Renderings have been revealed for a large new multi-family development located at 901 North Penn Street in Northern Liberties, North Philadelphia. Designed by HDO Architecture, the new building will rise seven stories and contain 193 residential units. The ground level will feature 75 parking spaces, with two being ADA spaces and four designated for electric vehicles, along with 65 bike spaces. In total, the building will span 189,229 square feet of space.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
The new building will feature a modern exterior that is very similar to its sister project located just next door at 933 North Penn Street. Perhaps most noticeably, the majority of the building will be clad in metal panelling and hardie plank siding on the upper six floors. Here, white metal panelling will form a consistent vertical frame surrounding the large windows and darker gray hardie planks. Meanwhile, the ground floor will see the usage of brick and some floor to ceiling windows to help create a stronger street presence, although the lack of retail space and creation of a curb cut admittedly hinders this goal. It should be noted that there will also be several street trees planted along the ground floor in this location.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
Though the project sits on a large site, only a portion of this property will be designated to the new multi-family building. Some space will be reserved for an outdoor amenity space and a dog run. The rest, unfortunately, is ceded to surface parking: Lots of space at the rear of the structure (on the Delaware River side of the property) will be reserved for an expanded surface parking lot that will contain the parking spaces included with the project.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
The new development is rising on what is currently one of the more significant vacant lots in this part of the city. The property sits in the corner of a block that primarily occupied by Waterfront Square, a massive 2000’s development consisting of three residential high-rises that take in the most dominant role in the Northern Liberties skyline. Initial plans for the development called for multiple additional high-rise towers to be built on the site, but unfortunately past financial turmoil prevented this from happening. Nowadays, the site sits as a blighted eyesore adjacent to an otherwise attractive development and is a disappointing showcase of lost opportunity.
Image of former Waterfront Square plans via WHYY.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
901 North Penn Street. Credit: HDO Architecture.
Overall, the new project will be a significant change of pace at the property here. It will be good to see a large-scale development fill this property in with its intended density once more, and the hundreds of residential units added here will make a meaningful difference. Although compared to the scale of the original development plans of yesteryear, the new project appears rather squat and small, it is still a major addition in this location. Ideally in the future, the surface parking included with this development will be repurposed and provide space of additional residential density.
YIMBY will continue to monitor progress made regarding the development in the future.
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Bluntly, they have over developed this area. It is impossible to drive down Columbus Blvd. now. The traffic will be so over crowded that I might just move!
It’s a neighborhood adjacent to Center City Philadelphia, not the suburbs. Whoever desires less density and underdevelopment should go across the bridge to Jersey or hit 95 for Delaware.
Adieu!
Taste for the tasteless
I love the idea of development there, but this building is U-G-L-Y. I have no doubt they’ll cram it through, but it’s a crying shame. Is there no one that can push back? It’s so bad.