The other day, one of our amazing, intrepid, wonderful readers reached out to us, tipping us off to some happenings on the East Kensington side of Trenton Ave. a little north of the Fishtown Roundabout. We immediately were whisked back to April, when we checked in on the former All-Brite Metal Finishing building at 2151-61 E. Albert St., where there were plans in the works to demolish the structure. For all of the lovely work going on inside, the exterior of the building left us less than impressed by its beauty.

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So long and thanks for all the metal finishing

Pretty grim. However, things have been moving forward, as when we went to scope out the site, demolition was completed and the site cleared. No construction permits have been issued as of yet, but plans from KCA Design Associates indicate we could see a four-story building with 26 apartments along with parking for seven cars and nine bicycles.

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View of the property back in April
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A closer look at the now cleared lot
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Rendering shows a neutral color selection with lots of outdoor space
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Another view showing access to parking along back of building

Will we see something go up here soon? Until we see a building permit, it’s perhaps too early to tell. Our Spidey Sense is telling us that this property may be packaged along with its pre-approved permits/designs to another buyer, but this is purely speculation. Hopefully we see something move forward here sooner rather than later, as an empty lot surrounded by fencing doesn’t seem like an optimal use of space in this growing area.

And speaking of growing areas, one has to look just north up Trenton Ave. to see something that is already quickly growing. The Pump House project at 2157 E. Lehigh Ave. is now well above ground. Our recent visit in September showed signs of action, but we were taken aback by how quickly the steel has risen for this project from Borkson Properties. Check out the progress so far and what’s to come, with a rendering from DesignBlendz.

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Looking north from the recently demoed building shows the Pump House now above ground
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A closer look at the progress on the westernmost building
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An aerial of the site shows what's in store

Look for 278 units across four six-story buildings, along with a sizable retail presence here in the future. DesignBlendz has even put together a little video a while back on the project with additional renderings and info that you can check out below.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: it is absolutely wild seeing all of the action in this part of Kensington. Adding over 300 more units to the area will most certainly bump up the pedestrian presence along Lehigh Ave. and will only aid the businesses on the nearby Frankford Ave. commercial corridor. Hopefully we’ll continue to see things develop in a positive way along this freshly paved and re-lined stretch of Lehigh.