Just east of Broad Street, we were surprised and also not surprised to find new construction in the form of a two-story addition being built onto an existing one-story building on the northeast corner of Poplar & Watts.

In the past

The addition at 1335-37 Poplar St. will create two apartments above an existing garage. According to city records, it looks like a project on this site first launched a few years ago, but a stop work order was issued in December, 2009. A new owner may be responsible for the current construction, as the property was sold in September, 2010 for $250K.

Current view

The project appears at a time when building is ripe in the surrounding area, and talk of reinvestment along North Broad Street is as loud as the El when it rumbles through a station. In February, Tower Place, Tower Investments $70M conversion of the former state building opened at Broad & Spring Garden. That project is slated to include a Phase II that will construct another $110M 18-story residential building, according to the Inquirer. And there’s the possibility of the Provence, a casino, also from Tower Investments, at Broad & Callowhill. Add a proposal we recently shared for more than 300-units at two parking lots at Broad and Callowhill, and North Broad is going like wildfire with redevelopment. Throw in a plans for a few new businesses and the possibility of the Divine Lorraine coming back to life (please in our lifetimes) and it just keeps going.

Looking toward North Broad. Will the Metropolitan Opera House be restored anytime soon?

It is a great thing to see. We think this project could be a spot for student housing, as the redevelopment at Temple, a few blocks north is just as much in swing. It’s almost like you can’t drive anywhere around campus without finding new buildings or renovations. And it doesn’t appear to be slowing down, either.

The new Temple dorm building, in the distance

–Lou Mancinelli