Construction has made significant headway at the Broad Street Flats at 701 South Broad Street in Hawthorne, South Philadelphia since YIMBY’s last visit to the site in April of 2021. Five floors are currently being framed, with two more still on the way. Developed by Hightop Development, the structure will house 54 residential units and with retail space on the ground floor.
Since YIMBY’s last update in April 2021, steel has been erected to a height of five stories. Much of the wood framing for the third to fifth floors has also been completed, offering a clear view on the ground floor retail space. Large windows in the residential units offer an airy and modern facade. Renderings suggest clean lines with dark paneling and masonry.
Formerly occupied by a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant until its closure in 2005, and situated directly in front of a Speedway retailer, the new building offers a welcomed change to the South Broad Street area. Revitalization efforts for the area fall far behind those happening slightly further to the north, in part due to stricter zoning for mixed-use structures and new construction for residential homes usually requiring single-family programming. However, the 9,000-plus square feet of new space will offer a fresh perspective to the area upon completion, which will likely take place around mid-2022 to early 2023.
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Could you explain the steel structure on floors one and two with wood construction above? Philadelphia allows wood framing in multifamily construction but requires steel in commercial/retail? I am in NYC so don’t know the ins and out of Philly building codes. I assume it needs to be sprinklered?
This is the new standard for cheap Ian, medium density construction around the US.
The wood framing is cheap, but you don’t want to build more than 5 stories with it.
too sad looking