A commercial building permit has been issued for the construction of a six-story mixed-use building at 2001 East Lehigh Avenue in East Kensington. The development will offer feature two ground-floor commercial spaces, 146 residential units, and 54 underground parking spaces. Architectural design services are provided by Designblendz, LLP, with landscape design by Apiary Studio, LLC.
Construction costs for the project are listed at $18.35 million, according to permit records. That total includes $17 million attributed to general construction work and $1.35 million associated with excavation.
2001 East Lehigh Avenue Site Plan via Designblendz
An amendment approved in August 2025 revised the project program, reducing the residential count from 157 to 146 units and lowering the number of accessory parking spaces from 59 to 54, while leaving much of the remainder of the previously approved zoning parameters unchanged.
2001 East Lehigh Avenue Elevation via Designblendz
2001 East Lehigh Avenue Rear Elevation via Designblendz
The building is depicted as a long, street-wrapping structure organized above a distinctive ground floor. Upper levels will be dedicated to residential use, while the rooftop will include a green roof and a roof deck intended for residential use, along with associated roof access structures.
2001 East Lehigh Avenue Elevation 2 via Designblendz
Parking will be provided in a below-grade garage, with the final total of 54 off-street vehicle spaces achieved through a combination of base parking requirements, retail parking calculations, and approved reductions related to car-share participation and bicycle parking. In addition, the plans show 56 Class 1A bicycle parking spaces located on an accessible route.
2001 East Lehigh Avenue Section via Designblendz
Zoning documentation places the site within an ICMX zoning district. The project proposes a maximum building height of 68 feet and a floor area ratio of approximately 367 percent, equating to 129,515 square feet of zoning floor area. While the base zoning allows a maximum height of 60 feet, the additional height has been approved as part of the zoning relief granted for the project.
2001 East Lehigh Avenue via Designblendz
The zoning materials also indicate the installation of 15 street trees along the project frontage. No construction timeline has yet been disclosed.
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Looks like the harsh tall stone wall along Lehigh Avenue (the one with painted advertising “Joel’s Tire Shop” and “Strathmann’s Lumber, Roofing, Building Material” and the heartfelt “In Memory of Chrissy Glika”) is coming down.
Good Riddance.