36-Unit Residential Building Proposed at 1321-25 North Front Street in Fishtown, Kensington

A seven-story, 36-unit residential building has been proposed for 1321-25 North Front Street in Fishtown, adding to the growing density of the neighborhood. Permits indicate that the development will include ground-level commercial space. In order to satisfy parking requirements, three off-site parking spaces will be situated at the parking lot across the street. East Columbia and Memphis A. is the listed owner.

The development faces the elevated trestle of the Market-Frankford SEPTA line, with the nearest station located a block and a half to the south. The project will rise at the former site of Fishtown Bikes N Beans, the now-closed establishment known for its curious retail selection of bicycles and coffee beans, which later expanded to include edible beans of the non-coffee variety. The retailer, situated in a single-story commercial structure, was also noted for a graffiti wall that displayed Philadelphia-themed murals, with the latest one depicting a bicycle underneath the train trestle.

Fishtown Bikes N Beans at 1321-25 North Front Street. Mural by Busta. Poto credit: streetsdept.com

Fishtown Bikes N Beans closed in July, when the owner moved out of the city to open a similar shop in Rutland, Vermont. While the loss of the unique local business is unfortunate, the replacement retail space will maintain vibrant activity at the sidewalk level, further boosted by the residents that will arrive in the mid-rise building.

Fishtown has been undergoing a revival for the past two decades, yet development was slow to arrive along Front Street, next to the noisy train trestle. However, today 1321-1325 North Front Street sits in a rapidly developing area, with buildings taking advantage of transit adjacency and a growing commercial corridor.

A mid-rise building was completed earlier this year across the street. This summer, permits were filed for a 65-foot-tall building up the block across the street at 1350 North Font Street. Even nearby side streets, such as the roughly six-foot-wide (around 19 feet if including sidewalks) Hope Street a block to the west is seeing a surge in development with buildings rising up to five stories tall.

A construction timeline for 1321-1325 North Front Street has not been announced.

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