Have you ever visited an intersection and found yourself struck by just how much it has changed over a short period of time? That’s exactly what happened to us recently in West Powelton, when we found ourselves on the corner of 41st & Haverford. In just about every direction, we noted new buildings that had been finished in recent memory or projects under construction, continuing to reinvigorate a formerly depressed section of West Philadelphia.

Just south of the intersection sits 525 N 41st St., a property we originally covered in 2019. At that time, an old industrial building was being demolished, with plans for a three-story apartment building with 30 units. You can see, that building is now complete and has been dubbed the Ember. The brick facade is handsome and complements the brick used in many of the surrounding buildings, including legacy structures and buildings constructed more recently. The side paneling is less impressive, and it’s a shame that the northern windows primarily overlook a driveway and covered parking for the adjacent building. We understand that the building was constructed by right and that’s why it only rises three stories, but as we said before, we would have appreciated a 4th floor.

Just to the south at 521 N 41st St. sits a smaller new building constructed on a formerly vacant lot. Unlike the property next door, this land was zoned for single family use, so the developer had to engage in the zoning process to build the structure we see today. This 6-unit building came out great from where we sit, though we lament both the underzoned nature of the property which necessitated the ZBA visit and the fact that the lot couldn’t be consolidated with the property next door, which would have resulted in even more density.

Taking a turn to the east of the 41st & Haverford intersection, we find a newer 4-story building at 4070 Haverford Ave., marketed as the Haverford Lofts. This building includes 43 units, and thankfully rises four stories, in contrast to its neighbors to the south. The developers utilized the moderate income zoning bonus to increase height and density, which allows for the superior scale here. Incidentally, the building also has 10 parking spots.

Turning to the west, the former West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company Carhouse is being renovated and looks like it’s being converted into a residential building, but we confess we can’t quite find the permits for this project. Down the block, another new building with 51 units over commercial is under construction at the corner of 42nd & Haverford, replacing a low-rise industrial building. Figure that’ll be done sometime next year.

We’re obviously biased in favor of greater density for an in-demand neighborhood like West Powelton with its direct access to University City, so we’re pretty jazzed by the projects that have cropped up at this intersection over the last several years. Even with all the new development here, there’s still room for additional construction, remarkably. Just how quickly we see the remaining underused properties developed is perhaps a bit unclear, given the underwriting challenges created by the Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District. We have to wonder whether any of the aforementioned projects would have moved forward today, in light of the overlay.