At a South Philadelphia HOMES meeting last night, we learned about plans for three new homes on the 1300 block of S. Dorrance Street.
This block is a bit tricky to get to by car, as it can only be accessed via Earp Street, which can only be accessed from 19th Street. So if you'd like to check this block out, we urge you to walk or bike. Then again, until fairly recently, there haven't been so many people interested in visiting this block. When we last found our way here back in 2013, there were only five homes to be seen, at least one of which was vacant. But similar to the surrounding neighborhood, there's been a building boom on the block, at least on the east side.
In total, seven new homes have been started on this block, and if the ZBA gives their permission three more at 1308-12 S. Dorrance St. will join the club. The project needs a zoning variance because the developers are dealing with extremely shallow lots that run only forty feet deep and need to build deeper than the code permits to create livable homes. Some of the people in attendence asked the developers to nix their plans for three-story homes and instead go with two-story homes, to "maintain the character" of that side of the block. We'd posit that the west side of the block's predominant character is that it's mostly vacant.
Assuming this project gets approved, it will chip away at some more of that vacancy. As for the other vacant lots on the block, several are owned by developers and four are owned by City agencies. So it stands to reason that at least some of the remaining vacant lots will get built soon. As for the City lots, they could stay empty for awhile.