Last week, we told you about Teaful Bliss relocating from 11th & Spring Garden to the corner of 28th & Cambridge, in Brewerytown. When we were up there snapping photos and grabbing a tasty cup of tea, we noticed a touch of new construction just down the block. If you visited the 2700 block of Cambridge Street a couple of years ago, you would have probably been struck by the number of vacant homes on the block. While several remain, at least one has disappeared in recent months.

In the past

Last week

LJR Investments Inc. bought both of these properties last year. As you can see, the vacant home has been demoed and the previously vacant lot is now gone. Both lots have seen new single-family homes framed out, which should be finished in the coming months. LJR also owns another lot on the block, closer to 27th Street, which looks like it could become a construction site pretty soon.

Fenced lot shows some earth has moved around

Collection of blighted buildings next door

In case you’re wondering about the vacant homes pictured above, they’ve been owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority for years, but were recently purchased by a partnership between MMPartners and Fairmount CDC that we told you about last year. They’re part of the Cambridge Row project that’s currently wrapping up its first phase on the 2800 block of Cambridge Street. Hopefully, the next phase will move forward really soon, and these homes will be replaced with new ones that don’t drag the whole block down.

Newly built Cambridge Row homes on the 2800 block

We’d guess that it won’t be long now, but for residents of this block, the future can’t come soon enough.