As South Kensington has experienced a construction boom over the last decade plus, we’ve seen countless vacant lots and dilapidated buildings transform into new projects. After all these years, you might think there aren’t any development opportunities left in this part of town, but that’s simply not the case. Take the double-wide garage at 406-408 W. Jefferson St., for example. Remarkably, we wondered about this building way back in 2016, noting that it had violations deeming the building unsafe.
Checking in on this property today, we are sorry to share that it looks pretty much the same as it did almost a decade ago. The first floor looks generally ok from the street, but the 2nd floor features cinderblock exterior walls, with no roof or interior to speak of. The satellite view confirms that the first floor is also lacking a roof. Looking at old property records, it appears this work was started without permits and the building has been deteriorating ever since.
In 2019, developers had the property under contract and tried to get a variance for a three-story building with six apartments. That project didn’t move forward, and neither did the sale. The current owners bought the property in 2021, and while they have not yet demolished this eyesore, at least they addressed the most pressing safety issues, resolving the imminently dangerous violations on the building.
Now, the owners are looking to eliminate this long blighted building at long last. By right, they could have demolished the building and replaced it with a pair of homes. These homes would have been on the small side for new construction, so the developers are instead looking to build a quadplex here. They’re taking this approach even though their plan requires a zoning variance.
The original plans called for 4 units in a 3-story building and received strong opposition from the community. This led to a revised plan which incorporates some of that feedback, like converting the basement from living space to storage and eliminating a recessed balcony. Instead of reducing the unit count from 4 to 3, the architects instead added a floor, squeezing four floors within the 38′ height limit. Higher ceilings and private outdoor space are amenities many residents desire, but unfortunately in Philadelphia the livability of some units need to be reduced to secure zoning approval. At least the large floor to ceiling windows should help the units get a decent amount of light and air.
From the plans from KJO Architecture we can see the two bedroom apartments range from 933 to 1,098 square feet, with the requirement for a second staircase taking a chunk out of each floor. It’s far from optimal to dedicate so much square footage in this building to vertical circulation, as studies have shown that double staircases do not make these small multi-family buildings any safer.
The revised plans drew strong support from South Kensington Community Partners, but when the ZBA heard the case last week they decided to hold off on voting until this week. With several small apartment buildings already legally existing on the block, we expect the board will approve some version of this project. Here’s to hoping that’s the case, as the blighted garage has dragged down this block for way too long, and the folks who live on this block deserve better.