Yet Another Condo Project

One of the side benefits of Philadelphia's condo boom is that empty lots are increasingly being gobbled up for housing. The latest to undergo a residential makeover is the South Street lot next to the Arts Bank, on Broad Street. Rimas Properties broke ground earlier this month on a 72-unit, loft style development called 1352 Lofts. At five stories, it's a nice height to mediate between the tall buildings of Center City and the rowhouses of South Philadelphia. The building gets kudos for incorporating underground parking and ground-floor retail. The developer is also smart enough to recognize that South Street is no longer a frontier, but a desirable location.

The architects are Granary Associates, better known for its hospitals than its houses. It's hard to tell from this image whether 1352 Lofts is going to be a respectable small apartment building, or a schlock job, but developer Sammy Benakmoume promises good materials - glass and poured-in-place concrete. Completion is scheduled for September 2006.