A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has confirmed the completion of construction at Ovation (formerly known as Broad Street Flats), a seven-story, 50-unit mixed-use building located at 701 South Broad Street in Hawthorne, South Philadelphia. The development is situated at the southeast corner of Broad and Bainbridge streets, a block to the south of the Lombard-South subway station. Designed by PZS Architects, the building spans 50,462 square feet (or 49,950 according to zoning blueprints) and features ground-level retail and 50 residential units. Permits list Ferraro Construction Group as the contractor and a construction cost of $8 million.
701 South Broad Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2022
YIMBY last visited Ovation in August, when the building already stood topped out and the paneled facade began to climb up its exterior. Four months later, the structure now stands completed, with only protective paper covers at the still-unoccupied retail space reminding the passerby of recent construction.
According to a realtor brochure, the ground-level retail currently consists of three spaces, which measure (north to south) 1,360, 2,310, and 1,625 square feet, respectively. The current asking rate is listed at $40 per square foot per year. We hope to see these spaces will up with tenants in the near future, as such tenants would go a long way to energize the local sidewalk experience.
In all, 701 Broad Street turned out to resemble the original renderings very closely, although the finished building is, unfortunately, missing the dramatic rooftop pergola shown in the renders. Nevertheless, the structure strikes a singular look with its dark gray accent panels over an off-white backdrop, midsection cantilevers, and prominent parapet-level overhangs propped up on slightly outward-slanted, two-story-high piloti that extend from sixth-story balconies. The latter feature makes for a particularly distinctive appearance along Broad Street.
701 South Broad Street via OCF Realty
701 South Broad Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. December 2022
Ovation is a fine example of dense development that ought to rise along much of Broad Street, particularly at subway-adjacent sites such as the one at hand at 701 South Broad Street. If there is any salient problem with the development, it is the fact that it is not as large as it ought to be given its central and transit-adjacent location. For comparison, the Broad and Lombard tower proposed just a few blocks to the north at 500 South Broad Street is slated to rise 43 stories tall and hold 468 residential units as well as ample retail space.
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This a short term rental building operated by Sonder. There are no permanent residences here.
End the gray metal panels/siding! Stop the prevalent design trend defining Philadelphia.