In former factory districts, postindustrial authenticity comes with potential for hidden pollution Philadelphia realtor Arvind Balaji positions Regent Row as a chance to catch a neighborhood on the upswing. This under-construction development Balaji is selling promises high-end living in Kensington, one of a cluster of flourishing, formerly industrial districts that have repackaged their gritty pasts for a new generation of buyers.
Located northeast of downtown, Kensington is a neighborhood on the rise, where empty lots, old lofts, and abandoned warehouses have made way for new breweries, cafes, restaurants, and street murals. Home values in some areas have jumped 50 percent since 2014. One developer working on a nearby affordable housing project spoke of the ?rebirth and reinvigoration? coming to a neighborhood grappling with serious crime and the opioid epidemic. Regent Row seeks to capitalize on this rise. Currently under construction by developer PRDC Properties and contractors from M2 Construction at the intersection of Montgomery Avenue and Howard Street, the development will comprise 36 townhouses priced in the mid-$500,000s.
While Kensington?s momentum shows no signs of slowing, parts of Regent Row are currently on pause. According to a stop-work order issued by Philadelphia?s Department of Licenses and Inspections on September 6, during the course of construction a contractor hit an underground tank on a lot at 1752 N. Howard that no one knew was there. Th...