It sure seems like Broad Street has had a bit of magnetism to it lately, on both ends of the thoroughfare. And today, we are once again drawn back to a familiar corner, where The McDermott at 695 N. Broad St. is literally rounding into form. This 20-unit apartment building is going up on the skinny parcel where Jimmy G’s steaks once stood in the shadow of the stately Divine Lorriane and, more recently, the huge Broadridge project next door.

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A look at the property today, its five floors well below its neighbors
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A look at the renderings, seemingly being followed to a T

A quick rewind of the plans: Philly Capital Group is teaming up with fellow flatiron veteran Ambit Architecture on this mixed-use project. The name of the building comes from a former tavern that once stood on the corner, which is steps away from the entrance to the Broad Street Line. On the ground floor, a 1,400 sqft commercial space will activate the streetscape, creating more hustle and bustle in an area that was mostly desolate not so long ago. But as the arched windows and open ground-floor spaces can attest, this area is going to feel just a tiny bit different soon enough.

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Another look at the progress, with Broadridge in the background
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A look at what the finished building will look like
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Current view looking south down Ridge Ave.
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One more rendering, showcasing the multiple horizontal elements
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Looking up at the arched windows, still waiting on the facade
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A look at commercial space, soon to be wall-to-wall windows

We are loving all of the progress here, especially the inclusion of the rounded windows; that design choice seemed to be a prime candidate for value engineering, so we couldn’t be happier to see their inclusion. It also leads us to believe that the final facade work should look pretty darn nice as well. With the horizontal fins and serious cornice at the top, this throwback look is acing its intent, adding another architecturally valuable addition to North Broad. And this isn’t the only action in the area, as one has to walk just a block down Ridge to scope out some new homes we checked on a while back.

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Looking north up 13th Street at some recently completed homes

The Residences at Park Avenue has wrapped up the first phase of this rowhome project, which will see the Riverwards Group adding a total of 28 new houses designed by HDO Architecture to this formerly empty lot. The second phase of the project is still waiting to go up, though foundations are poured and seemingly ready for action. Oh, and if you’re looking for a spot in West Poplar, you can still scoop up one of these spots, which feature everything one would expect for a new build in this location. And as this area continues to change, make sure you don’t forget a quarter for your shopping cart if you head to the Aldi in the base of Broadridge; you’ll thank us later.