Arthur Faber LLC purchased 922-26 N 17th St., three vacant lots between Cambridge St. and Girard Ave., for $157.5K about a year ago. The property owners went to zoning for a variance to turn the three lots into one, and construct a six-family home at this site. As you can see, things are moving along, albeit a little more slowly than one might expect for a project that went to zoning a year ago.

Waiting for a facade

It's a big boy

Located in Francisville, just to the north of Ridge Ave., the project is surrounded by a mix of properties that captures the spirit of this changing neighborhood. Immediately to the north is a small, boarded up home that looks like it was once a pretty little house. Immediately to the west on Cambridge St. are four recently constructed homes, with a large vacant lot next door, ready for the next phase of building. To the south, a vacant lot owned by PHA, two PHA homes, and a beautiful mural. And to the east, Saint Joseph’s, an architecturally disturbing community hospital with a primarily low-income patient population.

The little house to the north

Newish homes to the west

Vacant lot to the west of the newish homes

Empty PHA lot, mural, PHA homes to the south

Hospital to the east

Hopefully, as Francisville continues to gentrify, it won’t lose the character that makes it so interesting today.