As the Naked Philly mobile was struggling to make its way up Lyceum Avenue in Manayunk the other day, we spied five new homes under construction. For many years, 235-47 Lyceum Ave. was a vacant parcel, commonly used as an area for spectators during the Philadelphia International Championship bike race, but not much else. As the race was cancelled this year, the elimination of this lot wasn’t such a big deal, but if the race makes a comeback, people will surely notice that a prime viewing spot on the Manayunk Wall is gone.

This project has been brewing for quite some time, as The Review covered community meetings about the property back in 2014. At that time, developers were working with neighbors and the Manayunk Neighborhood Council to produce a plan that the community would endorse. Initially, they intended to build six homes, but the community group pushed for five homes, each with two-car parking. The developer agreed to those terms after some negotiations, and they got approval from the ZBA. Ultimately, it looks like new developers had to step in to build the project a couple years after the City issued zoning permits.

Looking at the homes as they’re under construction, you might think that they will have front loaded garages, but you’d be incorrect. The homes will have two-car parking accessed via an enclosed drive aisle that runs under the homes, in one side of the development and out the other side. Those openings in the front will be filled in with front doors and some windows, once construction has moved further along. This rendering effectively shows where the cars will enter the parking area and also gives a sense of what the homes will look like when they’re done.

The homes, which have 2,600 sqft of interior space, 3 bedrooms, and 2.5 bathrooms, are listed for sale for $600K. Between bike enthusiasts and people looking for two-car parking in Manayunk, we suspect the project will find buyers in relatively short order. For those buyers more inclined toward walking though, it’s a solid bet that their cardio endurance will quickly improve by leaps and bounds. Oof, we’re getting short of breath just thinking about it.