We were surprised, back in the summer of 2012, to learn about a proposal for twenty-two homes on the 1300 blocks of Bainbridge and Kater Streets on a large parcel that had been used as a surface parking lot for a long time. Mostly, our surprise stemmed from the fact that developers were looking to build high-end homes next door to a gas station, but we were hopeful that buyers would look past the imperfect neighbor and appreciate the attractive location. By the summer of 2014, eight homes had arrived, with four homes on Bainbridge and four more on Kater Street. At the time, one had sold and two more were under agreement at prices above $1M.
Two years after our last visit, the project remained frozen in time, with only eight of the homes built and several unfinished. It seems the developer ran into some trouble with financing, facing bankruptcy and foreclosure, and now the project is under the ownership of Alinea Capital Group. This developer has done several projects around town, including 1701 South Street, the Moyamensing Place project in Pennsport, and the upcoming reuse of the former First African Baptist Church. You can see if you pass by the project today, a sign explains that the project is now called Kater Court Townhomes and is under new ownership.
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Since Alinea took over in May, the project has taken some notable steps in the right direction. Three of the homes sold back in 2014, at prices ranging from $1.1M to $1.225M, but the remaining five homes were only 60-90% complete. The new owners have completed a few of the homes, creating a model home in one of the buildings and putting at least two of the other homes under agreement at prices above $1.3M. Most noticeable for a casual observer, they've started construction again with one home now getting framed on Bainbridge Street.
They're now going through the zoning process to make some changes to the approved plans, and expect to build an additional sixteen homes as part of a second phase. We'd wager that the prices for these homes will only continue to go up as the project moves along, so it's probably a good idea to strike sooner than later if you're interested.