A week ago, we passed the corner of Amber & Susquehanna in East Kensington on our way back from the waterfront, and noticed a 3-story building under construction at the corner. This is an intersection we’ve visited repeatedly in the past, as it’s home to the 100K House, which received a 2011 Housing Award, and was the fist LEED Platinum home constructed in the Pennsylvania. On another corner of the intersection is one of the G8-Life homes, which features great sustainable elements like an Energy Star-rated cement-board-sided home with solar thermal water heating system.

Under construction

Across the street

According to public record, Rock Construction and Development LLC purchased the lot earlier this year for $40K. The L&I Map tells us that they’re building a single family home here, and it also tells us that they’ve picked up some violations along the way. Most have been rectified but a couple are still outstanding. Does anyone who lives nearby have insight into whether this construction site has been problematic?

It’s a little surprising that this lot was sitting vacant for so long considering the impressive amount of development nearby. Postgreen has built other homes in the area, and other developers have built homes in recent years along Amber Street too. There’s also the Snapback project nearby at York & Amber, a block to the east, with another G8-Life home across the street.

Other homes that have risen in recent years. Many others not pictured.

No doubt, this part of East Kensington has come a very long way in a very short period of time. And we’ll be watching and waiting the see what happens as it continues to take steps forward.

–Lou Mancinelli