Demolition

2709-15 Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. March 2022

Demolition Underway at Historic Columbia Theater in Cecil B. Moore, North Philadelphia

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has revealed that demolition has begun at the historic Columbia Theater at 2709 Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Cecil B. MooreNorth Philadelphia. The 100-year-plus-old structure, situated at the north side of the block between North 27th and Marston streets, will be replaced by a four-story, 18-unit apartment building. Designed by Kore Design Architecture (KCA), the new development will span 21,030 square feet and feature elevator service, full sprinkling and a roof deck. Permits list Bloomtown Holdings LLC as the owner, GRIT Construction as the contractor, and a construction cost of $3.16 million. The Columbia Theatre, as it was originally known, was built in 1911 in a grand Beaux-Arts style. The massive, dramatic marquee and vertical sign that once adorned its front entrance are long gone. Still present, however, is the symmetrical facade with Palladian and oeil-de-boeuf windows, a garland-adorned crown, and a dentil course cornice. Even the elegant bishop’s crook light sconces continue to grace the structure at the second level. The roughly 30-foot-tall building is at once in scale with the avenue’s rowhouses and offers a distinct sense of urbane grandeur.

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31 East Columbia Avenue. Rendering credit: SITIO Architecture + Urbanism

Excavation Underway at The Box Factory Lofts at 31 East Columbia Avenue in Fishtown

Philadelphia YIMBY’s recent site visit has revealed that excavation is currently underway at an eight-story, 63-unit apartment building at 31 East Columbia Avenue in Fishtown, Kensington. Designed by SITIO Architecture + Urbanism, the building is an expansion for the existing Box Factory Lofts, a four-story prewar industrial building located at 21 East Columbia Avenue, which houses 20 rental units. The new building will add 67,342 square of feet of space to the development and will introduce a new shared lobby to be shared by the two structures, as well as a common residential courtyard. The new building will feature ground-level retail, elevator service, full sprinkling, covered parking for ten cars (including three car share and one accessible space) and 30 bicycles, and a roof deck. Permits list Equinox Management and Construction as the contractor and a construction cost of $13 million.

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1831 South 4th Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. January 2022

Construction Complete of Single-Family Rowhouse at 1831 South 4th Street in Wharton, South Philadelphia

Construction has been complete at a three-story, single-family rowhouse at 1831 South 4th Street in Wharton, South Philadelphia, as revealed by Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit. The structure replaces a vacant site at the northeast corner of Sough 4th and Sigel streets and includes a cellar and a roof deck, which likely offers open vistas due to the building’s relatively prominent height. Permits list Enam Abazi as the owner and Gezim Kupa as the contractor. The construction cost is specified at $120,000.

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Broad + Pine at 337-41 South Broad Street. Rendering credit: My Arch

No Progress Yet at Scaled-Down Broad+Pine at 337-41 South Broad Street in Washington Square West, Center City

Progress continues to stall at Broad + Pine, one of the most promising yet fickle developments on South Broad Street. After having already gone through several major design revisions over the past few years, the high-rise planned at the northeast corner of Broad and Pine Streets at 337-41 South Broad Street (better known as 337 South Broad Street) in Washington Square West, Center City, has recently seen yet another major redesign. Designed by My Arch and developed by Dranoff Properties (which is also behind the Arthaus tower half a block to the north), the proposal has been reduced in scale down from 28 to 15 stories, though its residential unit count has increased from 56 to 91 units. Still, even after the design revision, no construction permits have yet been filed nor has demolition started on the three-story low-rise structure at the site, as revealed by YIMBY’s latest site visit.

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721-23 North 16th Street. Looking northeast. Credit: Google

Permits Issued for Ten-Unit Building at 721-23 North 16th Street in Fairmount, Lower North Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a five-story, ten-unit apartment building at 721-23 North 16th Street in Fairmount, Lower North Philadelphia. The development will be situated on the east side of the block between Swain and Brown streets, in an area that may also be described as Francisville. The project will replace a pair of three-story, apparently well-maintained prewar rowhouses and will hold a total of 11,048 square feet of interior space, which translates to a sizable average of 1,100 square feet per unit. The building will feature full sprinkling, a cellar, and a roof deck, which, due to the building’s prominent height, promises to offer sweeping skyline views. Permits list Mountfair Assoc. as the owner and Regis Development Corp. as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $725,000.

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