In South Kensington, redevelopment is happening all over the place. New homes are replacing long-vacant lots. Old warehouses and factories are being repurposed into apartments and offices. And a couple of huge projects on the horizon promise to add a large number of residents and businesses to the area in the coming years.

D3 Developers has been active in this neighborhood of late, redeveloping the former Pieri lamp factory at Front & Oxford into a mixed-use development with apartments, offices, and retail. The project, dubbed Oxford Mills, is adapting the existing buildings on the site, and connecting separate structures via a promenade of sorts. The project will target teacher residents, and will include 40,000 sqft of office space for non-profits. As industry has moved on from Kensington, these types of projects are key for the future of the neighborhood.

Ongoing renovation

Also important is the redevelopment of vacant land. And that’s exactly what will be happening next year across the street from Oxford Mills. Recently, South Kensington Community Partners (SKCP) voted to support a project for 10 new homes at 120 W. Oxford St., also from D3 Developers. “People like to see that scale of development because if fits with the scale of the neighborhood already there,” said Leah Murphy, SKCP zoning co-chair, referring to the 10 new units.

Recent shot of the property

Rendering of the homes, courtesy of Interface Studio Architects

The lot upon which these homes will sit is quite large, from what we can tell, leading us to wonder whether an additional phase of homes could be planned for this site in the coming years. Once the homes are built and Oxford Mills is finished, we can see this area becoming even more desirable. And that’s not to mention its proximity to Frankford Avenue, public transportation, the good stuff in Northern Liberties, etc. Kind of makes us wonder what took so long for this block to make its comeback in the first place.

–Lou Mancinelli