It’s amazing to consider that the Graduate Hospital neighborhood had over five-hundred vacant and/or blighted properties within its borders just fifteen years ago. Walking around the neighborhood today, you can go several blocks before stumbling upon such a structure, with the vast majority having been demolished and redeveloped or rehabbed in the last decade. We’d guess that only a couple dozen remain, and that number continues to shrink as the days roll by.

Two blighted homes that have bugged us for years can be found on the southwest corner of 17th & Montrose, immediately adjacent to the proposed Carpenter Green park that we told you about just a few days ago. And today we have some good news-

For years, 2026 Fairmount Ave. was a source of blight, slowly collapsing next door to the Fairmount Pet Shoppe. Over a number of years, the owners slowly fixed up the building, with the property apparently changing hands in 2010, midway through the lengthy renovation. We last checked in on this place almost two years ago, when it was still a construction site.

In 2009

Current view

At that time, the property owner’s father indicated that a Chinese restaurant or a bakery might be taking over the space, which the owner was hoping to rent out for $3,600/mo. In the nearly two years since, construction has been completed and

Last November, we wrote about a blighted building at 50th & Pentridge, just around the corner from the recently opened Little Baby’s Ice Cream at 49th & Catharine. A couple of weeks ago, we noticed that a full-scale renovation job is happening at that location. When we wrote about the site last fall, the woman who answered the telephone at the number posted on a sign at the lot told us she didn’t have time for our conversation unless we were interested in buying. Turns out someone was interested. The property sold December 28 for $35,000, according to public record. If we were a gamblin’ blog we’d wager the new owner is responsible for the renovations.

In the past

Current view

It seems these renovations are coming at an apt time. In University City, undergrads, grad students,…

Last week, we checked in on several ongoing new construction projects in the Brewerytown neighborhood. Some of these houses were replacing vacant land, while in other cases blighted homes were demolished to make room for the new construction. In either case, these projects represent important progress for an area that still has a stunning number of vacant properties.

Two new homes on 31st Street

But it seems that Steph-Sin, the developers for the homes pictured above at 31st & Baltz, are not just in the new construction business. Just around the corner from these homes, this developer is in the middle of a renovation job on the 3000 block of W. Stiles Street, a block with a ton of vacant homes.

In the past

Current view

According to…

On the recommendation of a reader, we made our way to Brewerytown the other day to check in on some ongoing residential projects that we’ve covered in the past few months. First we stopped at 31st & Baltz, where last month two foundations sat, waiting for new houses to be built by developer Steph-Sin. In the weeks since, the homes have been framed, and facades have gone up as well. Pretty good progress, if you ask us.

Middle of March

Plugging away

Around the corner, on the 3000 block of Girard, three properties owned by ML Builders LLC were vacant lots a month ago. Now, foundations have arrived for all three, and the two easternmost parcels are being framed out. Still no framing for the last lot, but we’d guess it’s next on the list. These…

In January, we wondered whether the 5100 block of Chester Avenue in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Southwest Philly might be poised for improvements as Baltimore Avenue continues to develop as it moves farther west. It seems now is the time as across the street from some homes we profiled this winter, a couple of blighted Victorians are being renovated.

The homes

Rehab efforts started at the location late this winter. The homes are located less than a block from the Kingsession Rec Center, which features tennis, sports fields, an indoor basketball court and a library. 5120 and 5122 Chester Ave. are not owned by the same party, contrary to our expectations. From what we can tell, 5120 was purchased last year for $38K by a gentleman named Michael Golow, who is returning it to a previous use as…