Over the weekend, we spotted three homes under construction at 2022-26 E Susquehanna Ave., perhaps a couple hundred yards from the El tracks over Front St. Even though the three are clearly being developed by one individual, it’s not entirely obvious who is developing these formerly vacant lots, as all three parcels are owned by different people who live in different states.

The three new homes

Men working in the street, and the El in the background

While we’ve seen plenty of new construction in East Kensington, we haven’t seen much this far north and this close to Front St. Sure, there’s a coffee shop just a few blocks to the east, but Norris Square Park is a mere block away to the west. And while the park has improved dramatically in terms of safety in recent years thanks to the efforts of the Norris Square Civic Association, the park and its surrounding neighborhood haven’t been attractive for market rate development to this point. And regarding the rampant development activity in southern Kensington, we haven’t really seen that trend continue north of Cecil B. Moore Ave.

So does this mean anything in the grand scheme? Will the developers get Fishtown prices for these homes? Will amenities like Emerald Park to the north or the new Middle Eastern restaurant a block to the south be a draw for buyers? Will more developers undertake projects closer to the border of the neighborhood?

We will just have to wait and see.