Recently, a reader tipped us off about some new construction taking place at 1231-33 N. 2nd St., which sits just half a block north of Girard Avenue. These parcels were previously vacant for years, owned by the church next door since the 1970s. Needless to say, the church wouldn't have been able to get a combined $190K for these lots back then.
In case the title of this post wasn't a dead giveaway, the construction we see today will eventually mean two triplexes on this site. This project, designed by Harman Deutsch, is being done by right, a seemingly rare case of the zoning being appropriate for the lot size and location. Looking up the block, it seems that many other properties are also split into multiple units.
The buildings will each be four stories tall, which will likely mean 8'6" ceiling heights, which makes us inclined to believe that these units will be offered as rentals. It's still possible that condos could be a play here though, as Northern Liberties is just a few hundred yards away. Also, these apartments will have very easy access to the Girard Avenue corridor and whatever retail appears at Liberty Square in a couple of years.
This project is extremely consistent with development we've seen all over South Kensington. Though the neighborhood has some major projects that are recently wrapped up like Oxford Mills, or ongoing like the aforementioned Liberty Square, it still needs smaller one or two-off projects to continue to move forward. In this neighborhood, moreso than others it seems, there's room for the big boy developers and there's room for the little guys too. It just warms our hearts on this chilly winter morn.