The 2700 block of W. George St., which runs between Cambridge and Poplar Streets, is pretty desolate. It's got a bunch of vacant lots that people park on, and nothing by way of buildings with the exception of a small section of a warehouse that fronts 28th Street. The reason for all this vacancy, we would posit, is that most of the land on the block is owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Are there plans for PHA to build a bunch of homes on this block? We're gonna go ahead and say no. So why would they hold onto these parcels since the late 1960s? Search us.
Despite the overwhelming presence of PHA-sponsored vacancy on the block, some of the parcels are privately owned. And it's on a few of those privately owned parcels, 2730-36 W. George St. (or thereabouts), that a couple of new homes have appeared.
Aside from building on a block with no other homes, the developers faced some additional challenges. For one, the lots on the block are tiny, with those pictured above measuring only twelve feet across and and about thirty feet deep. With that in mind, the developers have combined the lots, creating double-wide but still not very deep homes. Despite the unusual layout of the two homes, we imagine they'll be pretty nice when they're finished and should find buyers relatively easily.
Will this start a trend on this block with the small number of lots that aren't owned by PHA? Will PHA find it in their hearts to either redevelop the lots or sell them off? Stay tuned on either front, though we would bet that things will take at least a couple of years to change much more on this block. Kind of a shame, but it's at least nice to see it take some baby steps in the form of two new homes.