Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, three-unit residential building at 1413 North 8th Street in Ludlow, North Philadelphia. The new development will rise from a vacant lot situated on the east side of the block between Master Street and Jefferson Street. Designed by Fusa Designs, the building will span 2,664 square feet and will include a basement and a roof deck. Permits list SL Construction as the contractor.
Permits specify a construction cost of $340,000, which yields an average cost of around $128 per interior square foot. Of this total, $20,000 is allocated for excavation work.
1413 North 8th Street. Site conditions prior to construction. Credit: Fusa Designs via the City of Philadelphia
1413 North 8th Street. Building plan. Credit: Fusa Designs via the City of Philadelphia
The building will positively contribute to the block as it will fill a street wall gap in a rapidly developing area that has seen much new construction in recent years. 3351 North 19th Street will rise within a five-minute walk to the north of the route 10 trolley on Girard Avenue and a 15-minute walk to the northeast of the Girard Station on the Broad Street subway line. Route 23 and 47 buses run in the vicinity. It is plausible that the new development may be marketed toward university students, as the Temple University campus is situated within an approximately ten-minute walk to the northwest.
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Like its immediate neighbors, the apartment house is set back 11 feet 5 inches from that of the original residences (see 1423, 1425, 1427 and 1431 N. 8th St). That setback creates a front yard and an opportunity for landscaping.
Unfortunately, the new three-unit structure is likely to mimic the buildings next door — an all concrete apron with permanently placed trash cans and highly visible, undisguised utility meters — the only greenery being the weeds growing in the cracks in the concrete.
It’s easier to maintain concrete than living shrubbery and plantings. Street trees even more so. And you can’t beat the convenience of placing garbage cans mere inches from where they need to be on collection day. Utilitarianism wins the day.