Vertical Progress for Demolished 18th Century Complex in Old City

35 units are now at full height as Vine Street continues its wild transformation

About 250 years ago, Old City was perhaps the most important neighborhood in our yet-to-be country. Revolutionary thought, while still wildly flawed, was making an attempt to move past the tyrannical present in hopes of a better tomorrow for everyone (sorta). Shortly thereafter, a slender, four-story building went up along Vine St., with companion buildings rising on either side in the years to follow. And up until recently, those buildings at 208-12 Vine St. stood proudly as a vestige of the neighborhood’s proud and varied past.

A look at 208-12 Vine St. from a couple years ago, with the center building standing since the 1780s

After the longtime-owners, John Stortz and Son, put in a hardship application to the Historical Commission to demolish the structures, the property was quickly sold to Center City Development, who announced plans for a six-story, 35-unit residential building. These plans leaned into the feel of historical area, offering a red brick facade that mixed Colonial and industrial-styled flourishes. The look from Landmark Architectural Design was then approved once again by the Historical Commission, paving a pathway for demolition and a new addition for the block.

Renderings of the Vine St. (left) and New St. (right) facades

A small lobby and residences towards the front, parking at the back of the ground floor

Varied unit sizes for floors two through five

The sixth-floor layout, with the building topped with a shared roof deck

When we stopped by the site back in May of last year, the buildings were gone, and the foundation was just seeing the elevator tower peek up above ground level. But when one strolls by today, the building stands at full height, with windows in and brick rising up three floors along the front. The materials thus far look pretty darn good, with the textured brick offering an instant patina, though the inclusion of vertical metal paneling and fiber cement board will be the true litmus test for how well this building fits in with the rapidly changing look of the street.

At full height along Vine St. amongst other recent construction

A closer look at the brick and windows, with the lobby entrance to the right

The back of the building along New St. awaits paneling and will provide access to the seven-car garage

While we still pine for the lost character along Vine, this looks pretty damn good so far. The brick choice is excellent, and the substantial number of windows bodes well for ample light for the interior spaces. The massing and density are both very appropriate for the area and we are looking forward to this eventually wrapping up and reopening the extremely cluttered sidewalks here.

And speaking of hopes for wrapping up soon, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that 11-townhouse project at 244-58 N. 2nd St. immediately next door. We actually checked out these rowhomes way back in Fall 2023 when they were seemingly nearing completion at the site of the old Snyderman’s gas station, but this project from OCF Realty (Disclosure: I used to work for Naked Philly, a subsidiary of OCF) and designed by Landmark Architectural Design seemed to be delayed for years. But thanks to a rush of recent construction work, they appear to be close to the finish line at long last.

The view of the 11-home project from 2nd & Vine, immediately to the east of 208-12 Vine St.

A look from 2nd & New, with the shared drive aisle looking much more finished than in the past

We are glad to see these homes getting closer to being done, as the mostly empty homes were in a state of near completion for years - not the friendliest look for some rather pricey single-family abodes. We are glad to see that more of the eleven spots are recently sold and occupied at this point, and we’d imagine that nearly finished homes on a nearly finished block will be much more appealing for potential buyers. It is truly unbelievable how an old gas station and a trio of historic rowhomes have morphed into this new construction entryway to a dramatically different stretch of Vine Street.