Is Construction About to Kick Off at 205 Race in Old City?

It certainly looks that way.

By James Jennings· 7/21/2015, 4:51 p.m.

The lot at 205 Race as of June 2014 | Google Street View

The long and winding road of the 205 Race development in Old City looks as though it’s about to reach an important milestone. You might even call it groundbreaking (pun intended).

After years of planning, controversy and multiple design tweaks, construction permits were recently posted on the site at 2nd and Race, the longtime home of a surface parking lot.

The permits provide a glimpse of what exactly is to come–a 17-story building with parking in the basement level, a retail space on the ground floor and 146 “dwelling units.” We haven’t heard an exact date for the groundbreaking, only that one is currently being planned.

As you may recall, developer/owner Brown Hill Development teamed up with Gluck+ out of New York to design a dynamic high rise building that’s essentially in two parts. First, a four-story, pedestrian-scale portion runs along Race Street and would also house the retail component. Designs show that it’s topped by a green amenity deck/roof terrace with views of the adjacent Ben Franklin Bridge, the Delaware River and that billboard. The other element is a high rise portion that overhangs the deck and is set back from the street.

We left a message for Brown Hill to get more details about a possible groundbreaking, but have yet to hear back. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.