Traveling west across the Spring Garden Bridge, dodging construction, you can't help but notice a new building is getting built at the corner of 31st & Spring Garden at the end of the bridge.

Looking west on the Spring Garden Bridge

Closer look

This project has actually been years in the making. Two years ago, we told you about a sign on what was then a vacant lot, advertising 7,000 sqft of office space with parking. According to one of our readers, that sign had been posted since at least 2009. Back when we wrote the original post, the ZBA had approved a three story building with a real estate office over two floors, two apartments, and seven parking spaces. The project now rising is similar. The real estate office is still part of the deal, but now it's three apartments and only five parking spots. Alas.

View from the east

We're speculating, but perhaps the real estate tenant is New Age Realty, a company that's currently based nearby on Powelton Street. That's the company name that was on the aforementioned sign, and one would have to think that a move to such a highly trafficked location would be attractive for any business. As for the apartments, we're guessing more student housing. As we've documented exhaustively (though there's always more to share, it seems), this area has seen an explosion in rentals for Drexel students. And the apartments in this building would surely boast some amazing views of both the sky line and the Septa rail yards. 

Speaking of the rail yards, if they're eventually redeveloped as we imagine they will be, this building could find itself surrounded by a host of new neighbors. But we're thinking that's at least a decade away, if it ever happens.