Demolition

1200 Ridge Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. June 2022

Murals and Development Part 3: Tapestries, Memorials, and Puerto Rican Heritage

8:00 am on January 30, 2026 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Earlier this month, Philadelphia YIMBY published two write-ups revisiting various street murals that we noted in our work over the years; today we share a third installment in the series. The City of Brotherly love is notable for its astounding amount of mural artwork, which number in the thousands. As such, it is only expected that such artwork regularly surfaces in our coverage of the city’s construction and real estate development, whether they are situated adjacent to planned projects, endangered by obstruction or demolition from new development, or proposed to beautify new buildings. Today we look at three very distinct murals, one representing an abstraction of the city’s textile industry, another memorializing a local community member, and a third celebrating the city’s Puerto Rican heritage.

Mural: A People’s Progression Toward Equality, facing toward 19-27 South 8th Street. Credit: Mural Arts Philadelphia

Murals and Development Part 2: YIMBY Looks Back at More Street Murals in Philadelphia

8:00 am on January 28, 2026 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

In the 1980s, faced with mass demolitions and urban blight marring its storied streetscape, the city of Philadelphia responded with a sustained campaign of mural-painting. Over the course of the next half-century or son, the community, both mobilized into organizations such as Mural Arts Philadelphia and with the help of independent local artists, many of whom were virtuosos that sharpened their skills in the city’s budding graffiti scene, has wrought thousands of pieces of street art, earning the city the moniker of the “Mural Capital of the World.” Such works range from dazzling tour-de-force masterpieces stretching many stories high to humble art pieces that may be easy to overlook at first glance yet were nevertheless crafted with just as much love and care. Over the years of Philly YIMBY’s coverage of urban development, we have come upon many murals large and small. Below we have collected a few mural exemplars as part of our second installment of our ongoing retrospective series.

2624 Tilton Street. Building elevations. Credit: Supreme Architects via the City of Philadelphia

Permits Issued for Construction of Single-Family Residence at 2624 Tilton Street in Olde Richmond

8:00 am on January 27, 2026 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story single-family residence at 2624 Tilton Street in the Olde Richmond neighborhood in Philadelphia’s River Wards district. The attached building, designed in a rowhouse manner, will replace an existing three-story prewar rowhome that stands on the northwest side of the block between East Albert Street and East Lehigh Avenue. The new structure will span 1,159 square feet. The development team includes Supreme Architects as the designer and Home Rangers LLC as the contractor.

Mural West site looking east. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Murals and Development: YIMBY Tracks Street Mural Art in Philadelphia

8:00 am on January 23, 2026 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Philadelphia has been known as the “Mural Capital of the World” since Mural Arts Philadelphia, an anti-graffiti program started in the 1980s (combined with works by unaffiliated artists), produced upwards of 6,000 murals throughout the city. In great part, the mural-painting endeavor was an organic response to the city’s predominance of blank walls that became exposed after the lamentable postwar advent of disinvestment, depopulation, and mass demolitions. As the city’s population is finally reviving, having seen an increase of more than five percent in its population over the past decade (the largest growth percentage in 70 years), Philly YIMBY has covered ample new development rising upon numerous long-neglected properties. We make an effort to note local murals whenever they surface during our development coverage, particularly when they are in peril of being demolished to make way for new development or obstructed by new buildings. Today we look back at some of the murals that we have come across over the years.

2249 Pemberton Street. Front elevation. Credit: J.O.S. Serratore & Company Architects via the City of Philadelphia

Permits Issued for 2249 Pemberton Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia

7:30 am on November 24, 2023 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story single-family rowhouse at 2249 Pemberton Street in Graduate Hospital, South Philadelphia. The development will replace a two-story prewar rowhome situated on the north side of the block between South 22nd and South 23rd streets. Designed by J.O.S. Serratore & Company Architects, the structure will span 2,520 square feet and will feature a cellar and a roof deck. Permits list Kildare Construction as the contractor.

4328 Lancaster Avenue. Building elevation. Credit: Cornerstone Consulting Engineers & Architectural, Inc. via the City of Philadelphia

Permits Issued for 4328 Lancaster Avenue in Haverford North, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on November 11, 2023 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a 49-unit mixed-use complex at 4328 Lancaster Avenue in Haverford North, West Philadelphia. The development will span almost the entirety of a triangular city block bound by Lancaster Avenue to the northeast, North 44th Street to the west, and Parrish Street to the south. The project team includes Cornerstone Consulting Engineers & Architectural, Inc. as the designer and Backcourt Builders as the contractor.

425 Pierce Street. Building elevations. Credit: Studio III Architecture via the City of Philadelphia

Permits Issued for 425 Pierce Street in Wharton, South Philadelphia

7:30 am on November 11, 2023 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story single-family rowhouse at 425 Pierce Street in Wharton, South Philadelphia. The new building will replace a two-story prewar rowhouse on the north side of the block between South 4th Street and South 5th Street. Designed by Studio III Architecture, the structure will span 2,197 square feet and will feature a rear terrace and a roof deck. Permits list Keithan Griffin as the contractor.

2008 North Mascher Street. Building section. Credit: Mass Architecture Studio via the City of Philadelphia

Permits Issued for 2008 North Mascher Street in Norris Square

7:30 am on November 9, 2023 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a three-story, four-unit rowhouse at 2008 North Mascher Street in Norris Square. The new building will replace a two-story prewar rowhouse that stands on the west side of the block between West Norris Street and Diamond Street. Designed by Mass Architecture Studio, the structure will span 4,616 square feet and will feature a basement and a roof deck. Permits list KNE II LLC as the contractor.

1437 South 58th Street. Building elevation. Credit: Studio C Architecture via the City of Philadelphia

Permits Issued for 1437 South 58th Street in Kingsessing, Southwest Philadelphia

7:00 am on November 8, 2023 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story, 19-unit mixed-use building at 1437 South 58th Street in Kingsessing, Southwest Philadelphia. The new building will replace a vacant and two ornate prewar rowhouses situated on the northeast side of the block between Hadfield Street and Willows Avenue, extending to Willows Avenue. Designed by Studio C Architecture, the development will span 25,019 square feet and feature two ground-floor commercial spaces, an elevator, a roof deck, a green roof, and parking for eight bicycles. Permits list Uliz Construction as the contractor and indicate a construction cost of $4 million.

2301 Sharswood Street and 2302 Sharswood Street. Aerial view prior to redevelopment. Looking north. Credit: Google Maps

Permits Issued for 54-Building Residential Complex at 2301 and 2302 Sharswood Street in Sharswood, North Philadelphia

8:00 am on October 8, 2023 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a 54-building, 63-unit residential complex at 2301 and 2302 Sharswood Street in Sharswood, Lower North Philadelphia. The development will transform most of the two blocks bound by Stewart Street to the north, Harlan Street to the south, North 23rd Street to the east, and North 24th Street to the west, with Sharswood Street running between the two blocks. Designed by Blackney Hayes Architects and KS Engineers, P.C., with the Philadelphia Housing Authority as the developer and the Daly Corporation as the contractor, the complex will consist of nine two-story two-family buildings, 29 three-story single-family rowhouses, and 16 two-story single-family rowhouses, as well as common green space and two parking lots for a total of 15 cars and at least 33 bicycles. The single-family townhouses will range in size from around 1,200 to 1,900 square feet and will cost around $230,000 to $340,000 each to construct.

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