A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has confirmed that construction is complete at a four-story, eight-unit residential building at 1309-11 Hope Street in Fishtown. The structure is situated on the east side of the block between West Thompson and Master streets. Designed by Onion Flats Architecture, the building spans 7,247 square feet and features seven one-bedroom units, one bi-level two-bedroom unit, a full basement, and a roof deck. Permits list Peroni Management as the contractor and a construction cost of $1.5 million.
Hope Street runs immediately to the west of Front Street, and for decades has effectively served as a service alley for the major commercial thoroughfare. In recent years, however, as housing demand in Fishtown has skyrocketed, the exceedingly narrow street has been built out with high-density buildings rising up to five or so stories high; the development at 1309-11 Hope Street stands around 45 feet tall to the main roof and around 55 feet to the top of the pilot house.
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
1309 Hope Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2022
One rather nonsensical feature of the Philadelphia zoning code is that it rarely accounts for street width when dictating maximum building height; as such, both wide thoroughfares and narrow alleys are frequently limited to the same cap of around 40 feet. As the result, Hope Street now exudes a certain hemmed-in, medieval effect. Although the result is rather urbane and cozy in this case, it serves as yet another reminder of the need to revisit and thoroughly update the city’s zoning regulations.
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Hope Street runs through South/Olde Kensington. Fishtown starts east of Front Street.