Construction has finally begun on a mixed-use building adjacent to the Berks El SEPTA Station, located at 1900 N. Front Street. Plans were first drafted in the summer of 2020 for the new building to be built on a site containing a bar, abandoned bank, and underutilized parking lot. Progress was slow after the plans were originally drafted, but within the past year the bank and bar have been demolished, and construction has fully begun.
The site plans include a basement, which means that digging is expected to occur closer to the Berks Street corner of the site. Once completed, the building will contain 6 stories and will occupy 83,000 square feet of space. 6,676 square feet is planned to be utilized for ground-floor retail space, and the rest of the building will contain 105 residential units. The retail entrance is planned to be located on the corner of Front Street and Berks Street, while the entrance to the residential units will be solely located on Berks Street. 21 of the residential units in the building have been specifically mentioned to become affordable housing units. Amenities at the building at the time of writing include a green roof along with a roof deck and 36 stalls for bicycles.
The building’s location right next to public transport, and function with affordable housing units and retail space has been seen to be a massive boost to the area. Construction is expected to move forward throughout the coming weeks, with no specific deadline yet for when the building will be finished.
More information found in | “105-Unit Project Under Construction Next to the Berks El Station” | Kyle McShane
