Permits Issued for 787 North 38th Street in Mantua, West Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a new multi-family building located at 787 North 38th Street in Mantua, West Philadelphia. Upon completion, the new building will rise four floors with a pilot house at the top to be used exclusively for maintenance purposes. There will be 32 residential units within the building, as well as office space and a community room. A total of 10 bike spaces and five car parking spaces will also be included. The building, which was designed by Cicada Architecture/Planning, will span 46,952 square feet of space.

The new building will feature a modern exterior that includes elements of many other developments that have built in the city the last few years. Brick will coat the exterior in prominent locations, such as at the building’s corners and along most if of the ground floor. In other areas, the exterior will see heavier usage of siding material that likely helps lower construction costs. Floor-to-ceiling windows will be included at the ground floor, creating a nice street presence that should improve the surrounding street scape.

787 North 38th Street. Credit: Google.

The new building will be replacing a vacant lot, one of the largest remaining in the neighborhood. Like many others, the lot underwent a beautification in previous years that certainly left it looking better than other properties found across the city: A white fence encapsulates the property, which consists of a mowed grass lawn and a few trees. Despite its more pleasant appearance compared to other vacant lots, however, its removal is not a very significant loss for the neighborhood.

Overall, the new development could be a solid addition to the area here. The project is one of the largest planned or developed in the neighborhood based upon unit count. It is interesting to observe the continued demand for these larger-scale projects that truly push the needle in terms of boosting density and activity in urban neighborhoods. Considering the site’s proximity to Lancaster Avenue and University City, the density certainly makes sense in this location and it would not be surprising to see other similarly-sized lots remaining in the area eventually turn over in favor of high-density multi-family or mixed-use development.

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