Last week, we told you about plans for five new homes on the north side of Cecil B. Moore Avenue, on a parcel that runs from Howard to Hope Street. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until a few days later that a reader notified us about a few zoning notices just steps away from this property, on the 1600 block of Hope Street. So we had to go back to the neighborhood, camera in hand, to snap some more photos. Currently, there’s a two-story home at 1612 Hope St., with a pair of vacant lots next door. If developers have their way, the home will be demolished and three new single family homes will rise here, at the corner of Hope & Guest. And now you know there’s such a thing as Guest Street in Philadelphia.

Best_In_Show-2000-Christopher_Guest_screenshot
Peanut. Hazelnut. Cashew nut.

Uh, we mean…

IMG_0283
Zoning notices

The lots are zoned for industrial use and are each about 14’x44′, hence the need for zoning variances. Given all the development that’s happened in the immediate area though, we would think this project will get approved.

IMG_0281
New homes to the north
IMG_0282_0
Another project to the north

The first photo is the back of the Turner Court project, which was built a couple years ago and sold out at prices ranging from $413K to $438K. Those homes are built on larger lots and include parking, so we don’t think that the proposed homes on Hope Street will sell at similar prices. Still, they’ll certainly serve as a useful comp for the appraiser.

Across Hope Street is a ten unit project from G8 Life which takes the unusual design approach of lots of wood on the facade. It’s a condo building, with a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit under agreement at a $295K list price and another currently listed for sale for $290K. We haven’t seen much in the way of condos in this neighborhood, and we’ll keep an eye on what kind of demand this project draws. Also, it should be interesting to see how the sale prices of the homes on Hope Street compare with the much smaller condo units.

Kenzo Castle_1
The "Kensington castle," across the street

Of course, having one of our favorite buildings in town right across the street is probably a plus for all of these projects, right?