Leaving Fishtown the other day after enjoying a delicious Philly Style Bagel, we zipped across Palmer Street into South Kensington and some construction immediately caught our eye. We aren't sure what 1737 N. Howard St. was being used for previously but whatever it was, it isn't being used for that purpose anymore. It's getting a serious addition.
Developers bought this property about a year ago, shelling out $290K for the large building. Several months ago, they went to the ZBA with a plan to build an addition and convert the building into seven apartments. With approvals in hand, that's exactly what's happening right now. We're certainly jazzed to see this effort, as the finished product will be one of the most unique architectural offerings in the neighborhood, a blend of a contemporary addition and an old industrial structure.
Though the property is on the northern end of the South Kensington neighborhood, there's still plenty to like about the location. To the south on this block, there has been some construction in recent years, and at least one project is getting built now as you can see in the photo above. The Oxford Mills project and associated Gryphon Cafe are just two blocks to the south. And as we previously mentioned, Frankford Avenue is just on the other side of the El. We'll be sure to check back on this project once it's done just to see how well the architects were able to integrate the new and the old, and perhaps to also see whether this project has spurred any imitators in the area.