Down near Delaware Ave. along Richmond Street in Fishtown, down from where a warehouse is slowly being redeveloped into an entertainment complex by Michael Samshick—if you pass by on I-95 South you can see some of the cleanup work that has been done inside—another infill development recently came down the pike that will transform a former garage into a duplex.
The Fishtown Neighbors Association recently supported developers' plans at 153 Richmond St. to add two stories to an existing building. This was necessary because the property is zoned industrial, hearkening back to different times in the neighborhood.
We've written a fair amount about infill in Fishtown in recent months, like along the 1300 block of Crease St. close to Frankford Ave., or three new homes on the 1200 block of Fletcher Street. The common theme in these projects is converting under-used property into residential uses. The moves make sense for developers who can certainly benefit financially from converting a garage or a vacant lot into a new home or rental units that will generate income each month. So the owner who purchased 153 Richmond St. for $77,500 in March, 2011 should do okay.
Speaking of garages, back in January we told you about another infill development on this block of Richmond Street. Last year the owner of 118-120 Richmond St. built a garage on this site, and then some months later decided he wanted to change its use from industrial to residential. Back in the winter the FNA approved his plans to turn the office above the garage into two apartments. The change runs with the changing character of the neighborhood from industrial into residential, a theme occurring across Fishtown.