We’ve always been a bit fascinated by 1222 S. 20th St., located just a block from our office and mere steps from the 17th Police District. This building was never winning any architecture awards, but it’s an unusual one-story home, perhaps because it was originally built as a stable. At some point, a sizable portion of the building was converted to residential use, with the rest being used for the storage or as a garage. While a one-story home with a garage might have made some sense at this location ten or fifteen years ago, today it’s a spectacular underuse, making this property a terrific candidate for redevelopment.

We were making our way through the neighborhood the other day and noticed that this building is no more. Like we said, it was always more of a curiosity than a building worth keeping around, so we can’t say we’re all that sad that it has met its end. We would even go so far as to say that we were excited by the demolition, as it was surely a sign that redevelopment is around the corner.

A developer purchased this property this year, along with the two adjacent lots. 1218 and 1220 S. 20th St. have been vacant for years, and it appears they’ve been used as a dog run of late. But the dogs will need to find somewhere else to run it seems, as these lots are also slated for new construction. All three properties will soon see triplexes rise, as the developers pulled permits back in August. These new buildings will fill two longtime vacancies and will bring the corner property much closer to its highest and best use.

Based on our story yesterday, you might expect us to decry the fact that these developers are opting for triplexes, and not a consolidated apartment building with more density. But we aren’t feeling the same as we did yesterday due to the simple fact that these lots are considerably smaller, which means that the code allows for less density as a matter of right. While the project at 22nd & Dauphin could have gotten to 18 units with zoning bonuses (if not for that pesky overlay), these lots could only get to 14 units.

While that might not seem like all that much, it’s still a material difference and is probably the margin between a project being workable or not. Also – we wouldn’t be shocked if the units in these triplexes are sold as condos rather than being offered as rentals, given the close proximity to Center City. That would not really be an option in a larger building at this location, so perhaps the developers are keeping their options open. Ultimately, whether they opt for rentals or condos, we’ll be pleased to see these lots get filled in after all these years.