Eight Floors, 23 Units for Busy West Philly Block
A zoning permit could clear the path for yet another apartment building in Spruce Hill
It is absolutely incredible how different Chestnut St. is from approximately 46th to 42nd Street compared to just a few years back. New apartment buildings have popped up left and right along this strip, changing what had been something of a shopping center haven into a true mixed-use neighborhood. With Penn, Drexel, and all of the jobs close by, it’s no surprise things have changed, it’s just remarkable how quickly it has happened.
It sounds like we may add yet another project to this growing list of proposals and recently completed buildings. At 4206-08 Chestnut St., two old and rather shoddy-looking buildings may have a much different future. These sit directly next to another newer, sizable project; you may be able to imagine where this is going.
After receiving demo permits back in 2022, the site has remained as is for years. But as we said, that may all change very soon. A zoning permit to combine the lots was just issued, with plans calling for an eight-story, 23-unit building. Per the permit, three off-site parking spaces will also be part of the plans this CMX-4 zoned property. And it appears that this property - along with plans from KCA Design Associates - are on the market for $1.69 million.
While this design may change if a new owner does indeed come in to purchase the property, we would be surprised to see this approach eventually happen. Building that tall is quite expensive, and unless this is going to be a super-luxury spot, we can’t imagine that 23 units (without commercial space) would help support that. But no matter how we feel about this proposal, it shows that the momentum in this pocket of University City won’t be stopping anytime soon. It will be interesting to see how the massive project planned at 47th & Market a few blocks away continues to change the vibe around here further, as Philly re-densifies in every corner imaginable.
