One of the best things about South Kensington is the Crane Arts Building. Built in 1905 as a plumbing warehouse and later used as a frozen seafood processing plant, the restored building is currently an arts hub in Philadelphia, hosting events and containing numerous studios and arts organizations. Its existence is surely a reason (along with relatively low rents) that many artists choose to live in this part of town.

Crane Arts. Image from shanna-waddell.blogspot.com

Rear of the building

It should come as no surprise then, that developers are looking to build on vacant land that’s close to this building. This isn’t only because Crane acts as the unofficial center of the neighborhood, but also because of all the development taking place on surrounding blocks. Frankly, when developers come upon reasonably priced lots in this area, they’re…

In recent weeks, we’ve mentioned several new projects coming to South Kensington, both of the large and small variety. We told you about Soko Lofts, an over-three-hundred-unit mixed-use development coming to 2nd & Thompson. We gave you the heads up about five new homes coming to 7th & Thompson. And we even mentioned a one-off project at Orianna & Thompson, on a block with some homes that will hopefully be rehabbed in the near future.

7th and Thompson

Today we look just a little to the north, the the 1400 block of N. 4th St., where three homes are expected to break ground in the next thirty days. The developer for 1415-19 N 4th St. is BMK Properties, a developer we’ve covered several times in the past. They purchased the middle lot from a…

Over a year ago, we first told you about plans from Tower Investments to build as many as seventy new homes on a block bordered by Master St. to the north, Thompson St. to the south, Howard St. to the east, and Mascher St. to the west. For months and maybe longer, heavy equipment has been seemingly moving dirt and debris around on a large chunk of land on the western side of the 1300 block of N. Howard Street, like a child playing with his food.

In mid-March

But some progress appears to be taking place. A little over a week ago, we spotted some dumpsters, ostensibly there for the purpose of hauling away some of the wreckage on the lot.

A week and a half later

We haven’t been back in over a…

In checking out two South Kensington sites last week, we stumbled onto 1300 N. Orianna St., a new construction single-family home. You may recall, last week we told you about plans for three-hundred-plus units at 2nd & Thompson, as well as the possibility of five new homes at the corner of 7th & Thompson. The new home on Orianna St., which replaces a one-story garage, sits more or less in the middle of these two projects.

View in the past

Shot from last week

Developers Modern Construction Group LLC purchased the property back in 2010, and public record claims that they paid under $4K. Somehow we suspect that the sale price was much higher than that. We’d imagine the home will go on the market, though it would be attractive as a rental…

This week, we’ve already told you about two projects coming to the South Kensington area, and today we have news about one more. The 1300 block of North Howard Street is currently a bit of a disaster. Heavy machinery has been doing demolition and clean-up work on the west side of the block for months, and numerous homes on the east side of the block sit apparently vacant and very run down. But the east side should be seeing some big changes very soon.

Large ugly garage

Rough looking homes to the north

According to zoning applications affixed to several of these buildings, North Howard Street LP will be demolishing the properties running from 1323 to 1335 N Howard St. in the coming months. In their place will rise twenty-one new homes, classified for zoning purposes as…

Yesterday, we told you about Soko Lofts, a rather larger (three-hundred-plus units!) mixed-use development planned for the corner of 2nd & Thompson. Today, we have some preliminary info on a proposed project that should rise just a few blocks away.

At the intersection of 7th & Thompson, one immediately notices the Spring Garden post office and the Temple Presbyterian Church. Also notable here is a large vacant lot on the southwest corner. From what we can tell, the land has been vacant for years now, and has changed hands a few times in the last decade.

Post office

Church

Southwest corner

Last week, developers went before the ZBA with plans to build five structures on 1222-26 N 7th St., the three lots closest to the corner. The…