15-unit residential new construction, zoned RM1.
A 15-unit residential building is under way at 115 N 63rd St in West Philadelphia, rising three stories on a 5,625-square-foot lot. The project takes advantage of the city's green roof bonus, incorporating roof-deck amenities capped at 49 occupants and a pair of access structures topped with green roof systems. Type VB construction will include Type B accessible units on the ground floor, and the building is cleared for R-2 occupancy—straightforward infill multi-family that conforms to the RM1 zoning envelope.
115 N 63rd St LLC acquired the site this year and moved quickly to break ground, signaling confidence in a corridor that has seen sporadic investment but few projects of this density in recent years. The developer is delivering modest scale—three stories is the sweet spot for wood-frame economics—while threading the needle between neighborhood character and the kind of unit count that pencils without pushing into expensive Type I construction. The roof deck speaks to an effort to add value without adding height, and the green roof bonus is a practical workaround to maximize density on a site that might otherwise feel constrained.
What's notable here is the isolation: there are no other major residential projects within a half-mile, making this a test case rather than part of a visible development wave. That could mean the surrounding blocks are ripe for similar plays—RM1 allows this kind of three-story, mid-density infill by right—or it could mean the market hasn't yet justified the land basis for more speculative construction nearby. Either way, this project is a data point worth watching for anyone sizing up West Philly parcels that could support 10 to 20 units without variance drama.
The building's reliance on green roof density bonuses and accessible ground-floor units shows a developer fluent in the city's playbook for extracting extra value from tight sites. If 115 N 63rd St leases or sells well, expect others to notice what's possible on similar mid-block lots along this stretch—there's no shortage of underbuilt RM1 land in the neighborhood, and the formula here is replicable for any operator comfortable with small-batch wood-frame construction and the modest returns that come with it.
📄 View the project's plan drawings (PDF)As this density arrives, InvestPHL is tracking 93 under-built parcels within a half-mile that a developer could still acquire and build — each carrying a builder's max bid. Addresses and figures are members-only.
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