Philly YIMBY recently made its way uptown to Northwest Philadelphia to check out local construction, and one of our site visits discovered that excavation is currently underway at 3503 Midvale Avenue in East Falls. The development is situated at the bottom of a hill on the west side of the block between Cresson Street and Warden Drive. Designed by M Architects, the building will rise five stories, span 26,477 square feet, and hold 33 apartments. Two commercial spaces will be situated on the ground floor. Features will include a roof deck, full sprinkling, and 15 parking spaces. Permits list Midvale Commons LLC as the owner, ANC Builders Inc. as the contractor, and a construction cost of $5 million.
3503 Midvale Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
The building will rise approximately 55 feet to the main roof from the main entrance. At its highest point (the site is located on a slope that rises to the north), the stricture will measure 64 feet high from the sidewalk to the top of the parapet, and around 70 feet to the top of the pilot houses. As such, the building will rise slightly higher than the adjacent hill to the west, which rises roughly 40 feet high, and its roof deck is likely to offer views in most directions. The skylines of Center City and University City are likely to be visible from the deck.
3503 Midvale Avenue prior to demolition. Looking northwest. Credit: Google Maps
The lot at 3503 Midvale Avenue previously housed a gas station, which has since been demolished. The new building’s dense residential program contained behind a sophisticated exterior of gray brick punctuated by chamfered windows will be a welcome addition to the location. The setting, focused on the nearby intersection of Midvale Avenue and Warden Drive/Conrad Street, is also home to the Falls of Schuylkill Library and Mifflin School, which boasts a tall clocktower that features prominently on the local skyline.
3503 Midvale Avenue. Rendering credit: M Architects
3503 Midvale Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
3503 Midvale Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
3503 Midvale Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
3503 Midvale Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. May 2022
YIMBY last reported on the development just over a year ago in early May 2021, shortly after permits were issued. Since that time, the site has been cleared and excavated, and a retaining wall appears to have been assembled. A rendering posted at the fence matches those that we shared a year ago, indicating that the design has not changed in the meantime.
Judging by the current pace of construction, we anticipate the building to be completed some time next year.
Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail
Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews
Be the first to comment on "Excavation Underway at 3503 Midvale Avenue in East Falls, Northwest Philadelphia"