13-unit residential new construction, zoned CMX2.5.
A four-story, 13-unit residential building with ground-floor commercial space has been delivered at 1613 Cecil B Moore Avenue in Brewerytown, adding to the steady stream of mid-density infill along this eastern edge of the neighborhood. Raycey Holdings LLC, which picked up the site in 2019, cleared the way to build in late 2022 and has since finished construction on a project that originally included an elevator but was later amended to drop it along with some layout tweaks and a height adjustment. The CMX2.5 zoning allowed the mixed-use approach by right, though the residential component—13 units across four floors—will dominate the building's footprint.
The project slots into a corridor that's seen persistent developer interest over the past few years, with more than 560 units either proposed or delivered within a half-mile radius. Nearby efforts include a 63-unit building at 2004 Cecil B Moore, a pair of projects on North 17th Street totaling 40 units, and a 40-unit development at 2000 Ridge Avenue. The scale here is modest by comparison, but it's consistent with the block-by-block fill-in that's reshaping Brewerytown's housing stock without the megaproject fanfare seen in other parts of North Philly.
Raycey Holdings' approach—buying in 2019, navigating approvals, and delivering a finished product by late 2023 or early 2024—reflects a familiar playbook for smaller LLCs working the neighborhood's CMX-zoned parcels. The amended scope, including the decision to scrap the elevator, suggests cost discipline during a construction cycle that's been anything but forgiving. With commercial space on the ground floor, the building offers some flexibility for retail or service tenants, though the immediate stretch of Cecil B Moore hasn't yet coalesced into a retail corridor the way Ridge Avenue has in spots.
The delivery here underscores the viability of 10-to-20-unit projects in Brewerytown's by-right zones, particularly for owners willing to carry sites through permitting delays and construction volatility. Other underused parcels along Cecil B Moore and the surrounding grid—especially those zoned CMX2.5 or better—remain logical candidates for similar treatment, assuming fundamentals hold and the neighborhood's rental absorption keeps pace with the new supply already in the pipeline.
📄 View the project's plan drawings (PDF)As this density arrives, InvestPHL is tracking 1 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 1 nearby opportunities →Major (8+ unit) new-construction projects filed within a half-mile since 2022 — the density gathering around this site.