Back in 2021, we were excited to share the news that a sizable property at 1901 N. 33rd St. was poised for redevelopment. This site, which covers about 13K sqft, runs from Berks Street to Monument Street and has been vacant for years. The southern section was used as a gas station for decades, but the gas was past, as it were, by the 1990s. The northern section of the site was used for homes or apartments that were incredibly detailed architecturally, akin to a number of buildings in this area that are still around. Those buildings were demoed over the years, with the last one coming down in the mid 2010s.
As is the case for a lot of vacant land in this area, the City of Philadelphia eventually took ownership of these lots. And as is the case for so much of the City’s real estate inventory, nothing happened here for many years. Fortunately, in 2019, the City sold the site to Mosaic Development Partners, a development company with a community driven mission that’s based in the area. We were delighted to share Mosaic’s plans to build an affordable project, with a mix of 20 for-sale units and 28 units for rent. The design, from Paul Coughlin Annie Scheel Architects, was contemporary and cool, with a vibe that would fit in nicely in Fishtown.
We visited the property this morning, and you can probably guess where this is going.
Yep, the project has not been built and the site still looks pretty much as it did when we wrote about it three years ago. But this could soon change! The developers pulled zoning permits this week for a new project on this site, which they’re calling the Reservoir on 33rd. The project gets its name because it’ll be on 33rd Street, across the street from the East Park Reservoir.
The revised project will be a bit of a pivot, compared to the original plan. The density is being reduced, from 48 units to 27 units. The rental component is being eliminated, with all of the units expected to be listed for sale. The project will include six separate buildings, with 6-unit buildings on the corners and triplexes in the middle. Architecturally, the look will shift toward the traditional, with OW3 Architects taking over as design professionals. Check out the renderings:
In a vacuum, this project is great for a host of reasons. New construction for sale affordable units from a private developer on a vacant lot that was previously owned by the City? Sign us up! But we have to say, we are a bit bummed that the density is being reduced and the affordable rentals are coming out of the project. Also, we would have loved to see something ultra-contemporary and splashy get built here. Don’t get us wrong, the new design will surely look terrific, but something different would have been a very cool addition to the architectural mix in this area. Still, we’ll call this a win, and look forward to seeing it move forward, hopefully some time in 2025.