Philadelphia YIMBY’s recent site visit has confirmed that construction work is complete at a four-story, 33-unit residential building at 2328-44 North 2nd Street in West Kensington. The wood-framed structure, situated on the west side of the block between West Dauphin and West York streets, replaces a parking lot and an auto service facility. The development spans 41,940 square feet and features a roof deck. Permits list G.A.C. Construction Development as the contractor and specify construction costs at $6 million.
2328-44 North 2nd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2023
The building’s exterior is rather plain, yet its light beige palette adds brightness to the streetscape while the partial brick treatment contributes a touch of traditional style. More importantly, the building adds a large number of residential units to a transit-accessible area and makes a significant contribution to its ongoing transition to a dense, mixed-use neighborhood.
Arguably, the development’s greatest drawback is a complete lack of sidewalk greenery. Although a few tree pits have apparently been cut out of the sidewalk, not only are they currently vacant, but the sidewalk also appears to be too narrow for conventional tree planting. This problem ought to be resolved at the urban planning level, where removal of one lane on the two-lane 2nd Street would allow for widening the sidewalks on either side sufficiently enough for tree plantings, which have proven to be of great benefit to local residents and the urban environment.
2328-44 North 2nd Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. July 2023
The York-Dauphin Station on the Market-Frankford Line is situated within a five-minute walk to the southeast, as does Norris Square Park (as such, the property may also alternately be described as located in Norris Square). Temple University may be reached within a 20- to 25-minute walk to the southwest.
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bland, cheap, dull, dreary……….no addition to the culture of neighborhoods of Philadelphia.
Yuck-a-delic! -Jim