Permits have been issued for the construction of a seven-unit residential building at 817-19 North 42nd Street in Belmont, West Philadelphia. The project will span a 2,280-square-foot footprint on a 30-foot-wide lot, twice the size of an average rowhouse lot in the area, and will be situated at the northwest corner of Reno Street and North 42nd Street. A total of 8,188 square feet of interior space yield a sizable average of 1,170 of square feet per unit. The building will feature a basement and two roof decks. Permits list Askin Martin 1 as the owner and Stuart Rosenberg Architects as in charge of streets review.
817-19 North 42nd Street. Credit: Google
817-19 North 42nd Street. Looking northwest. Credit: Google
The building will replace a grassy lot fenced in with a wooden rail fence. In the past, the site appears to have housed two rowhouses, likely similar in style and scale to the two-story prewar rowhouses that stand adjacent to the north. However, the lot has sat vacant for at least a decade.
The building will be a welcome addition to a block that went into decline in the postwar period and has not seen any new construction in the meantime. The added density will positively boost pedestrian presence on a block blighted with large vacant lots and dilapidated buildings.
North 42nd Street, with 817-19 North 42nd Street on the right. Looking north. Credit: Google
North 42nd Street, with 817-19 North 42nd Street on the left. Looking south. Credit: Google
We expect to see further development on the surrounding lots in the near future, given the site’s advantageous location a short block north of Lancaster Avenue. The commercial corridor along the avenue offers ample dining and services, while the route 10 trolley and route 43 bus offer a rapid commute to nearby University City, which is located three-quarters of a mile to the southeast.
817-19 North 42nd Street. Looking northeast. Credit: Google
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Not far from the Philadelphia Zoo and the upcoming 3000 Baring Street skyscraper proposal.
It’s a hike to Drexel University, 30th Street Station, the Civic Center, etc.
It’s a relatively easy bike commute to University City, though West Philly still needs a better network of protected bike lanes.
Martin I. Askin died January 2, 1993 in St Petersburg FL;
the property was sold in probate estate on November 23, 2020.
Neither Martin Askin nor his estate was involved with this transaction.