3/4/2020

2501 East Hagert Street Redevelops an Important Site in Olde Richmond

Olde Richmond is seeing new development in recent years, but has few large sites for large developments, except on the Delaware waterfront.  Olde Richmond does have a few old industrial buildings that are prime sites for redevelopment. The most unfortunate of these sites is at 2501 East Hagert Street, the site of the former, vacant workshop plant of the Cattie Galvanizing Company.  This building takes up the entire block bounded by Hagert, Letterly, Gaul, and Almond Streets. It is often referred to as “The Galvo”, and it is badly contaminated with the refuse of various toxic metals. A new plan would completely demolish the Galvo and remove all the contaminated material off the site and out of the neighborhood and replace it with a block of modern new townhouses.  This development is being designed by KJO Architecture.

The new development at 2501 East Hagert Street will consist of 27 townhouses along Hagert Street and along Letterly Street, with a drive aisle in between them.  They will constitute a planned unit development, with a homeowners association. The homes will be three-story, split-level buildings. Each townhouse will have street-level living areas, three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, roof decks, and balconies.  The East Hagert Street homes will be 15 x 40 square feet and the Letterly Street homes will be various sizes because of the angle of the block. There will be 32 parking spaces combined within the homes. The exteriors of the homes will have red or orange brick, concrete at the bases, and stoops with utility meters hidden underneath.  An Amazon storage locker structure will be on one side of the property.  

The Olde Richmond neighborhood will continue to see development wherever possible.  There is much available land to develop on the waterfront of the neighborhood, and one large development is already planned there.  Development is happening at a fast pace nearby in Northern Liberties, Fishtown, and Kensington. Removing contaminated buildings and cleaning up polluted properties is another way to improve the quality of life in these neighborhoods and encourage further development.  The Galvo was the worst of these polluted properties in Olde Richmond and it is now going to be replaced with a new community.