Permits have been issued for a four-story, three-unit mixed-use building at 261 South 60th Street in Cobbs Creek, West Philadelphia. The development will replace a two-story prewar building situated on the east side of the block between Irving Street and Manning Street. The retail space at the ground floor will contribute to the commercial corridor along the street, and three residential units will be located above. The structure will rise from a 900-square-foot footprint and will contain 4,472 square feet of interior space. Permits list Raphael Realty LLC as the owner, JOs. Serratore & Co. Architect Inc. as the designer, and Meir Badush of Northeast Renovations LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are listed at $630,000.
The 60th Street commercial corridor is vibrant both in terms of retail activity and appearance, with colorful prewar buildings lining the street. However, the stretch has seen effectively no new construction during the postwar period. As such, the new building is a welcome addition that shows that West Philadelphia’s development boom is extending to the area’s farthest reaches, as the site sits just three blocks east of Cobbs Creek Park, which marks the western boundary of the city proper.
The building that currently stands at the site is part of a five-building ensemble. Like many buildings along the corridor, each one rises two stories and features retail at the ground floor and residential space above, equipped with a bay window. On its own, the structure is charming but generally unremarkable, with little in t he way of decoration aside from horizontal bands at the bay window and lozenge-decorated turrets at the corners of the cornice. Its loss will not be overly detrimental to the street, and the boost in residential density and a brand new retail space will be a definite upgrade over the existing vacant structure.
We expect to see further development along the street, as it features a number of construction-ready vacant lots and sits within a few blocks of the park as well as the 60th Street Station on the Market-Frankford Line, which offers a rapid commute to University City and Center City.
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Looks like an interesting upgrade for the neighborhood.
Do you have a rendering available for this development?
A half-mile from the 60th Street station of the Market-Frankford Line is a HUGELY desirable benefit of this property!! 😉
For the residents who choose this development as their future, they will enjoy SEPTA bus route 42 (Spruce Street (as far east as Penns Landing)) and bus route 46 (60th Street (service to the Market-Frankford Line)).
Local food markets, soul food, pizza place, etc. has your needs covered.