Just a few steps away from some skinny new homes under construction on the 2100 block of E. Hagert St., we noticed that the new apartment building at 2431 Frankford Ave. is all finished. We told you about this project almost exactly a year ago, just as site work was getting started. This property had been sitting vacant for a number of years, used occasionally for parking for the church next door.

Over the course of the months that followed our post, the developers rapidly constructed a four-story, 16-unit, apartment building with 5 parking spots. The building notably has an “urban meadow” surrounding the first floor, adding a dash of green to go along with the expected street trees. The materials of the exterior aren’t anything earth shattering, but the way the architects played with the massing make this one of the more interesting looking apartment buildings we’ve seen in recent memory. Quite unusually, we’d contend that the finished product looks better than the project rendering.

All the units are rented except for a single 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom unit listed for $1,749/mo. And it should come as no surprise that the units have been rented out; after all, who wouldn’t want to live on Frankford Avenue? Pizza Brain and Little Baby’s Ice Cream are just a block away, and Martha is around the corner. A new coffee shop is set to open on the same block in the fall, since obviously Frankford Avenue needed more coffee shops. And we don’t need to go into detail about all the other great stores to be found along this corridor.

Back when construction was just getting started on this building, we noted that the developers also owned the former church next door and probably had plans to demolish it before it got designated historic. A year ago, they were listing the building for rent for $2,000/mo, offering it up as a possible studio space, coworking space, or performance venue. They weren’t able to find any takers then, so they’re trying a second time, again listing the building for rent at the same price. The building will be an incredibly cool space for whoever ends up renting it, though it’s telling that the owners haven’t been able to find any takers in the time it’s taken them to build and lease the building next door.