The process of developing real estate is so incredibly fraught, it’s frankly a miracle that most projects progress in a predictable fashion. Even so, there are always some projects that run into insurmountable issues and are not able to get across the proverbial finish line. A frozen construction site becomes a topic of conversation on the block and beyond, as neighbors muse on whether the project will ever get finished. Fortunately, this week, a long paused project near Passyunk Ave. got the green light from the ZBA to finish construction after years of delays.
Back in 2016, we told you about a seven home development at 1840 S Camac St., which was replacing a catering hall on a relatively large South Philly site. This property runs from Camac to Iseminger Street and the developers chose to cleverly turn the project 90 degrees to maximize density. Rather than having all the homes front Camac or Iseminger, only three have street frontage, while the others are accessed by a pedestrian walkway. Brilliant!
By the time we told you about this project 9 years ago, the developers had made considerable progress, having largely completed exterior work. The homes were being marketed for sale, at prices ranging from $425K to $650K (ah, those were the days). But it seems that the developers were not able to complete the homes, likely for financial reasons, and very little work happened at the site after our visit. In the years since, disputes over the project worked their way through the courts while the vacant and incomplete project became a nuisance for the neighborhood.
New owners purchased the site in 2022. As an added layer of complication, the variances that allowed the project to move forward a decade ago have expired, so the new development team needed to go back to the ZBA this week to get approval. The plans are largely unchanged, but the updated plans from HDO Architecture show gates to restrict access to the pedestrian pathway, an awning, and some improved exterior material choices.
With the support from the RCO and neighbors who wish to see the long drawn out project finally completed, the ZBA granted the requested variances. Again. With the variance in hand, the developers will soon be able to complete this long stalled project, surely to the delight of said neighbors. Sure, there will be one less thing to talk about at the next block party, but once these homes are finished and occupied, there will be some new faces that might just help plan a block party in the future.