Permits have been issued for the construction of a 50-unit mixed-use building at 5542-44 Ridge Avenue in Roxborough, Northwest Philadelphia. Upon completion, the new building will stand three stories tall, with commercial space on the ground floor and apartments above. The structure will contain 45,500 square feet of space as well as multiple roof decks. Construction costs are estimated at $6.8 million.
Current view of 5542-44 Ridge Avenue. Credit: Google.
The new building will rise from a large site that runs into the center of the block. The most notable feature, a small two-story commercial building that appears to be in good condition, stands on Ridge Avenue. The building stretches fairly deep into the property, the rest of which houses a large self-storage facility, with two rows of garage-style doors along a drive aisle. Each space in the row has a blue garage door and white stucco exterior, while more detail can be found on the commercial building. The ground floor of said structure is also coated in white stucco, although the second floor still sees the usage of its original red brick. Above that portion, there is also be a cornice, which nicely caps the building’s design.
While the current use of the property is not lamentable, with commercial space spanning the ground floor, it still is not the most effective use of a site of such scale. Therefore, it will be a solid addition for the site as it will preserve commercial space on the ground floor, while also adding a significant mount of density above, which will ultimately contribute to the customer base for other businesses and restaurants in the surrounding area. If anything, the building should offer more height, as three stories seems to be somewhat short at this location. However, the building’s large footprint does somewhat make up for it.
This project is yet another instance of Ridge Avenue handling the bulk of Roxborough’s new development. Numerous multi-family and mixed-use projects are under construction and planned and along the corridor, which will add hundreds of residential units and ample commercial space. As local density continues to grow, hopefully bus service frequency will see an increase, as well. We also urge the city to add protected bike lanes to the neighborhood.
No completion date is known for the project at this time, though construction may be finished by 2023.
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