Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, three-unit multi-family building at 1301 Ridge Avenue in Poplar, North Philadelphia. The building will span a footprint measuring 994 square feet and will hold 3,814 square feet of interior space, which translates into spacious apartments measuring well over 1,000 square feet each. The structure will be fully sprinkled. Permits list Greenway Plaza LLC as the owner, Brett Harman as the design professional, and Liu Construction LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are listed at $380,000.
1301 Ridge Avenue. Credit: Google Maps
The project site is located on a through-block lot situated near the tip of a narrow triangular block between Ridge Avenue to the west and North 13th Street to the east. The asphalt-covered lot has sat vacant for well over a decade as one of many blighted sites in the once-flourishing commercial and industrial neighborhood. The persistent desolation on the surrounding blocks is surprising, given its proximate location to bustling Broad Street, several-block adjacency to both Spring Garden and Fairmount stations on the Broad Street Line, and immediate proximity to vibrant and high-demand neighborhoods such as Center City to the south, Spring Garden to the west, and the Temple University area to the north.
1301 Ridge Avenue. Looking north. Credit: Google Maps
For the above reasons, the surrounding area’s imminent resurgence is pretty much inevitable. A number of major projects are already in various stages of development nearby at Lower Broad Street, and a high-rise mixed-use complex was recently finished a few blocks up the avenue at 1300 Fairmount Avenue. The latter includes a massive ALDI supermarket, which significantly boosts the neighborhood’s capacity for added residents.
Ridge Avenue, with 1301 Ridge Avenue on the left. Looking southeast. Credit: Google Maps
Ridge Avenue, with 1301 Ridge Avenue on the left. Looking northwest. Credit: Google Maps
If anything, it is surprising that the proposed building counts only three stories and three residential units, as the site’s location and transit adjacency can, and should, accommodate a much larger building with greater density. Numerous vacant sites offer ample space for new development, while the large number of vacant and underused prewar buildings are excellent candidates for adaptive reuse. To ensure the most effective use of these precious urban resources, the city must upzone the lower Ridge Avenue corridor and should strongly consider reopening the nearby Spring Garden Station on the Broad-Ridge Spur, the only once-operational subway station in the city that is completely shut down at the moment.
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A tremendous real estate opportunity in a pivotal intersection.
Is there a rendering available for this property?
There is no way any development could possibly include any on-site off-street parking, so don’t expect that.
You’ll find a local pizzeria just a few blocks south along Ridge Avenue on 12th Street.
Another local pizzeria can be found on Broad & Wallace Streets.
Jimmy G. Steaks at Broad & Ridge Streets looks like another solid local dining option.
SEPTA has you covered with the bus route 61 along Ridge Avenue.
If you need parking, look elsewhere.
This one’s not for you.