Lotus Lofts Signals Change for Pocket of Old City
Nearly 400 units are going up in this northern nook of Old City
If you are a more well-adjusted person than I am, you probably haven’t spent a ton of time lurking around the off-ramps of the Ben Franklin Bridge. But, luckily for you, I have spent countless hours skulking about the periphery of nearly every neighborhood in the city, because that’s how I party. This area in particular is mostly devoid of pedestrians, with its out-of-the-way nature and sleepy surroundings (save for said off-ramps) not serving as a pass-through or a destination. But, with three major multi-family projects at various stages, this area is about to feel dramatically different.
Let’s start with the Lotus Lofts at 416 Vine St., which is bringing 75 units over six floors to the former site of the long-running Macmillan poultry company. Lily Development has plans here for a wellness-focused approach, with ground floor commercial space and parking for 13 cars/25 bicycles joining the fold. The design from Ambit has changed over the development cycle due to Historical Commission feedback, with a slightly more contemporary look finally emerging as the likely design (or so we gather). This one is over halfway up, with the foundation and first four floors already making an impact on the area.
We are stoked to see this one make fast progress, though we are intrigued as to what the final facade treatment will be. The additional commercial space here should also help boost the foot traffic close by. Because there could be more coming from a half-block north, where 502 Wood St. could see a shift from surface parking to a 74-unit building. TierView Development received building permits back in April for this look from Canno Design, though there hasn’t been any forward progress as of yet.
But that’s not all! Continue just another block north to 417 Callowhill St. and you’ll find yourself face-to-face with The Keystone. This 220-unit project is also residential-only, with parking for 68 cars and 75 bicycles nearing completion. This project from out-of-town developers Linden Street Investments is almost complete, with leasing already open for September 1st move-ins. The design from Bernardon looks quite similar to the renderings, though we are a bit disappointed that there’s so much paneling - and so many different kinds - on the main Callowhill frontage. Those angular panels on the roof deck look pretty striking, however.
So, this is yet another pocket of the city that is experiencing a pretty extreme transformation. For an area that is relatively quiet and definitely not along a major corridor, adding 400 or so new residents is sure to change the vibe of these blocks. And honestly, we’re cool with that, as this little nook could use some more pep in its step; we’ll always applaud projects that help tie neighborhoods back together after the construction of highways created a decades-long divide.
From what I’ve been told, the area was called Northbridge at one time. It will be interesting to see if the name is revived or a new moniker is created when all this development is complete.
It appears that 416 Vine has been seriously value engineered compared with displayed representations, the window openings much smaller and without arches. Hoping that the rendered multiple cornices manifest.
417 Callowhill is "just another block north" only in the technical sense. The new apartment house, located in Southern Northern Liberties, is separated from Old City by five-lane, high speed, expressway-like Callowhill St. and six-lane I-676 aka Crosstown Expressway, creating a huge psychologic and physical barrier to connection. And SoNo itself has little street life, indeed any life at all, with its predominant feature being surface parking lots.
On the other hand, each of the new buildings is a significant step-up from prior, in both purpose and engagement.