Last May, we checked in on the old, gross warehouse at the corner of 12th & Latona, and were excited to discover that it had been demolished at last. At that time, the new mixed-use building across the street, built by the same developer, looked like it was nearing completion. Visiting the site today, things have changed big time.

From the north

Closer look

As you can see, much of this large site is currently under construction. Three of the homes were finished in the fall, and from what we can tell, all have sold for over $400K. While numbers like that don’t really move the needle in Graduate Hospital or Northern Liberties, that’s a really high number for this neck of the woods. Not only are these homes selling at prices not commonly seen around here, but they also stick out architecturally.

Looking down the line

Very contemporary look

You could make the argument that these homes don’t fit into the fabric of the neighborhood. You could contend that they tower over the other homes on the block. You could posit that the architecture simply isn’t your taste. But when you consider how the old warehouse stood here for years begging anyone to put it out of its misery, the development looks outstanding by any measure.

Please! Tear me down!!!

Patriotism notwithstanding, this structure was an eyesore in an area that’s close to Passyunk Avenue but still rather affordable for rehabbed houses. Hopefully, this influx of new residents will add to the energy in the area, and the apparent success of the project will encourage other developers to look more carefully at new construction around these parts. Time, of course, will tell.