A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has noted considerable construction progress at a three-story mixed-use development underway at 1500 Germantown Avenue in Olde Kensington. The structure rises from a formerly vacant, wedge-shaped property at the northwest cornet of Germantown Avenue and Jefferson Street. Designed by Cheryl Poulos Architect, the building will span 5,359 square feet, which will include over 1,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space, a cellar, and a roof deck. Permits list Philly Parking Solutions as the contractor and indicate a construction cost of $400,000.
1500 Germantown Avenue. Credit: Google Maps
1500 Germantown Avenue. Looking north. Credit: Google Maps
1500 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2022
1500 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2022
1500 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2022
1500 Germantown Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2022
A commercial building permit list issued last year specifies a total of three residential units, though plans submitted to the city show four apartments on the upper two floors. Although the construction documents submitted with the zoning permit are older (the permit was issued in 2020 and the blueprints date to 2019), the drawings appear consistent to the design being built, down to the surprisingly small size and number of windows (at least, going by the floor plans, windowless bedrooms will not be an issue, unlike a worrying number of new developments that include such an undesirable feature despite its illegality in Pennsylvania).
When YIMBY last visited the site, also known under its full address of 1500-04 Germantown Avenue. in July, the steel frame at the ground floor was largely assembled. In the half year period that had passed since, the structure has largely taken its final shape, as it currently stands topped out, sheathed, and windowed, although the facade remains to be installed. Drawings indicate that the facade will consist of medium-sized panels assembled in a horizontal running bond pattern.
1501 Germantown Avenue. Looking northeast. Credit: Google Maps
The building will be a notable addition to the intersection, where currently the main attraction is the ornately tiled and painted Al-Aqsa Islamic Society across the street to the east at 1501 Germantown Avenue. Its up-and-coming mixed-use neighbor at will add sidewalk appeal and generate pedestrian activity with its large-windowed ground-floor retail space, while the loggia balconies promise to become a delightful feature both to the observer and the residents. Although the adjacent blocks have seen ample new construction in recent years, we expect more development still to follow in this conveniently located (Temple University, Northern Liberties, and Fishtown are all situated within a 15-minute walk to the northwest, south, and east, respectively), transit-adjacent (the route 15 trolley runs three blocks to the south along Girard Avenue) area.
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