Artist’s rendering of 6-story apartment building proposed for 4312-20 Market Street. The white box on the first floor is a driveway that goes through the building to access five off-street parking spots in the rear of the building.
The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) zoning committee heard plans for 36-unit “higher end” apartment building last night that would be built across five fenced-in vacant lots on the 4300 block of Market Street.
The six-story building would include two- and three-bedroom apartments, a roof deck and five off-street parking spots at 4312 through 4320 Market Street. Its proposed design includes a driveway cut through the middle of the building to access the five off-street sites. That driveway, which would require drivers to pull across the sidewalk along Market Street, caused some concern for zoning committee members.
“We would never allow something like that on Chestnut or Walnut Street,” said zoning committee chair Barry Grossbach.
But committee members seemed resigned to compromise to help develop a dimly lit block that includes several vacant lots.
“The issue we face as a community association is we have to look at the location,” said Grossbach. “It’s in need of something. As it is it’s not doing anybody any good.”
Zoning requires 13 parking spots for the proposal, but the developers are asking for an exception. The project included zero spots when it was informally presented to the SHCA zoning committee last month, so the developers see five as a compromise. The number of units was also reduced from 42 to 36.
The developers, Market 43 Associates, would not speculate on apartment rental prices, saying only that they would be “market rate” and “higher end.”
The proposal is scheduled to go before the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment on June 13.
May 22nd, 2018 at 1:23 pm
Cooooooool… just what this neighborhood needs, more apartments. :\
May 22nd, 2018 at 2:21 pm
@Stacy It’s not the suburbs.
May 22nd, 2018 at 3:38 pm
@Stacey More housing is exactly what the neighborhood needs!
May 22nd, 2018 at 11:11 pm
I think an apartment building is appropriate there, but I think someday people will regret not having retail space at that location.
May 23rd, 2018 at 12:00 am
Parking spaces should be equal to the # of new cars this brings into the area.
May 23rd, 2018 at 9:50 am
The population of Philly as a whole, and West Philly in particular, peaked in the 1950’s and has dropped since. In the process, all these vacant lots were created. Only recently is population is showing signs of stabilization and some growth. So yes, it is to be expected, some housing/apartments/etc are going to be needed.
The numbers are impressive. The 1950 census gives about 330,000 habitants for West Philly. In 2010 the number was 200,000…..
Can you imagine just going back to the 50’s number? No growth, nothing like NYC, just getting even with the numbers from more than half a century ago….
May 23rd, 2018 at 4:00 pm
I’m glad they lowered the number of parking spots, but given the proximity to the MFL line and many nearby bus routes they really could have stuck with zero and avoided the storefront and sidewalk-killing driveway.
May 25th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
still trying to decode what “higher end” means
May 25th, 2018 at 8:08 pm
Nothing like high-end apartments right next to the greasy french fry smells coming from Checkers.
Aaaah, gotta love developers. So short-sighted.
May 26th, 2018 at 4:45 pm
You really think that Checkers is there for long? You sweet summer child.
May 27th, 2018 at 3:18 pm
I love West Philly Says:
“greasy french fry smells coming from Checkers”
Reminds me of the comments from the residents of the upscale development that went up in Telford, PA next to the pig farm…
May 30th, 2018 at 9:24 am
Lots of people seem to frequent that Checkers. Remember, that McD is not going anywhere at 40th and Walnut. Not sure why you think this one will go.
May 30th, 2018 at 2:48 pm
well you know some of our most elite residents want the people who live across the street in the projects to start shopping at whole foods or at the very least trader joes, haha!
June 13th, 2018 at 12:47 am
@jerm Higher end means “high end luxury” a/k/a more overpriced housing they’ll stuff college students in