In my first set of posts, I talked about the Francisville neighborhood, in North Philadelphia, and how it’s changing. Francisville is a unique neighborhood, with streets that intersect at odd angles, just north of Center City. In my first post about the neighborhood, I focused on developments around 15th & Poplar Streets, especially an affordable development called Francisville East. That development is a development of traditional looking townhouses and modern apartments that runs the length of the 1500 block of Poplar Street.
I, also, mentioned a development called The Vineyards at 16th Street. That development, which is being developed by developer Anthony B. Miles, the Ridge Avenue Property Owners Association and the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation, and is named after the vineyards that used to be on the site in the city’s early days, will have a total of 20 three-unit townhouses and a small marketplace on Ridge Avenue, which runs diagonally through Francisville. Well now that development is ready to break ground next month. The condos will be primarily on 16th Street and will start at $174,900, but have penthouse units being offered at $600,000 . They will have many green features such as geothermal cooling, low-VOC paints, green rooves, EnergyStar stainless steel appliances, radiant floor heating, energy recovery ventilators, compact fluorescent lighting, and large windows to allow sunlight in. The development will be LEED Platinum and Francisville’s first LEED certified development.
The first phase will be the residences on what is now an empty lot on 16th Street. The second phase will have what is being called the Francis Village Market Place, a small neighborhood bazaar that will be located on what is now an empty lot on Ridge Avenue. It is being described as a smaller version of the Reading Terminal Market, where merchants can have a stall to sell food and other items without having to pay a high rent or other expensive overhead costs.
The Vineyards at 16th Street will be just around the corner from Francisville East and a few blocks from a market rate development of townhouses and apartments, on a big empty lot at 19th & Wylie Streets, that is being developed by The Hankin Group. These developments, along with many smaller townhouse and apartment developments, will likely lead to a critical mass of development in Francisville that will make it comparable to Northern Liberties and Graduate Hospital in the next few years.
If you are interested in buying or selling a home or investment property in the rapidly developing Francisville, or any other neighborhood in the city, please contact me at Gabriel.gottlieb@lnf.com or check out my Long & Foster agent portal, here, or learn more about our Long & Foster Center City office, here. And, you can view my Facebook realtor page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or my twitter page, @GabrielGPhilaRE. You can, also, see renderings and my pictures of the site and neighborhood, below, and check out the links that I’ve provided above and this link to their Facebook page.
The Vineyards @ 16th Street
The Vineyards from another angle
Rendering of what the sustainable kitchen will look like
Green roof and patio
Construction site on 16th Street and sign announcing project
Francisville East on the 1500 block of Poplar Street
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