated requests from parents of the students enrolled in the high school.

He said that many of the parents of his students complained that the elementary schools available to their younger children are overcrowded and don't have the same strict educational procedures as Franklin Towne.

"(Parents) complained about overcrowding at other schools and, based on the success of the high school, parents wanted something more like Franklin Towne (Charter High School)," said Field.

Field said that Franklin Towne strives to provide a rigorous, challenging curriculum with a focus on helping students who might have struggled in other schools.

Like all city-approved charter schools, Franklin Towne does not charge tuition, and students are selected through a lottery process.

The charter school has won national awards for its work with urban students. Franklin Towne was one of 12 schools across the country recently awarded by the National Center for Urban School Transformation for their work in improving city education.

"We have a very high standard of education," said Field. "We're very honest with the parents and students about what work will be expected. But, the greatest asset we have in the building is our students. It's wonderful to see students, who may have floundered in other schools, succeed here."

Field said that the new school will likely include an outdoor athletic field for the use of students, as well as a "double-sized" gymnasium, a full-size library and a computer lab on every floor, but other specifics have yet to be determined.

"I've put together my own wish list," he said. "We're shooting for the stars."

Until the purchase of the Thriftway site is finalized and construction plans have been selected, students of the newly founded Franklin Towne Charter Elementary School will be able to take classes in the high school.

Last year, the school purchased the building next to the school, essentially doubling the size of the facility.

In order to provide room for the incoming third, fourth and fifth-grade students, the school has set aside 14 rooms in the new building for the use of the elementary school.

There will also be a cafeteria solely for the use of elementary students in the annexed building.

"We decided that when we do anything, we're only going to do it if we can do it extremely well," said Field.

Applications for the new Franklin Towne Elementary School for grades 3, 4 and 5 are now being accepted for the school year beginning this fall. For more information visit www.franklintownecharter.org or call 215-289-5000.

Reporter Hayden Mitman can be reached at 215-354-3124 or hmitman@phillynews.com