Permits Issued for 1931-33 North 2nd Street in Olde Kensington, North Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a new multi-family building located at 1931-33 North 2nd Street in Olde Kensington. Upon completion, the new building will rise six stories and contain 21 residential units, of which five are designated to be offered as affordable housing. The building will include seven bike spaces, a roof deck, and interior elevator for residents and will span a total of 20,594 square feet. KCA Design Associates is the architectural firm behind the project.

1931-33 North 2nd Street. Credit: KCA Design Associates.

The new building will feature a modern exterior that mirrors other new projects built recently in the vicinity. The ground floor will be fully clad in brick, helping promote a more positive street presence. Meanwhile, the majority of surface space on the upper floors will see the usage of metal panelling which contributes to the modern look of the building and likely helps reduce costs regarding materials. A single column of brick will rise up the center of the building on these floors.

1931-33 North 2nd Street. Credit: Google.

The new structure will rise in place of a presently standing industrial building. This low-slung structure stands just one story tall and features a bland exterior. Red brick covers the majority of its facade, with a dull gray metal garage door also occupying a good portion of the exterior. When taking the building’s curb cut into account as well, it becomes clear that the structure does not do a terrific job at meeting the street and creating a welcoming presence on this block.

As such, the new building will be a massive improvement for this site. The addition of 21 units here will help serve the area’s growing residential demand. Considering the site’s walkable location and proximity to transit, this density makes plenty of sense here, and hopefully more similarly-sized projects will rise on nearby properties moving forward. In this discussion, it should be noted that this project will rise adjacent to a recently completed project at 1935 North 2nd Street. Between the two projects, 35 residential units and commercial space have been brought to the block, making for transformational change and activating this stretch of 2nd Street.

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