515-33 W Cumberland StUnder construction

A 34-unit residential building is set to rise at 515-33 W Cumberland St in Fairhill, the kind of by-right infill quietly reshaping the block. It was cleared to build in Oct 8, 2026.

The 6,500 sq ft site is zoned RM1, which supports a building on the order of 3 stories by right. The parcel last changed hands in 2019. The plans call for for the erection of a detached structure of type v-a construction for use as thirty-four (34) dwelling units (group r-2) with accessory community / assembly spaces (group a-3). building to be fully sprinklered per nfpa 13 (community room) and nfpa 13r (remainder of building). all work to be done per approved plans and in accordance with 2018 ibc. separate permits required for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, and excavation work. **deferred submission of wood truss shop drawings & accompanying analysis calculations - a permit amendment is required for the approval of the trusses prior to on-site installation.**.

The owner of record is Philadelphia Land Bank. The project's plan drawings are on file — worth a look for anyone underwriting the surrounding block.

It isn't rising in isolation. Within a half-mile, 9 other major projects have broken ground since 2022 — roughly 171 units of new supply — including the 16-unit project at 715 W Cumberland St, the 64-unit project at 300 W Huntingdon St, the 9-unit project at 2300-10 Germantown Ave. That kind of concentration is exactly what pulls land values, and buyer attention, toward a block.

We'll update this page as the project progresses — leasing, retail tenants, renderings, and construction milestones as they surface. The relevant question for investors and agents: what are the surrounding parcels worth to a builder now that this is coming?