Developer lowers number of apartments in proposed Artisan Lofts at 12th and Jackson
UPDATE: Here’s one important thing to note: the project does not yet have financing lined up. Another source who attended the meeting contacted us today to say that the lawyer on the project said several times, “if we get financing.” On another occasion, he said, “Banks are tight. You’ve all heard the stories.”
Also of note, the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association’s zoning chair has posted on the group’s Facebook page that it intends to support the project.
POSTED EARLIER: The developer for a new apartment complex called Artisan Lofts at 12th and Jackson, which would replace a dilapidated former brush factory, went before the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association last night to answer questions regarding the revised proposal.
Tony Rufo, of Rufo Properties, said his team had lowered the number of apartments from 164 to 151. That’s down a total of 21 units from the original 172 we heard back in December.
The apartments will be 1- and 2-bedroom units, costing between $800 to $1,800 a month. The size of each ranges from 500 to 1,000 square feet.
Rufo still plans to remodel the three existing buildings and to build two new structures in between the current ones. The density and height of the proposal had some near neighbors complaining in our comments section recently about shadows cast by the new buildings.
The main concern at the meeting last night, naturally, was parking. Developers showed that there would be up to 62 spots for cars, plus parking for motorcycles, scooters and bikes. Car-sharing spots will also be available.
One resident asked about the impact of construction on the neighborhood.
Rufo explained that there is a noise ordinance, meaning no jack hammers at 5 in the morning (the ordinance prohibits work before 7 a.m. on weekdays, 8 on weekends, and after 8 p.m.). He also mentioned that the construction will take place within the property, so there will be minimal street traffic caused during the building process.
Rufo estimated that from the time they would break ground, construction would last 12 to 16 months. The project is scheduled to go before the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment on Sept. 10, at 1515 Arch St. on the 18th floor, at 2 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.
— Will Preddy
Nice. Think this will be a great way to tie the neighborhood in with all the cool stuff happening north of Snyder.
As a Daly St resident I’m excited. As for parking issues–who knows.
There doesn’t seem to be any possible use of this property, aside from creating a giant warehouse or something similarly inactive, that wouldn’t have an impact on parking. Parking is an issue now, as it is with any part of South Philly that people actually want to live in. But the effect of adding 151 units to the 6000 or so (a low estimate based on 48 main blocks times average of 125 house per block) that are already in LoMo’s boundaries (not to mention north of Snyder), would be very marginal on the overall parking situation especially since the complex includes parking for almost half of those units. Probably barely even noticeable… and the likelihood that the new people moving in–who KNOW that parking is an issue when they make their decision to move in–to have cars is probably less than the chance that any existing resident has a car.
The choice would seem to be between having the building always remain as is until it literally collapses from disrepair or burns to the ground because of some accident or face what is probably a barely noticeable effect on parking. (Unless some eccentric billionaire comes along and buys it to tear it down and create a park… pie in the sky.)
^This
@ Dan P., well said.