Zoning permits were issued yesterday for the demolition of 6 homes in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia. All 6 properties at 245 through 255 South 44th Street are zoned for single family use (RSA-5) but received zoning approval in 2018 for 4 units per building. All of the structures look to be in good shape from the street and we see no outstanding L&I violations that would indicate otherwise
We imagine the owner is preemptively pulling the demolition permits with plans to pursue a variance for a multi-family project. But, that is just speculation. We are in favor of residential density in most situations, but, in our opinion, the 24 units currently within these 6 structures is appropriate for the block. The tradeoff of losing these buildings for an insignificant increase in residential units would not be worth it.
We’ll wait to see what the owner’s plans for the property are to give our final opinion, but we would be extremely upset to see this intact block ripped apart. This section of Philadelphia is so special because of its historic (usually not designated) building stock. If we continue to destroy the streets of Philadelphia, our city’s charm will be lost.
Scroll through our Instagram post below to see individual photos of each property.
Kyle is a commercial real estate agent at Rittenhouse Realty Advisors, a homeowner, and a real estate investor in Philadelphia. Kyle uses his extensive Philadelphia real estate market knowledge to help his clients buy and sell multifamily investment properties, development opportunities, and industrial sites.
Email Kyle@RittenhouseRealty.com if you are looking to buy or sell a property
Instagram: @agent.kyle