Last month, we told you about the early stages of the demolition of the Mount Olive AME church at 19th and Fitzwater Sts., in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood. In the last few days, the demolition has wrapped up, and heavy machinery on the site is now working to dig the eventual foundations for five high-end, new construction homes.

Church is gone

Just across the street, we noticed that another, far less important building is currently being demolished as well. 1822 Fitzwater St. was purchased by Soso Associates a couple of months ago for $185K, and it appears that this developer wants to start with a fresh canvas.

In the past

Yesterday

From a development standpoint, the move certainly makes sense. On this generous 16′x83′ lot, a home with a footprint that covers maybe 50% of the depth of the lot is not optimal land use in this neighborhood, especially on a block that will soon have homes on the market for over $700K. Architecturally, we’re not losing anything of note, though we’re just a little concerned that the new home has Graduate Hospital Special potential. We’ll keep an eye on this site to see whether we can get some preliminary info in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, just around the corner on Dorrance Street, a blighted carriage house that we told you about several months ago has been totally rehabbed. Visually, it’s an improvement, and we imagine that the near neighbors who have had to put up with a bird sanctuary for many years are pretty happy as well. Check it out.

In the past

Not too shabby