Renovation and Construction Imminent at 141-43 North 4th Street in Old City

Last month, Philadelphia YIMBY reported that permits have been issued for renovation and an addition at 141-43 North 4th Street in Old City. Designed by Designblendz, the development will rise from a through-block site that stretches from North 4th to North Orianna streets and will involve renovation of a historic four-story, 18,160-square-foot building on 4th Street and the construction of a six-story, 19,406-square-foot annex at Orianna Street. In total, the project will span 37,566 square feet and feature 36 residential units as well 13 off-site accessory parking spaces and ten bicycle spaces. Permits list John G. Traver Co. Inc. as the owner, Pioneer Construction and Development Corporation as the contractor, and a construction cost of $2.86 million.

141 North 4th Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022

141-43 North 4th Street. Credit: Designblendz.

141-43 North 4th Street. Credit: Designblendz

141-43 North 4th Street. Credit: Designblendz.

141-43 North 4th Street. Credit: Designblendz.

The development rises from a rarefied location in the city’s historic and cultural center, just to the east of the Philadelphia Mint and a block east of the National Constitutional Center. Judging by the project elevations, the design of the new addition will be a sensitive emulation of the existing structure, with tall, paneled windows capped with lintels. Albeit somewhat ahistoric, the ground and top levels will retain the historicist aesthetic and lend the building a traditional tripartite look with a distinct base, shaft, and crown.

Our recent site visit took place around a month after the permit issue. We noted no significant construction activity, which is to be expected from such a recently approved development. Still, there are already signs that work has already begin, with the existing building standing seemingly vacant, what appears to be permits posted at the ground level, and a number of sash windows open at the upper levels, which likely signifies interior work in progress.

`. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022

141 North 4th Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022

We commend the architects on what appears to be a nuanced, site-sensitive design, and expect the development to be completed either late next year or in 2024.

Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail

Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews