Permits Issued for 5552 Harmer Street in Carroll Park, West Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a two-story single-family rowhouse at 5552 Harmer Street in Carroll Park, West Philadelphia. The structure will replace a vacant lot located on the south side of the block between North 55th and North 56th streets. Designed by Moto Designshop, the structure will span 1,128 square feet. Permits list the City of Philadelphia as the owner and specify Spruce Builders as the contractor.

Construction costs are specified at $106,970, of which $78,770 is allocated toward general construction, $5,200 for electrical work, $6,000 for mechanical work, and $17,000 for plumbing work.

5552 Harmer Street. Location map. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

5552 Harmer Street. Location map. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

5552 Harmer Street. Site conditions prior to redevelopment. Looking south. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

5552 Harmer Street. Site conditions prior to redevelopment. Looking southeast. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

The new development will be clad in brick and stand flush with the sidewalk like, similar to the two-story prewar rowhouses that line the rest of the block. Here, however, similarities to its neighbors largely end, as the new building will lack the distinctive inset porches and second-story bay windows that the adjacent structures boast.

This lack of contextuality contrasts with 653 North Sickels Street, a similarly-scaled proposal that YIMBY covered yesterday, developed by the same project team and situated a few blocks away. Instead, 5552 Harmer Street introduces a contemporary, though understated, touch, via a strip of stack bond brick stretching above the front entrance.

5552 Harmer Street. Site plan. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

5552 Harmer Street. Site plan. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

The new building will measure 15 feet wide and 40 feet long, with a 13-and-a-half-foot-deep backyard. Regretfully, much like its counterpart at Sickles Street, the proposal at 5552 Harmer Street lacks a roof deck, which would have carved out valuable outdoor space for residents with a relatively minor extra investment.

Harmer Street is a narrow, cozy residential street that has retained almost all of its prewar rowhouse stock. 5552 Harmer Street will fill one of the few vacant sites remaining on the block, helping further reinforce its already-splendid urban fabric.

Harmer Street, with 5552 Harmer Street on the right. Site conditions prior to redevelopment. Looking east. July 2019. Credit: Google Maps

Harmer Street, with 5552 Harmer Street on the left. Site conditions prior to redevelopment. Looking west. July 2019. Credit: Google Maps

The route 15 trolley runs along West Girard Avenue three short blocks to the north. Bus routes 30 and 52 service the nearby area. Carroll Park, Shepard Recreation Center, and the Haverford Library are all sited within a five-minute walk of the development. Fairmount Park is situated within a 25-minute walk to the northeast.

5552 Harmer Street. Zoning table. Credit: Moto Designshop via the City of Philadelphia

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