Historic preservation

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

Permits have been issued for a mixed-use renovation and addition to an existing building at 7208-10 Germantown Avenue in Mount AiryNorthwest 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.

Read More

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

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.

Read More


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

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.

Read More

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

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.

Read More

Fetching more...