While making our way around the city, it is rare when we catch a glimpse of a construction site that isn’t on our radar. So, color us surprised as we made our way east on Spring Garden Street the other day, only to see a prominent tower peeking up behind some of the buildings close by. Curiosity killed the cat/attracted the real estate blogger, so we couldn’t help but make an unplanned turn to check out what was afoot. When we arrived, we found ourselves at 1100 Ridge Ave., a triangular parcel bounded by Ridge Ave. to the northeast, N. 11th St. to the east, and Hamilton St. to the south. This site was previously home to a surface parking lot in this occasionally lost corner of the Eraserhood.

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View from Ridge Ave. looking southwest, showing off the future Center City views
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View of the surface lot at 1100 Ridge from a few years back

After doing a bit of digging, we have a much clearer idea of what’s happening on this corner. Look for 30 units over seven floors, with commercial space on the ground level above underground parking. The design from Parallel Architecture Studio consists of a contemporary look, with multiple colors of paneling making up the facade over the decorative first floor awnings. The parking access will be via a steep driveway along Hamilton St., keeping Ridge Ave. and 11th St. open to the flow of both pedestrians and vehicles.

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View looking east down Hamilton St.
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A seven-story companion project, also from Parallel
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A closer look at the underground parking access along the Hamilton St. side
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A rendering of the project from the same angle, with San Francisco's skyline taking the place of Philly's for some reason

Interestingly, this building sits less than a block to the northwest of another extremely similar project we covered last spring. This project would include 18 units, also across seven stories. In news that we doubt is purely coincidental, Parallel is also the architect for this project, creating a similar feel here for this narrow lot that’s catty-corner to the Rail Park.

We have to say, nearly 50 units taking the place of a surface parking lot and a one-story industrial building seems like a much better use of space in this extremely central location. More and more is happening close by, so we would imagine we will see even additional verticality in this rapidly growing neighborhood, especially given the more permissive zoning here when compared to nearby areas. And hey, walkability to Union Transfer, one of our favorite venues in town, doesn’t hurt either.