Philadelphia 1905 and 2020 south elevation. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back At The Creation Of The Philadelphia Massing

7:30 am on September 26, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

For over a year, Philadelphia YIMBY has been providing extensive publications and visuals depicting new developments planned for the future as well as notable towers that have risen in the past. We have offered images from drawn schematics, custom-made renderings, and skyline massings to give the public a clear look at the structures featured. Any time new high-rise buildings have been revealed or design changes were made, YIMBY reports on the changes with three-dimensional skyline views from various directions. In this feature, we look back at the creation of the 3D skyline massings that we continue to provide to this day.

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Rendering of 4301 Chestnut Street. Credit: JKRP Architects.

Renderings Revealed for 4301 Chestnut Street in Spruce Hill, West Philadelphia

8:00 am on September 25, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Renderings have been revealed for a 275-unit mixed-use development planned at 4301 Chestnut Street in Spruce Hill, West Philadelphia. Designed by JKRP Architects, the building will rise seven stories tall and feature 30,300 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The residential space will total 147,562 square feet. Amenity space on the second floor will span 3,278 square feet, with 7,895 square feet of common space on the ground floor. A 6,055-square-foot roof deck will be located at the top of the building. An underground garage will hold 75 parking spaces, with two expected to be handicap accessible, one set to be van accessible, four for electric vehicles, and two reserved for interior loading spaces.

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Philadelphia 1945 aerial looking east. Models and image by Thomas Koloski

Observing the “Chinese Wall” Rail Viaduct on the 1945 Cityscape

7:30 am on September 25, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the late 1800s, the city of Philadelphia made a bold move that greatly transformed and influenced both mass transit and the cityscape when they allowed Pennsylvania Railroad to construct a massive rail viaduct in Center City. One of the largest transportation projects in the city, dubbed to citizens as the “Chinese Wall” due to its appearance and presence, had a dramatic effect on the city’s planning for years to come. Designed by the Wilson Brothers, the rail line stood next to Broad Street Station, which sat on the current site of Dilworth Park, and stretched out all the way to West Philadelphia. The structure saw busy rail service for decades, yet it ultimately met its fate in 1953 after it was demolished to make way for future development. Today YIMBY presents an exclusive massing mock-up of how the structure appeared on the cityscape in 1945.

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1426 North 7th Street. Looking west. Credit: Google Maps

Permits Issued for Four-Unit Residential Building at 1426 North 7th Street in Ludlow, North Philadelphia

7:00 am on September 25, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story, four-unit residential building at 1426 North 7th Street in Ludlow, North Philadelphia. The structure will replace a vacant lot on the west side of the block between Master and Jefferson streets. The building’s footprint will span 1,600 square feet and will contain 4,390 square feet of interior space, translating into an average of 1,098 square feet per apartment. Permits list 1426 N 7th LLC as the owner, Lonny Rossman as the design professional, and United Group General Contractor Inc. as the contractor. Construction costs are specified at $437,000.

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