It's been many months since our last visit to the 1300 block of Buttonwood, where two projects have been ongoing for most of the year. It's an interesting study on this block at the northern end of Callowhill, where a rehab project sits adjacent to a new construction building.
For years, 1231-35 Buttonwood St. was a blighted mess. The three properties were boarded up and looked like they should have been condemned. When we last looked, one of the properties had gotten some facade work done, and all had some unresolved violations. Now, it's a different world. Permits have been pulled to turn all three buildings into duplexes, which we suspect will be rentals. It appears as though two of the properties have new fronts, and one old facade has stuck around. Windows have replaced plywood. Cornices have been maintained. This is definitely a rehab job we can get behind.
Immediately to the west is a building that's been dubbed the Argyle, from Carmel Developments and designed by Harman Deutsch. We've covered several projects from Carmel, including a multi-unit on Frankford Avenue and a condo project on a no-man's-land block of Fairmount Avenue. When we last checked in on this ten-unit project with underground parking, the building was framed and covered in Tyvec. Now, the thing looks like it's almost finished. We suspect that the design in the brickwork is meant to suggest the design of argyle socks. Kind of a cool idea.
So that's sixteen new apartments coming to a single block in the span of a year. No doubt, this is music to the ears of the proprietors of Prohibition Taproom and Bufad.