In Port Richmond, suburban developers seek to fill vacant lot with houses and apartments

One of the last large vacant lots in Port Richmond may be on its way to getting filled in, as Jenkintown-based developers hope to build 162 housing units.

At 2620 Castor Ave., a 94-unit apartment building is proposed on what is now a surface parking lot facing a Home Depot. And next door, a mix of 68 duplexes and triplexes is proposed for the grassy vacant lot at 2650 Castor Ave.

One of the LLCs responsible for the project shares an address with the real estate firm Frankel Management Co.: 209 Leedom St., Floor 2, in Jenkintown.

Owner Sean Frankel did not respond to requests for comment and neither did developer Tim Ajvazi, whose name is listed on planning documents submitted to the city.

Port Richmond is a working-class neighborhood, with a large Polish-American population. The area has seen a burst of new development and demographic change over the last 15 years as neighborhoods to the south like Fishtown have boomed.

“Just looking at aerial photos of the area, [the lot] sticks out like a sore thumb as being one of the last few parcels to be developed in this area,” said Alex Goldberg, a zoning attorney with Nochumson P.C., which represents both projects.

Both projects will require permission to move forward from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The meeting to present the apartment proposal is scheduled for Nov. 19.

The 68 homes proposed for 2650 Castor Ave. will be divided among eight triplexes and 22 duplexes. The duplexes will each have two three-bedroom units. The triplexes will have one three-bedroom and two one-bedroom units apiece.

“It’s more garden style and more similar to the development that’s already existing [in the neighborhood],” said Goldberg.

Fifty surface parking spaces will be located between two rows of homes, which face away from busy Castor Avenue.

While the developers are not offering subsidized housing, the smaller units offered in the duplexes and triplexes — as opposed to massive single-family townhomes — will allow for a diversity of incomes among residents.

Multifamily housing like this “lends itself to a little bit more of an affordable or attainable product,” said Logan Dry, project coordinator with KCA Architects, which designed the triplex and duplex project. “It could be for people that are in the immediate area looking to perhaps downsize, or people that are not from the area that are looking to start out.”

The neighboring four-story apartment building is a separate project by the same developers and represented by the same lawyers.

The project is designed by Ambit Architecture, and includes 68 parking spaces and 2,900 square feet of commercial space facing Castor Avenue. The apartments are mostly one-bedroom units with a few two-bedroom units. The building is topped with a row of flags.

“I feel like this building has this need for some celebratory architecture,” said Rich Villa, of Ambit Architecture, at a meeting of the advisory-only Civic Design Review committee.

“These little details really add something and make the building special,” he said later. “As my client said, those flags can be for the Eagles one day, and then ready for the Phillies.”

The dual development projects have met mixed reception at meetings held by neighborhood group Port Richmond On Patrol & Civic Association.

Ken Paul, president of Port Richmond On Patrol & Civic Association, declined to comment as zoning meetings have not yet been held. But he noted some neighbors were unhappy with the height and density of the apartment proposal. One attendee at a meeting prior to the Civic Design Review argued it would spoil his view.

The developer’s zoning lawyers did not attend meetings with the community group.

“My understanding is [the neighbors] like the garden style of 2650 [Castor Ave.], they thought it was more characteristic of the neighborhood,” said Goldberg. “They had some issues with the density and the height of 2620.”

City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, who represents the area, is supportive of the duplex and triplex proposal.

Neither Port Richmond On Patrol & Civic Association nor Driscoll have said whether they support the apartment proposal.

The endorsement of a community group or council member is not required, but developers are more likely to succeed with the zoning board if they do not face opposition.