9-unit residential new construction, zoned CMX2.
A four-story, nine-unit building with ground-floor commercial space is now complete at 1828 Frankford Avenue, adding another modest multifamily frame to the ongoing residential build-out along this stretch of Fishtown's main commercial corridor. The project sits on a 3,239-square-foot lot and was cleared to build in late 2022, with several amendments adjusting the third-floor layout, adding a rear deck, incorporating accessible Type B units, and ultimately simplifying the ground-floor commercial configuration by removing interior stairs.
The site is zoned CMX2, which allows residential above commercial by right, a straightforward path that has made Frankford Avenue particularly appealing for small-scale developers looking to capture spillover demand from nearby blocks. The owner of record is simply listed as 1828 Frankford Ave, acquired in 2022, reflecting the kind of single-purpose entity common in these tight-margin projects where speed and simplicity matter more than brand recognition.
This building lands in the middle of a notable wave of infill development in the immediate area. Within a half-mile radius, roughly 360 units have either delivered or are in the pipeline, including a 55-unit project at 1713 N Front Street, a 40-unit building at 1716 Frankford Avenue, and a 32-unit development at 1924 N Front. That density of activity underscores the neighborhood's continued draw for developers chasing relatively affordable land and strong fundamentals—transit access, walkable retail, and a tenant base willing to trade square footage for location.
The completion of 1828 Frankford Avenue suggests that even as larger projects dominate the headlines, smaller players remain active and able to navigate the zoning and construction process on tight lots. For other underused parcels along this corridor—particularly older commercial buildings with shallow footprints—this project offers a template: low drama, by-right entitlements, and a scale that doesn't require heavy equity lifts or prolonged lease-up risk.
📄 View the project's plan drawings (PDF)As this density arrives, InvestPHL is tracking 111 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.
Unlock the 111 nearby opportunities →Major (8+ unit) new-construction projects filed within a half-mile since 2022 — the density gathering around this site.