Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, three-unit residential building at 2503 North 7th Street in North Philadelphia East. The structure will replace a vacant lot on the east side of the block between West Cumberland and West Huntingdon streets. The building’s footprint will span 1,358 square feet. The interior will offer 3,605 square feet of living space, translating into apartments averaging 1,202 square feet each. The development will feature full sprinkling and a roof deck, which will offer sweeping skyline views. Permits list Point Breeze Holdings LLC as the owner, Christopher Menna as the design professional, and JPL Construction Inc. as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $180,000.
The proposal is the latest in a series of buildings that will revive a long-neglected part of a neighborhood that was hit particularly hard by the postwar trend of depopulation and subsequent demolition of much of its prewar residential stock. We introduced the neighborhood and a series of upcoming developments in our Grandeur and Desolation feature. Subsequently, we have reported on a veritable flood of local permit filings along North 7th Street and in the adjacent area.
The development at hand will rise at the northern end of the “hollowed-out” area, where vacant lots grow fewer in number and much of the rowhouse stock remains intact. The influx of new residents will be a boon for the generally impoverished neighborhood as it will remove eyesore vacant lots and decrease crime and improve street ambiance via an increased pedestrian presence. A growing population will also translate into a greater customer base for local businesses, most of which are small and locally-owned and operated.
We expect to see further growth in the area, given the still-remaining abundance of undeveloped lots, 15-minute walking distance to the Susquehanna-Dauphin and the North Philadelphia stations on the Broad Street Line, and 15- to 20-minute walking proximity to Temple University, where a growing student body continues to drive demand for housing in the surrounding area.
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Any parking?…if you look down the street not a single spot