Upper Fairmount, South of Burgeoning Girard Avenue Corridor, Plans for New Apartment Project
A small apartment building is planned for the corner of 28th & Cambridge Streets, in the upper part of the Fairmount neighborhood and just south of the rapidly developing Girard Avenue corridor. This building will combine a renovated warehouse with new townhouses, and a new commercial space. It received approval for a variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment to allow greater height and depth, as well as the commercial space. The site is currently zoned for residential only.
The currently vacant warehouse at 915 North 28th Street was built in the 1920s and is 15,000 square feet. This renovation, being developed by Greythorne Development and designed by Studio Agoos Lovera Architects, will have fourteen rental apartment units. It will add a third floor to the existing warehouse and the building will be covered in modern gray and white paneling. Three four-story townhouses will be built behind the renovated warehouse on George Street. This is a continuation of a recent trend by local developers to build apartments and townhouses in the same development. There will, also, be a commercial space at the corner, which could be used as neighborhood retail. This continues an age old Philadelphia tradition of having corner retail on residential streets, something which is prevalent in Fairmount. Also, there will be some parking in the building.
The project has received support from the Fairmount Civic Association and Councilman William Greenlee. The developers plan to break ground this summer and probably finish sometime next year. This is the latest development being built on, or near, Girard Avenue in recent years, where Fairmount and Brewerytown come together.
By, Gabriel Gottlieb
