Demolition and Construction on the 1500 Block of Parrish
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
It's been a long time coming
We first visited the 1500 block of Parrish Street over five years ago, when we shared the news that the Philadelphia Boys Choir and Chorale planned to buy a warehouse at 1521 Parrish St. and make their home there, moving from a space near Drexel's campus. Part of that plan also included the purchase of what we believe was once a stable at 1533 Parrish St., the demolition of said building, and the creation of a surface parking lot. But alas, that plan never came to fruition, the Boys Choir instead moved to a space near Broad & Spring Garden, 1521 Parrish St. got converted into apartments, and 1533 Parrish St. never got torn down.
Phila Boys Choir planned to move here, but it got converted into apartments instead
Sometimes though, the past comes back around. We passed through the area the other day and spied a construction fence in front of 1533 Parrish St., giving us an indication that something is happening here. Checking out the rear of the building on Ogden Street, what it is becomes exactly clear- the building is getting demolished, the time for real. The permits only describe demolition activity, so we don't know what's planned next, but given the number of other projects that have appeared nearby over the last few years, we don't imagine the property will sit vacant for too long.
1533 Parrish St. is fenced in
Rear view shows it's mostly gone, and what was that huge metal container used for?
Looking to the east on this block, we see there's some new construction worth mentioning. 1509 Parrish St. has been sitting vacant and overgrown for as long as we can remember, and 1511 Parrish St. was home to a blighted building for a long time which was torn down several years ago. Today, developers have combined the two lots into one and have poured a foundation with plans for a triplex. We'd bet on condos, and we can hope that the new building takes some cues from the attractive structures next door.
Looking east on the block
New foundation at 1509-11 Parrish St.
To be clear, we mean the handsome buildings to the west, not the junky stuccoed home to the east. You probably knew what we meant, but a little clarity never hurt anybody.
by Mr. Fox
Naked Philly.