Rendering of 1428-38 Callowhill Street. Credit: J2a Architects.

Construction Anticipated at 1428 Callowhill Street in Spring Garden, Lower North Philadelphia

Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has revealed no signs of construction at the site of a 13-story, 162-unit building proposed at 1428 Callowhill Street in Spring GardenLower North Philadelphia, though construction permits have been issued at the end of last year. Designed by j2a Architects, the building will span 117,624 square feet. The development will feature parking for 31 cars and 74 bicycles. Permits list BSI Construction as the contractor and construction costs of $19 million.

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Rendering of 1201-15 Callowhill Street. Credit: JKRP Architects.

Construction Anticipated at 1201-15 Callowhill Street in Callowhill, Lower North Philadelphia

A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has revealed that construction has not yet begun at the site of a six-story, 65-unit mixed-use building at 1201-15 Callowhill Street in Callowhill, Lower North Philadelphia, which received construction permits last November. Designed by JKRP Architects, the development will contain 83,667 square feet of residential area. The units will all function as co-living spaces, meaning there will be 239 beds within the structure. The project will also feature a 3,989-square-foot retail component on the ground floor and 8,854 square feet of office and amenity space. A 17,790-square-foot underground garage will hold 41 parking spaces, with two being ADA-compliant and three allocated for electric vehicles, as well as 22 bicycle spaces. Construction costs are estimated at $17.2 million.

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689-95 North Broad Street. Credit: Ambit Architecture.

Permits Issued for 689-95 North Broad Street in Poplar, Lower North Philadelphia

Permits have been issued for the construction of a five-story, 20-unit mixed-use building at 689-95 North Broad Street in PoplarLower North Philadelphia. Designed by Ambit Architecture, the new building will contain 17,682 square feet and house commercial space on the ground floor, with residences above. Resident amenities will include a three-car garage and a roof deck. Permits list a construction cost of $2.65 million.

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2223 through 2239 North 33rd Street (vacant lots seen in photo). Credit: Google Maps

Six Multi-Family Buildings Proposed at 2223 Through 2239 North 33rd Street in Strawberry Mansion, North Philadelphia

Six three-story multi-family buildings have been proposed at 2223, 2227, 2229, 2233, 2237, and 2239 North 33rd Street in Strawberry Mansion, North Philadelphia, across from Fairmount Park. Designed by 24 Seven Design Group LLC, the four buildings at 2223 through 2233 North 33rd Street will each feature five apartments each, and the structures at 2237 and 2239 North 33rd Street will each come with four units, giving a total new unit count of 28. Each of the permits lists Catalyst Builders LLC as the contractor, and, although the structures appear of to slightly vary in square footage (spanning from 3,072 to 5,000 square feet), construction costs for each one is specified at $300,000.

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One Meridian Plaza on fire. Image from The Arizona Republic

YIMBY Revisits the Deconstruction of One Meridian Plaza in Center City

During the 1960s and 1970s, multiple developments with massive amounts of office space, occupied by banking firms in particular, were constructed in Center City Philadelphia. Most of these developments featured a light brown Brutalist exterior with contrasting dark glass. Among the first such structures built was One Meridian Plaza, located at 1416 South Penn Square, which stood 492 feet and 38 stories. Designed by Vincent Kling & Associates (later known as KlingStubbins, now part of JACOBS) and developed by the Girard Bank and Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance, the tower started construction in 1968 and was completed in 1972, and featured the light brown stone cladding commonly seen during the period, along with rows of dark glass leading up to the bay windows at the top. The skyscraper eventually met its tragic demise in 1991, and was deconstructed in the following years in a process that YIMBY revisits in today’s feature.

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