Permits Issued for 42-Unit Residential Building at 879-85 North 40th Street in Belmont, West Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a six-story, 42-unit residential building at 879-85 North 40th Street (Parcel C) in Belmont, West Philadelphia. The structure will rise on the east side of the block between Ogden Street and Westminster Avenue. The building will span a footprint of around 6,000 square feet and hold 37,710 square feet of residential space, lending an average of just below 900 square feet per apartment. Permits specify Francesco Zampetti as the designer and Haveerford SQ GC LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are listed at $2 million.

The development will replace an overgrown, dilapidated lot with what appears to be a shuttered garage. The lot persisted in this eyesore state for over ten years, and its removal will go a long way to improve the ambiance of the once-charming but currently rather drab rowhouse block, which was heavily affected by the wave of depopulation and demolition that swept through the neighborhood during the postwar period. The block still retains a relatively high number of vacant lots, dilapidated housing stock, and a single-story, warehouse-like commercial building, all of which are prime candidates for future redevelopment.

Such development would be most welcome on the block that sits within a 20-minute walk (or a much shorter bike or car ride) to University City, one of Philadelphia’s fastest-growing neighborhoods with an ever-increasing need for housing for students, educators, and other employees within its many universities and other institutions, as well as miscellaneous residents who wish to take advantage of the neighborhood’s ambiance and amenities.

The route 38 and 40 buses stop at the south end of the block, and the Route 10 trolley on Lancaster Avenue and the Route 15 trolley on Girard Avenue may be reached within a ten-minute walk. However, the neighborhood would also greatly benefit from a new station on the multiple regional rail tracks that pass through the neighborhood. The ideal site would be just to the south of the Philadelphia Zoo, where several rail lines converge. The station would service both the zoo and the area’s existing residents while significantly improving the area’s development potential via improved transit access.

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