Renderings have been revealed for a large multi-family development located at 8400 Roosevelt Boulevard in Rhawnhurst, Northeast Philadelphia. Upon completion, the new building will rise three stories tall and total 105,691 square feet of space. There will be 85 residential units within the structure, while a surface parking lot will provide 168 parking spaces. Of these, one will be van accessible and nine will be for electric vehicles. Meyer Architects is the firm responsible for the project’s design.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
The new building will feature a simple facade that is similar to other like developments nationwide. Most prominently, brick will be used on sections of the exterior on the bottom two floors of the buildings, generally coating the structure’s corners and abutting sections of the structure’s massing. On the indentations and also the third floor, the facade will be covered in siding material of varying colors, shading from light off-white colors to darker gray. Each unit will include its own balcony space, and these balconies are arranged in columns of two, creating more variation in both the structure’s massing and facade makeup.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
The building is slated to rise on a large patch of vacant land set just off of Roosevelt Bouoevard. Closest to the thoroughfare, there is a rehab facility and apartment building, while a large field has occupied the rear of the property. The vacant lot has been maintained and mowed frequently over time, but seems to have been waiting for development action that simply never got going.
The site sits in a fairly prime location. Of course, access to Roosevelt Boulevard is a key driver behind the site’s proximity to other destinations. However, the property is located directly adjacent to Pennypack Park, the largest park in Northeast Philadelphia and one of the largest parks in Philadelphia. This access should certainly make the property more desirable for potential tenants in the future.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
Overall, the new development will be a fairly solid change of pace for the property, which currently offers little. The added 84 residential units makes plenty of sense in this prime location, and it is good to see one of the largest vacant properties in the area turn over to a more effective use of the space. Unfortunately, the massive of amount of parking included in the project does seem fairly suburban in nature, and is not the greatest symbol of confidence in the future of Roosevelt Boulevard. In an ideal world, Roosevelt Boulevard should be slated to change and improve tremendously in coming years through the construction of the Boulevard subway line or another significant mode of rapid transit. While the subway is certainly a topic of discussion, it is also years away from any potential legitimate movement. Nevertheless, an optimistic pivot in development along the Boulevard could be a positive change promoting a more urban-forward approach to projects lining the major corridor.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
8400 Roosevelt Boulevard. Credit: Meyer Architects.
YIMBY will continue to track development progress moving forward.
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If Philadelphia gets money to build the Boulevard Subway line or another transit line which would be more likely to have SEPTA Green express buses from Neshaminy Mall to to the new bus stop near Rocborough. Either way the residents of the new apartment will have a short walk to bus service.
What’s the cost?
I would like to know monthly rent and how can I apply.