Back in September, we discovered a project under construction on the southeast corner of 12th & Brandywine. Next door to the former Finney & Son tombstone business, currently occupied by PhilaMOCA (Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art), a five unit building was getting framed out. The land upon which construction was taking place was originally acquired along with the Church of the Assumption, and it stands to reason that the lot was chipped out of from larger property while the church remains in demolition limbo. When we passed by the other day, the building looked pretty much finished.

Finished building, a little sunsplashed

You can see another construction fence in the bottom left corner of the image above. That, of course, goes with another project across the street that recently got in the ground. It was almost two years ago that we first told you of plans for six new homes on the northeast corner of 12th & Brandywine, and it's been about a year and a half since the project got the necessary zoning variances. Finally, the homes are getting framed out.

New framing on the northeast corner

A year and a half ago, we told you that the homes were designed by KJO Architecture, and included over 3,000 sqft of interior space, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, roof decks, and garage parking. The price being thrown around back then was $375K. Here's a rendering of the project:

Project rendering

We would imagine that the basic specs of the project remain the same, though it's certainly possible that things have changed in the last eighteen months. But still, even if the design is different or the prices are higher, these homes represent an upgrade over a long-vacant lot and a welcome addition to the neighborhood. While we like the look of the new homes, we do kind of wish that the new buildings paid some respect architecturally to the Ogden School which once stood here.

The old Ogden School, long demolished

Ah well. Maybe next time.