The same developer currently building six homes on a terrible block in Point Breeze is getting started on a new project in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood. Roman Mosheyev started demolition work last week at 1801 Christian St., and the place looks like it will be gone within a matter of days.

Back in June

On Friday

Another view

Replacing this building will be a new, four-story single family homes with a parking space in the rear. Mosheyev originally wanted a duplex at this address, but the community convinced him to go single family.

We’re happy to see development at this corner, but have a couple of regrets. The building that’s coming down attractively fits in well with the surrounding buildings. The ground floor facade reveals a former commercial use, which would have been nice to see again. According to the developer, the structure of the building was so compromised that it would have been nearly impossible to maintain. Additionally, between the building’s residential zoning and the difficulties in procuring mixed-use financing, Mosheyev didn’t see a commercial possibility. A shame.

Notably, the property was a pop-up event space as well as a base-of-operations of sorts for BetterBlocks Philly a few months back. That’s why the first floor stucco got a paint job. It makes us all warm and fuzzy to know that the building (despite its extremely dilapidated interior condition) got a last little bit of use squeezed out of it before its demolition.