Three-plus years ago, we told you about plans for two new homes at the corner of 6th & Addison on a parcel that had been used for parking for many years. But unfortunately for the developers, the ZBA put the kibosh on those plans. So it was on to Plan B, a four-story building with six apartments which was totally by-right.
In the summer of 2013, the developers made their case for this project in front of the Historical Commission, and the minutes reveal that most of the conversation revolved around whether the City agency had jurisdiction beyond making advisory comments. Ultimately the Commission decided that they had full jurisdiction and supported the project anyway. But as we told you shortly after, several near neighbors and members of the Mother Bethel AME Church across the street opposed the project and held a vigil to pray that the Historical Commission would alter their ruling. People were, it seems, mostly upset about the contemporary architecture and how it would fit in with the surrounding historic neighborhood.
And then nothing happened. For like two years. And we pretty much forgot about this project and assumed that it just fell through. Or perhaps some divine intervention stopped it in its tracks. Or maybe financing became an issue. Who knows. But we do know this- within the last month or so, construction finally got started here.
So there you have it. A new, six-unit, contemporary building is underway in Society Hill. We'd imagine that the neighbors still aren't thrilled, but forgive us if we don't mourn a surface parking lot in Center City. And for whatever our opinion is worth, we always prefer a purposefully contemporary structure in a historic neighborhood instead of a new building that's meant to look like it's been around for two hundred years. Occasionally, the latter will come out looking wonderful, but too often it just looks like a poor imitation of the past.