A reader checked in recently, wondering about a fenced-in area on the south side of the 600 block of Brown Street. And to be honest, we’d wondered about it too! The other day, the fence was pulled back and we were able to snap a couple of photos of the work that’s been taking place on this site for months.

Hmmm

Cinderblocks

We did a little digging around and determined that this is not some independent construction project, but instead an addition to the Philip Kearny School, located at 601 Fairmount Ave.

The school

According to Philaplace, the Kearny School was established in 1921, and named after a Civil War hero. The school was previously a K-6 school, but seventh and eight grades were recently added. To create space for the additional students, a multipurpose addition has been undertaken by the School District, and this new addition will hopefully be completed in time for the 2013-14 school year.

The site where the expansion is taking place has been vacant for decades. Previously, however, homes as well as a gas station were located here, so a good amount of remediation had to take place before construction could begin.

The building back in 1920. Check out the mansards on those old homes!

Does anyone remember when those homes were torn down? Wouldn’t it be nice to see some new construction homes in the neighborhood modeled after those long-demoed houses?