Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has observed that construction work continues to advance, though apparently rather slowly, at a four-story, five-unit multi-family development at 2628-32 Webster Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. The project rises on the southeast corner of Webster and South Taney streets, near the Schuylkill River. Designed by Designblendz, the building will span 9,795 square feet. Permits indicate Michael Treacy as the contractor.
The construction cost is specified at $1.4 million, with $999,075 allocated toward general construction, $210,000 for mechanical work, $146,925 for electrical work, and $44,000 for plumbing.
Current aerial view of 2628-32 Webster Street. Credit: Google.
2628-32 Webster Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. June 2023
By the time YIMBY last visited the location in November, the avant-garde structure’s plywood frame had sat assembled, although no treatment of any sort has apparently been applied. In the nearly three-quarters of a year that has passed since, we noted only minimal progress on our last visit, with several windows of varying sizes having been installed and construction paper wrapped around their fringes. Otherwise, we struggle to observe any other forms of progress.
The new development is situated just to the south of the Naval Square residential development and a few blocks south of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, where one glass-clad high-rise was constructed several years ago and three more towers are in various stages of development. The complex is situated right next to the Schuylkill River waterfront, where the river trail is a popular attraction for residents on both sides of the river. The adjacent South Street bridge offers access to University City on the river’s right bank, with the medical district located next to the bridge.
Although the five-unit count is rather modest, it will still be a welcome addition to the neighborhood’s housing stock. In turn, the asymmetrical and decidedly contemporary exterior promises to be a surprisingly well-fitting addition to a neighborhood comprised predominantly of prewar rowhouses (non-insignificant local presence of other building forms contributes to the appropriateness of this particular design). As such, we hope to see a more rapid pace of progress on the development in the coming months.
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Was it the economy the reason for slow work being performed?