Historic preservation

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.

3926 Haverford Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. October 2022

Renovation Complete at 3926 Haverford Avenue in Mantua, West Philadelphia

7:30 am on October 11, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

As seen in a recent site visit by Philly YIMBY, renovation and expansion has been completed at a three-story prewar rowhouse at 3926 Haverford Avenue in Mantua, West Philadelphia. The development stands at the south side of the block between North 39th Street and Lancaster Avenue. With Haverford Square Designs as the renovation architect, the 3,000-square-foot building gained an additional 1,200 square feet via a rear expansion, and now houses six residential units. Permits list Haverford Sq GC LLC as the contractor and specify a construction cost of $45,000.

1501 Fairmount Avenue. Photo by Jamie Meller. April 2022

Construction and Vertical Extension Anticipated at 1501 Fairmount Avenue in Fairmount, Lower North Philadelphia

7:00 am on April 23, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Last September, Philly YIMBY reported that permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story-story, 20-unit addition and vertical addition to a prewar Art Deco commercial building at 1501 Fairmount Avenue in Fairmount, Lower North Philadelphia. More than half a year later, our visit revealed no construction progress at the development. Designed by Harman Deutsch Ohler Architecture, the development will add 20,558 square feet of space to the existing building, boosting the total area to 26,025 square feet. The project, which is also known under the address of 1501-05 Fairmount Avenue, will feature 5,467 square feet of commercial space, elevator service, roof decks, parking for seven bicycles, and full sprinkling. Permits list Construct Design Corp. Inc. as the contractor and a construction cost of $2.7 million.

107 Chestnut Street (center). Looking northwest. Credit: Google

Despite Requirement to Rebuild, Site Sits Vacant and Paved-Over After Demolition of Historic Building at 107 Chestnut Street in Old City

7:00 am on January 15, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

In August 2020, Philadelphia YIMBY reported that permits were filed for the demolition of a historically designated four-story building at 107 Chestnut Street in the Old City Historic District in Center City, half a block away from Penn’s Landing. The structure was built in 1840, at a time when the neighborhood bustled with maritime commercial activity, and was one of the last remaining buildings on the street’s old mercantile row. The Philadelphia Historical Commission approved the demolition after engineering experts declared the structure unsafe yet required that the owner rebuild the historic edifice in its original form within a year. However, YIMBY’s recent site visit reveals that the structure’s former site still sits cleared and paved over with no signs of new construction, perched next to its lone prewar neighbor that stands surrounded by a parking lot.

Rendering of 1810 Chestnut Street. Credit: Cecil Baker + Partners.

Permits Issued for Freeman’s Auction House Overbuild at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on January 4, 2022 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for a multi-family overbuild above the historic Freeman’s Auction House, located at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners, the new tower will add 19 stories above the existing Auction House, bringing the total height to 25 stories, which is certainly not the greatest height in the area, but will still make a large impact from the street. There will be 19 residential units within the he new addition, each a luxury condominium, with several taking up an entire floor. The existing auction house will be restored as commercial space. An underground garage will hold space for seven parking spaces, and there will also be nine bicycle spaces, as well. An additional four bike spaces will be included with the project along Chestnut Street on a new bike rack. A green roof will be situated at the top of the tower.

7208-10 Germantown Avenue. Credit: Bright Common Architecture & Design

Permits Issued for Prewar Building Renovation and Expansion at 7208-10 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia

7:00 am on December 28, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for a mixed-use renovation and addition to an existing building at 7208-10 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia. Designed by Bright Common Architecture & Design, the project will see the existing three-story building receive a two-story overbuild, as well as an adjacent five-story addition at the rear. The renovated development will span 21,423 square feet of interior space and feature commercial space on the ground floor facing Germantown Avenue, as well as 19 rental apartments situated above. The development will include parking for seven bicycles. Construction costs are listed at $2.1 million.

1810 Chestnut Street. Credit: Cecil Baker + Partnenrs

Freeman Auction House Set for High-Rise Vertical Extension at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on December 9, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The 23rd place on Philly YIMBY’s December 2021 Development Countdown goes to the 25-story, 312-foot-tall residential high-rise proposed at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners, the project consists of a 19-story vertical addition atop the existing six-story Samuel T. Freeman & Co. Auction House, built in 1923. The vertical addition will house 19 apartments, many of which will be full-floor and duplex units. The renovated historic building will hold several stories of retail, tenant amenities, and automated underground parking for around ten cars. Though our recent site visit revealed no signs of ongoing work, it may begin at any time as a partial demolition and construction permit was issued in November 2020.

Current view of 5627-33 Germantown Avenue. Credit: Google.

Permits Issued for Renovation of Eight-Story Prewar Building at 5627-33 Germantown Avenue in Germantown, Northwest Philadelphia

7:00 am on December 5, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for the a mixed-use renovation of an eight-story prewar building at 5627-33 Germantown Avenue in Germantown, Northwest Philadelphia. A commercial space will still be located on the ground floor, with 47 residential…

222-30 Walnut Street. Credit: Cecil Baker + Partners Architects

Philadelphia YIMBY’s Annual Development Countdown Starts With 242-Foot-Tall, 18-Story Condo Tower Planned at 222-30 Walnut Street in Society Hill, Center City

8:00 am on December 1, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

As the calendar turns to December, Philadelphia YIMBY launches its annual December Development Countdown, which tracks the 31 tallest buildings under construction or proposed throughout the city. The inaugural 31st place goes to 222-30 Walnut Street in Society Hill, Center City, an adaptive reuse development that will integrate a proposed 242-foot-tall, 18-story condominium high-rise with a group of low-rise buildings constructed between 1856 and 1950. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners Architects, the building will offer a combined total of 101,115 square feet of interior space, most of which will be dedicated to 18 residential condominiums. At the moment, the project appears at a standstill, which, in great part, results from its historically sensitive location in a historic district in one of the oldest sections of the city.

1106-14 Spring Garden Street. Credit: Varenhorst

Examining Preservation-Minded Alternatives for the 79-Unit Building Planned at 1106-14 Spring Garden Street in Callowhill, Lower North Philadelphia

7:30 am on November 30, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

YIMBY recently introduced a six-story, 79-unit mixed-use proposal at 1106-14 Spring Garden Street (aka 1106 Spring Garden Street) in Callowhill, Lower North Philadelphia. Designed by Varenhorst, the building will offer an appealing design, street-energizing retail, much-needed public space, and a large number of apartments. However, the proposal also involves the demolition of a stately prewar building, which has recently been torn down. Today we look at the demolished structure and analyze strategies for how it could have been preserved and incorporated into the design without sacrificing any of its current strong points.

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Historic preservation

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