The Walnut Hill Community Association will hold a public zoning meeting on Tuesday, March 7, to discuss a few development projects proposed in the area.

Developers have requested zoning variance for construction of a four-story, nine-unit apartment building at 4622-24 Sansom St. The building will include a roof deck with a pilot house and a covered porch (see rendering image). The building’s height is requested at 38 feet.  Continue Reading

Rendering of a high-rise apartment building proposed near 42nd and Chestnut (from www.kcadesignassociates.com).

Developers are interested in building a high-rise apartment building at 4125 Chestnut St., according to reports. A 17-story residential tower is being proposed for the site currently occupied by Wash N Lube car wash. The 240-unit tower will include 4,158 square feet of ground- and second-floor commercial space, as well as 82 underground parking spots, according to a report by Philly.com. The plans were posted last week on the city’s Civic Design Review board website.

The project developer has been identified as CRP Builders, and architect Hyon Kang of KCA Design Associates LLC was listed as the project’s applicant. The next design review board meeting is on Tuesday, March 7, where the project may be considered. Please check their website for more information and updates.

A new affordable housing project has been completed in West Powelton. 4050 Apartments, a 24,350 square feet three-story building, is designed for low-income artists, families, and others. The new building, which contains 20 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, has replaced a large vacant lot.

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for this project will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 2-3 p.m. Attendees will be asked to create artwork together, including a large map of the local neighborhoods and a rope of cloth strands braided together to represent the impact of developments that incorporate the arts, community and housing available to all.  Continue Reading

Here’s an opportunity to learn about future development of two properties in Powelton Village – Hawthorne Hall and the United Bank building. People’s Emergency Center (PEC) will present updates on the potential uses of these two properties at tonight’s community meeting, and neighbors are invited to participate in the visioning process.

The meeting will be held at the United Bank building (3750 Lancaster Ave.), beginning at 7 p.m.

Hawthorne Hall (3849 Lancaster Ave) was built in 1895 and serves as a landmark for the Powelton Village/Mantua neighborhoods. Now vacant property is listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It was bought by the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) in 2012 for $385,000.

The Philadelphia Historical Commission voted Friday to designate the west side of the 400 block of S. 42nd Street (420-434 S. 42nd) a historic district, a significant victory for local preservationists who want to protect historic buildings from the rapid development sweeping many of the city’s neighborhoods.

Named the “420 Row,” the cluster of Victorian row homes is the first historic district to be named since 2010, according to the Historical Commission. Designation means that the Historic Commission must approve any demolition or significant changes to the buildings. The designation comes as plans to convert one of the residences, a former fraternity house, into apartments are before the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee.

Block captain Justin McDaniel spearheaded the effort. Here is the designation application. Here is a list of other historic districts in the city, which include Parkside in West Philadelphia.

Increased development and a reluctance to grant historic status to large parts of West Philadelphia has prompted preservationists, including many members of local zoning committees, to seek designation on a “block by block” basis. Other designation applications are likely to follow.  Continue Reading

New Hamilton Court streetscape rendering.

In August 2016, the Post Brothers, the real estate company that has acquired a number of residential properties in University City in the past year, revealed their plans and renderings for the renovation of the historic Hamilton Court apartment complex at 39th and Chestnut Streets. Currently, the company is in the process of making upgrades to Hamilton Court, which was one of Philadelphia’s first apartment buildings when it was built in 1901. The renovations include the conversion of vacant ground-floor space into modern commercial retail spaces, which will be occupied by five dining establishments.

On Wednesday, the developers revealed the restaurants that signed leases for those spaces. Here they are:

• Steve’s Prince of Steaks, one of Philadelphia’s most famous cheesesteak restaurant chains, has signed a lease for 2,277 square feet.  Continue Reading