Demolition Permits Filed for 2317 and 2319 North Colorado Street in North Central Philadelphia

Demolition permits have been filed for a pair of two-story single-family rowhouses at 2317 and 2319 North Colorado Street in North Central Philadelphia in the greater Temple University area. The two prewar structures were vacated and boarded up some time between late 2014 and late 2018, and will be torn down as part of a City of Philadelphia demolition program. Charles D. Jackson and Daima Mbele are the listed owners for 2317 North Colorado Street and Betty Andrews and Esther Etal Patterson are the owners of 2319 North Colorado Street. Pedro Palmer Construction Inc. is the listed contractor for both properties.

According to city documents, each building spans 1,200 square feet and both are classified as minor demolitions. Curiously, although the buildings are near-identical, the cost of work varies significantly between the two, with number 2317 listed at $8,000 and 2319 listed at $10,000.

Both structures were built utilizing a design that dominates both sides of the block, which stretches from West Dauphin Street to West York Street. The design, representative of classic Philadelphia prewar vernacular, features a red brick facade, flat stone sills and hooded lintels framing the windows, corbelled brick piers at the second story, ornamented cornices with brackets and dentil courses, and pagoda-like turrets at the corners.

Over the years, the prewar block has been preserved in near-intact conditions, with few demolitions or significant alterations. However, no new buildings were built on the block in the postwar era. As a project carried out by the City of Philadelphia, the priority is likely the removal of nuisance structures rather than clearing sites for new development. However, future development is likely since the two sites sit within a 15-minute walk of Temple University, which has served as a major catalyst of local development over the past decade.

North Colorado Street, with 2319 North Colorado Street on the right. Looking north. Credit: Google

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