Last week, we learned from Plan Philly about plans for seventy-five new homes on a currently overgrown lot bordered by Columbus Blvd, Catharine Street, and I-95. JKR Partners did the design work for this new mini-neighborhood, which would clearly be a step up from the current situation on this lot.

Looking up Swanson St.

View on Catharine

From Columbus Blvd.

As you can see, this lot is vacant, overgrown, and a legitimate eyesore. And if it’s indeed been drug-infested, as QVNA zoning member Richard Wolk suggested, than it’s truly a nuisance lot that should be developed posthaste. But is Bridgeview, as the project has been dubbed, the right project for this location?

Each home in the development will be about 1,800 sqft and will include three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Every home will also have a roof deck with (‘natch) views of the bridge in the distance. Parking will be accomplished through and extension of Swanson Street, which currently dead-ends into Catharine. Residents will have reserved parking spots on Swanson, which will be private, though non-gated. There will also be parking lots elsewhere in the development. Check out the site plan to clarify:

Keep in mind north is to the right in this image.

Architecturally, the homes are pretty satisfying. Though technically located in Queen Village, they don’t attempt to fit in with the neighborhood’s historic character. Instead the architects have opted for a more contemporary look. A good call, in our book.

Contemporary homes. We like the greenery up front.

Another view.

Those rendering people creep us out

The homes sound very livable, the traffic flow seems acceptable, and the contemporary designs are pretty good too. So what could be bad? In terms of scale, this parcel could go either way. Immediately to the south are a ton of single family homes that seem to dovetail nicely with this development. Those near neighbors and others on the opposite side of I-95 are apparently in favor of town homes here.

Appropriate scale with the neighbors to the south

But we can’t shake the feeling that a single tall building would be more appropriate for this location. In Philadelphia, we’re lacking for locations near downtown that would support additional density. And though the track record for residential towers on the Delaware is indeed spotty at best, it seems like a missed opportunity to build town homes on this lot.

What do you think? Are homes the best choice for this location? Or would a residential tower contribute more to the area?