Before the Nine. St. Mary's in the background. Image from Google.
Located on the 1700 block of Tulip St. in Fishtown, The Nine is a development of nine (shoulda guessed) new construction homes from a partnership of local developers, including one of the folks who brought us Memphis Flats. To this point, six homes have been built, with three more on the way in the coming months.
Current view of the same lot.
Units 1-6 have been built so far. Of those, four are sold, 1708 is under contract, and 1702 (#1) is still available
With a unique appearance intended to match the surrounding industrial buildings in Fishtown and Kensington, these buildings strongly contrast with the nearby colonial style residential buildings. Despite this, they blend into the industrial fabric of the neighborhood, as does Memphis Flats across the street. Which makes sense, because it was once a factory.
They look more like the factory on the horizon than they look like other houses in the area. Memphis Flats is in the foreground on the left. Lot that will hold the final three houses of the Nine is on the right.
A better look at Memphis Flats. Note the marriage of modern and industrial.
Interestingly, the tone of red used on the fronts of the houses was chosen by the builders when they noticed the color on the abandoned factory across the street- it had been used to cover up graffiti. Possibly due in part to the Nine but more likely because of rampant development all over the neighborhood, that factory, which has been vacant for years, is on track to be redeveloped soon by a significant Fishtown developer.
The red color is at the bottom of the image, in the middle
All of the buildings in The Nine are LEED Silver certified. Per the developers, high R value insulation, bamboo floors, energy efficient appliances, eco-friendly quartz countertops, and super insulated windows all contribute to the energy rating.
The kitchen in 1702 Tulip St.
The houses are being built as shells, and are being completed once they are under contract. This method, which not only allows the buyer to pick finishes but to choose floorplans as well, is not all that common, though we can see it gaining popularity in the future. The internal build out typically takes 3-4 months.
Framed out, but still customizable
Bathrooms can't move, but pretty much everything else is on the table
The Nine sits in a central spot in this part of Fishtown. With Memphis Flats and Palmer Cemetery to the east and the historic St. Mary’s Hospital (now a senior housing building) and Palmer Park to the west, it seems strange that the land upon which the Nine is being built was unused to this point. Hopefully, with the center filled with new homes, further development will be spurred in the immediate area.
We hope that the next wave of development comes from companies like BHD or G8-Life or Postgreen. With exciting new construction methods, creative architecture, and an eco-friendly agenda, these companies and others like them are changing the face of Fishtown and Philadelphia as a whole. And we think they just might be on to something.
Palmer Park. Looks serene.
Full disclosure: OCF Realty, the parent company of Nakedphilly.com, is the listing agent for The Nine.