York Square

Project Profile

York Square is an Urban Infill Mixed-Use Project in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Project Site encompasses a 1/2 acre urban site that is a combination of two properties in a quieter side of Old City, one of Philadelphia's most dynamic neighborhoods. Old City combines extensive artistic resources and arts venues and an explosive nightlife scene. The 60 Live/Work Loft Units bring the total density of the site to 120 units per acre. There are 52 underground parking spaces.

The largest portion of the existing property has been a gas station and automobile service station for the last 60 years. The smaller portion was a 2 story warehouse property. Its neighboring building is a 5-story 105 year old wood framed loft building that used to the home to the Charles E. Brown Printing Company. All underground gasoline tanks were removed by the prior Owner, so that the brownfield remediation required is minimal.

Redevelopment focused on matching the height, scale and materials of the neighboring industrial buildings. Cecil Baker & Associates, the Architect for the Project, had worked with several neighboring buildings as Old City started its renaissance over 15 years ago. Old City as of late has seen an explosion in new residential spaces that house the latest in building amenities that today's urban dwellers demand. The Building is brick with metal panel bay projections and metal panel setbacks at the penthouses. The industrial-scaled window modules are 8' high and 10' wide with 10'+ high exposed concrete ceilings within the loft units and exposed concrete columns.

The Urban Plan developed by the Owner re-established the pedestrian frontage on three sides of the property by adding back on-street parking, street trees, lighting and re-constructed sidewalks. Existing utility infrastructure with all utilizes including public sewer and water is accessible on all sides of the site.

The Developer, Berkshire Construction Management Inc., has experience in both Commercial and Custom Residential Construction. The Custom Residential work, under the name of Hallowell Construction, has been operating for over 20 years in the City and Philadelphia's Main Line. That Hallowell experience has allowed York Square to focus on providing the best finishes and building systems for the urban buyer. The end result will be lofts that are more polished than lofts of the past and with neighboring building conversions.

The Building has an entrance courtyard on the southern exposure with views of the Ben Franklin Bridge and St. Augustine's and Old St. George's Church. Five (5) Live/Work Condominium Units surrounding the courtyard are permitted for residential or commercial use. These units all have outside entrances and paved entrance courtyards to serve as a public/private buffer to the spaces within. The 1st floor and Courtyard are raised 3 feet above the base sidewalk elevation to make the 1st floor more conducive to residential use. The balance of the 1st floor through 6th Floor consist of fifty-five other residential loft condominiums.

Project Merits

There are five (5) reasons that make York Square an exemplary urban infill project that address the principal objectives of 10,000 Friends:

1. The project eliminates an existing brownfield site and re-establishes the urban fabric in the neighborhood. The site is returned to its highest and best use and the street faces are re-established along the three adjacent street frontages.
2. The project offers the flexibility of commercial and residential spaces within the same building. Courtyard accessible ground floor commercial can be built out as commercial or residential loft spaces.
3. The project gracefully provides indoor, underground parking for its residents without resorting to surface or structured parking. Public transportation and Car-sharing services are also readily accessible to the residents and within the neighborhood.
4. The materials used are timeless. The building utilizes laid-up brick and metal in an industry that emphasizes the use of EIFS and thin-brick panels for the contractor's convenience. The building will blend into its surroundings and not shout for attention.
5. The building provides both public and private outdoor spaces in the form of the entrance courtyard, private courtyards, balconies, and rooftop terraces. These serve the collective Owners with a place to congregate, as well as the individual Owners as a private place for relaxation. They also serve to enliven the courtyard, the street faces and address neighborhood safety.

During the Pre-Development phases of the project, the developer engaged local neighborhood groups during the design and approval process and as the result this project received overwhelming neighborhood support.

Every facet of York Square was developed to address the weakness of conventional development patterns and design practices and to create an exceptional urban living environment. The underground parking, the street trees, the on-street parking, the live/work ground floor spaces, the use of brick, the scale of the windows, and even the scale and diversity of the residential units within the project address the Principle Objectives of 10,000 Friends.

With the development of York Square, the developer is adding a long term asset for the residents, for the neighborhood, and for the City.