Facade Work in Progress at 1805 North Howard Street in Fishtown, Kensington

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit found construction well underway at the six-story, 45-unit residential building at 1805 North Howard Street in Fishtown, Kensington. Located on a mid-block site between West Montgomery Avenue and West Berks Street, a short block west of the Berks Street Station on the Market-Frankford Line, the project will feature artist studios on the ground floor, as well as parking for 14 cars and 15 bicycles. The permits, issued in January 2020, list a project area of 36,802 square feet, Bottos Construction Inc. as the contractor, and a construction cost of $8 million.

The 9,580-square-foot site previously housed a two-story, red-brick commercial/industrial structure with glass block windows. Although the structure exuded a certain grungy charm endemic to the area and was arguably worthy of incorporation into the new development (as early renderings showed at one point, although they also called for heavy modifications to the facade), it ultimately posed no great loss for the local built stock. The structure was torn down around late 2019 or early 2020.

1805 North Howard Street. Looking southeast. August 2019. Credit: Google Street View

A construction permit was issued in January 2020, specifying an area of 36,802 square feet, Bottos Construction Inc. as the general contractor, and a construction cost of $8 million. By December 2020, the ground floor was finished and the CMU block service core rose around three stories high. Our recent site visit discovered notable progress at the location. The main structure appears largely complete. Although the cladding was apparently swapped from red brick as seen in renderings to light gray masonry, the development is still clearly recognizable by its tall windows, central notch, and the signature chamfered corner.

1805 North Howard Street. Photo by Jamie Meller

1805 North Howard Street. Photo by Jamie Meller

1805 North Howard Street. Photo by Jamie Meller

1805 North Howard Street. Photo by Jamie Meller

Given the current state of construction, we may expect the project to be completed some time around mid- to late 2022. Given its prime location at the junction of the Fishtown, Olde Kensington, and Norris Square neighborhoods, close proximity to mass transit, and reasonably short biking distance to Temple University to the west, we welcome this dense and visually distinctive addition to the booming district.

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