The future of a proposed development at 1021-25 S. 18th St. is in question after developer Vitaly Paluchenko presented his plans for the site for the second time last month to the SOSNA Zoning Committee. While this neighborhood has seen considerable redevelopment and tons of infill construction in recent years, these lots have remained empty. But if the developer has his way, three triplexes, designed by Harman Deutsch, will soon rise on the site.

The lot

Closer look

For decades, the three lots were owned by different City agencies, which helps explain their long-term vacant state. The middle lot was owned by the Department of Public Property, and the developer purchased it for $114K back in 2010. The northern and southern lots were both owned by PHDC, which finally…

We got an email yesterday from a concerned neighbor on Titan Street in Pennsport, telling us about another threatened pocket park in this neighborhood. We immediately flashed back to the situation we told you about last winter, when Manton Street Park was on the verge of being built over before developers and neighbors were able to reach a compromise. This time, it’s Titan Park, located at 108-10 Titan St.

Current view

According to Myles Goodman, representative of Friends of Titan Park, this space was likely designated a pocket park in 1976, as part of a citywide pocket park initiative. Previously, it featured wood benching on steel framing, a mural, and a model of a motorcycle for kids to play on. Over the past several years, the park has more or less disappeared, though the pedestal on which…

A reader tipped us off to a new house being built on the corner of Lawrence & Tasker Sts., which we confirmed earlier today. This site was a vacant lot for many years, owned by the city since 2004. For a vacant, city owned lot, it didn’t look so terrible…

In the past

As we’ve mentioned in the past, an online bidding program implemented by the Department of Public Property has resulted in the sale of a few dozen city-owned properties over the past couple of years. The recently sold 1121 Catharine St. is a fine example of this program working successfully. While the program has its flaws (an entirely closed bidding process, for example), it’s definitely a step in the right direction, considering the staggeringly long list of vacant, city owned properties.

This particular lot was…