Trenton Avenue is a wide, belgian block street that cuts through Fishtown and East Kensington. It is lined with old warehouses that were once active with manufacturing and industrial uses. The name of the avenue is derived from its history of holding elevated tracks for the Trenton Railroad.
Today, Trenton Ave. and East Kensington are much different. New construction as well as rehabbed homes and buildings have sprung up in every direction. Cafes, restaurants, and other retail businesses have followed.
We recently brought you the 31 unit mixed-use building under construction on Amber St. A few blocks from that project, two warehouses which were formerly the Frankford Carpet Mill, have stood vacant on Trenton Ave. for as long as we can remember. Their windows have been covered in a green plastic material that has not made the neighborhood look any better. However, the warehouses seemed to be in good shape and had attractive facades.
Records show that D3 Real Estate Development purchased the buildings at 2141-45 E. Huntingdon St. in 2015 for $1.3 million. This purchase seems great today as prices in the neighborhood have appreciated greatly in the last four years. D3 is pursuing a multi-use conversion and calling the project Huntingdon Mills. The developers are creating 39 residential units as well as retail spaces for an early learning center, gym, and cafe. The residential units will be offered to social workers and therapists at a discounted rate.
Some people living nearby may wonder how this project passed by under the radar. The reason is that the lot is zoned IRMX (Industrial Residential Mixed-Use), which is very favorable for dense mixed-use developments. The project team only needed to go through the zoning board to consolidate the lots.
Work has been progressing quickly with the project. New windows are already going into both buildings and interior demolition is underway. We look forward to the completion of this transformation. The restoration of the old warehouses and the increased activity at the site are sure to inject even more energy into East Kensington.
UPDATE 6/8/19: Construction is progressing quickly on this project. Most of the new windows are now installed. Check out the pictures below.
Kyle is a commercial real estate agent at Rittenhouse Realty Advisors, a homeowner, and a real estate investor in Philadelphia. Kyle uses his extensive Philadelphia real estate market knowledge to help his clients buy and sell multifamily investment properties, development opportunities, and industrial sites.
Email Kyle@RittenhouseRealty.com if you are looking to buy or sell a property
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