Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has confirmed that construction is complete at The Lola, a four-story, 30-unit mixed-use development at 5959 Ridge Avenue in Roxborough, Northwest Philadelphia. The project stands at the eastern corner of Ridge and Monastery avenues. Designed by Bright Common and developed by TierView Property Management, the new building spans 31,785 square feet and includes ground-floor commercial space, bicycle parking, and a roof deck. Permits list Knight Rider Construction as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $3.2 million.
Current view of 5959-63 Ridge Avenue. Credit: Google.
Current view of 5959-63 Ridge Avenue. Credit: Google.
For years, the stretch of Ridge Avenue that runs through Roxborough persisted as an incongruous jumble of sprawling suburban commercial properties sharing street space with stately prewar houses. The latest development replaces one such auto-centric facility, a Goodyear tire shop with a massive parking lot, with an medium-density mixed-use building that helps pivot the area to a more urbane use. The development, also listed under a full address of 5959-63 Ridge Avenue, the development was originally known as “The BEV,” which stands for “Big Efficient Volume.”
5959-63 Ridge Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. September 2023
5959-63 Ridge Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. September 2023
5959-63 Ridge Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. September 2023
5959-63 Ridge Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. September 2023
Although pared down in its appearance, The Lola’s gray brick exterior, tall sash windows, and a simple yet clearly defined crown at the parapet make for a reasonably proper fit within the neighborhood, while the retail space will massively improve the ground-level pedestrian experience over the preceding tire shop and the addition of 30 apartments significantly boosts the neighborhood’s housing options.
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I wish they had built a few stories taller and put I’m an underground parking lot but otherwise a big improvement over a lowly tire store@@