Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, 23-unit mixed-use building at 846 East Woodlawn Street in Germantown, Northwest Philadelphia. The 28,800-square-foot structure will rise on the southeast side of the block between Bloyd and Boyer streets, replacing a vacant, fenced-in lot. Building features will include ground-floor commercial space, elevator service, full sprinkling, and parking for eight bicycles. The development takes advantage of the green roof bonus, with a green roof described as covering 60 percent of roof area. Permits list Rashmi Realty LLC as the owner and RSG Management LLC as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $1.2 million.
846 East Woodlawn Street. Credit: Google
846 East Woodlawn Street via Redfin
The building will span a 10,000-square-foot ground footprint, rising from a deep and relatively narrow lot. The previous design featured a four-story, I-shaped structure clad in attractive brick with white window sills, lintels, and trim, a design that would have made a great match for the historic buildings in the surrounding area.
846 East Woodlawn Street via Redfin
The updated design maintains similar proportions yet has apparently been scaled down. It also appears that the brick facade has been swapped for horizontal siding, which, while more prosaic in appearance, will still be a proper fit for the neighborhood’s at-times suburban flair. Although the design appears to be rather conventional and the units compact, the development promises to be comfortable for future residents, with outside-facing windows in every bedroom (which is, astoundingly, not a given in every multi-family development in the city), balconies in front- and rear-facing units, and sunlit stairwells. Elevator service is also a pleasant perk for a low-rise building such as this.
846 East Woodlawn Street via Redfin
846 East Woodlawn Street via Redfin
The development will rise on a residential block with a surprisingly eclectic mix of housing stock, predominantly a variety of prewar rowhouses. The site sits within a 20-minute walk to the Wister and Germantown regional rail stations to the south and the Washington Lane station to the northwest, as well as a 25-minute walk to the Olney Transportation Center to the east.
East Woodlawn Street, with 846 East Woodlawn Street on the left. Looking southwest. Credit: Google
East Woodlawn Street, with 846 East Woodlawn Street on the left. Looking northeast. Credit: Google
846 East Woodlawn Street. Looking north. Credit: Google
As YIMBY noted in our 2022 construction feature, numerous developers rushed to receive construction permits before full ten-year tax abatements expired at the end of 2021. More residential construction permits have been issued just on December 31, 2021, typically a short or an off-day for many workers, than have been issued in the two-plus weeks of 2022 so far. The permit for 846 East Woodlawn Street also comes from the end of 2021, likely issued within the last few hours of the year. However, we expect permit activity to pick up once again in the near future given the continued strength of Philadelphia’s residential demand and the fact that significant tax abatements remain in place, albeit in a slightly reduced form. Check out our 2022 feature to read more the exact abatement conditions.
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Sadly, this will get built as is drawn.