Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local

Earlier this month, a reader reached out to West Philly Local inquiring about the vacant lot on 46th and Sansom Streets. According to the reader, it seems a sprinkler-type system has been installed and dampening one of the lot’s holes, which were excavated earlier this year. “What is the story on that lot?” the reader asked us.

So we stopped by the fenced-in lot to find out exactly what’s happening on the site. Unlike our reader, we didn’t notice a sprinkler-type system on the grounds, but did see that the land is clearly undergoing redevelopment work. And our research confirmed this—according to a March Naked Philly post, the lot’s owner, Sansom Street Development LP, is in the process of constructing several rental units in the area.

In 2002, several run-down buildings on the parcel, encompassing 128-138 South 46^th Street, were demolished as part of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s 45th and Sansom Redevelopment Plan established that year. According to the plan, 128-38 South 46th Street, along with 4611-21 Sansom Street and 4610-20 Sansom Street, were to be torn down to make way for new or “interim open space and possible future residential development.” Over the last decade, Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections has issued a number of violations for the vacant 128-138 parcel, mostly for the lack of lot maintenance (in spite of the plan’s intention, which stated the open space should be “well maintained, preferably under the stewardship of a local community-based organization”).

Minutes from a May 8, 2012 Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority meeting revealed that the PRA Board approved a resolution authorizing Sansom Street Development as the redeveloper of 128-138 S. 46th Street, in addition to other properties along the 4500 block of Sansom Street — all located in the 45th and Sansom Street Urban Renewal Area. As noted by Naked City, the minutes show Sansom Street Development plans to build on the 46th Street lot six units containing four two-bedroom, market rate rental apartments. They will be known as the Sansom Street Flats, according to the redeveloper’s economic opportunity plan, West Philly Local has found.

According to public records, Sansom Street Development current property licenses for the 128-138 S. 46^th Street site expire at the end of February 2015.

In 2011, Sansom Street also completed construction of a multi-family home at 4534 Sansom Street under the business name Sansom Street Development SSD1, LP. It was one of two plots conveyed to the company by The Partnership CDC, done so without PRA’s consent (PRA approved a redevelopment agreement with the Partnership for 4530 and 4534 Sansom Streets in 2004). During a August 14, 2013 meeting, the PRA approved Sansom Street Development 1 as assignee of the redevelopment agreement for those properties.

–Annamarya Scaccia