{"id":256114,"date":"2026-07-31T06:10:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T06:10:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/256114\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T06:10:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T06:10:30","slug":"yimby-looks-at-landscaping-and-environmental-features-of-188-unit-mixed-use-development-planned-at-1527-callowhill-street-in-franklintown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/256114\/","title":{"rendered":"YIMBY Looks at Landscaping and Environmental Features of 188-Unit Mixed-Use Development Planned at 1527 Callowhill Street in Franklintown"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this month, Philadelphia YIMBY shared<\/a> details on a new eight-story, 188-unit mixed-use building proposed at 1527 Callowhill Street<\/a> in Franklintown<\/a>, Lower North Philadelphia<\/a>, which is being developed by Omega Home Builders<\/a> and designed by Designblendz Architecture<\/a>. Today, we look at the project\u2019s environmental and landscaping features.<\/p>\n

The proposed building at 1527 Callowhill Street will feature a compact, 1,200-square-foot deck<\/a> at the second story in the courtyard, leaving most of the expansive upper roof, and the skyline<\/a> views it would offer, inaccessible to building residents. On the positive side, however, a green roof<\/a> will span most of the sizable rooftop, a feature that will benefit the local ecology by creating a bird habitat (if native grasses are planted), mitigate storm flooding by capturing rainfall runoff, decrease the local heat island effect, and lower heating and cooling energy consumption by improving building insulation.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Master plan. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Landscaping plan. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

A smaller, 1,237-square-foot green roof will also span the second-floor courtyard, adjacent to the resident amenity deck. Both upper and green roofs will incorporate water-impervious layers that will allow the upper roof to discharge rainfall into three collection areas at the upper roof, while the lower roof will channel runoff into a 250-square-foot planter box situated adjacent to the building at the lot interior.<\/p>\n

Pervious concrete walkways in the alleyways behind the building (663 square feet in the eastern alley and 550 square feet in its northern counterpart) will allow rainfall to seep into the soil and discharge into substrate groundwater, making for another relatively minor yet welcome environmentally-friendly feature.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia. Original townhouse proposal tree removal plan. Credit: Colliers Engineering Design via a zoning permit submitted to the City of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Site and urban context photos. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

One of the most significant area improvements associated with the project will stem not from the building itself, but rather from planned curbside landscaping<\/a>. In its present form, the site is a veritable asphalt desert without a single tree on the parking lot nor along the sidewalk, with no verdure to please the eye nor shade to protect pedestrians from the summertime sun or the city from the heat island effect.<\/p>\n

As such, not only will site redevelopment not entail destruction of any existing greenery, but it would also introduce more than a dozen trees along the sidewalk and in building alleyway space, comprised of a delightful mix that includes blossoming species and leaf canopies of various shapes. The planting schedule<\/a> indicates five American hornbeams (Carpinus caroliniana), five American hophornbeams (Ostrya virginiana), four white fringetrees (Chionanthus virginicus), three Allegheny serviceberries (Amelanchier laevis), and two Armstrong red maples (acer rubrum \u2018Armstrong\u2019). Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) trees will be planted at the site interior.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Landscaping and planting schedule. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

The American hornbeam is a low-maintenance understory tree notable for its hardiness, musclewood (\u201cmuscular-looking\u201d) bark, and dramatic autumnal foliage.<\/p>\n

The similarly-named American hophornbeam (alternately spelled as hop hornbeam) is a deciduous medium-sized deciduous Missouri native understory tree with a rounded crown that naturally prefers dry soils on rocky slopes, bluffs, and upland woods. The tree is notable for its birch-like, oval or lance-shaped, sharply-serrated, dark yellowish-green leaves, which turn yellow in autumn and typically drop relatively early in fall and colorful flowers, reddish-brown male flowers and greenish female.<\/p>\n

The white fringetree, native to the savannas and lowlands of the northeastern and southeastern United States (the Philly metro area<\/a> sits near the approximate northern habitat boundary), is a relatively small deciduous tree (it may even be described as a shrub) that blooms with drooping clusters of fragrant, white blossoms and produces grape-like, dark blue fruit clusters.<\/p>\n

The Allegheny serviceberry is another compact understory tree that delights the passersby around the year with a distinctive gray bark, early white spring flowers, and orange-red autumn foliage. Many native bird species are attracted to the edible purplish-black fruit in late summer.<\/p>\n

The Armstrong Red Maple is a rapidly growing deciduous hybrid between red and silver maples that is notable for its tight, columnar shape. In the fall, it decorates the streetscape with its dazzling orange-red fall leaf coloring.<\/p>\n

The Canadian serviceberry (also known as Shadblow service-berry) is notable for its multiple trunk, upright branches, and striking long-petaled white blossoms that open before leaves emerge. Its apple-like fruit small, crimson-colored, edible. In fall, the leaves turn rusty-red or orange.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia. Planting schedule. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

Below is the complete landscaping schedule for the development:<\/p>\n

Canopy Trees<\/p>\n

Acer rubrum \u201cRed maple\u201d
Quercus alba \u201cWhite oak\u201d<\/p>\n

Understory Trees<\/p>\n

Amelanchier gradiflora \u201cServiceberry\u201d
Chionanthus virginicus \u201cWhite fringetree\u201d
Crataegus flava \u201cYellowleaf hawthorn\u201d
Halesia tetraptera \u201cCarolina silverbell\u201d<\/p>\n

Evergreen Trees<\/p>\n

Ilex opaca \u201cAmerican Holly\u201d
Magnolia virginiana \u201cSweetbay Magnolia\u201d
Shrubs
Aronia arbutifolia \u201cRed chokeberry\u201d
Clethra alnifolia \u201cSweet pepperbush\u201d
Fothergilla gardeni \u201cDwarf fothergilla\u201d
Hydrangea quercifolia \u201cOakleaf hydrangea\u201d<\/p>\n

Perennials<\/p>\n

Agastache \u2018blue fortune\u2019 \u201cAnise hyssop\u201d
Allium cernuum \u201cNodding onion\u201d
Echinacea purpurea \u201cPurple coneflower\u201d
Eriophyllum lanatum \u201cWooly sunflower\u201d
Solidago speciosa \u201cShowy goldenrod\u201d
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium \u201c\u2018October skies\u2019 aromatic aster\u201d<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Planting schedule. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Site plan. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

Below is the project\u2019s Sustainable Design Checklist<\/a> as submitted to the Civic Design Review, which outlines the proposed development\u2019s environmental parameters in greater detail.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Sustainable design checklist. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Sustainable design checklist. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street. Sustainable design checklist. Credit: Designblendz Architecture via the Civic Design Review by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Department of Planning and Development.<\/p>\n

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1527 Callowhill Street<\/a> 1527-47 Callowhill Street<\/a> Art Museum<\/a> Baldwin Park<\/a> Civic Design Review<\/a> Civic Design Review Sustainable Design Checklist<\/a> Corner building<\/a> Designblendz<\/a> Designblendz Architecture LLP<\/a> Franklintown<\/a> Green roof<\/a> Landscaping schedule<\/a> Logan Square<\/a> Lower North Philadelphia<\/a> Mid-rise<\/a> Mixed-use<\/a> Multi-family<\/a> North Philadelphia<\/a> Omega Home Builders<\/a> Planting schedule<\/a> Renderings<\/a> Residential<\/a> Residential unit count 100 and above<\/a> Residential unit count 100-199<\/a> Retail<\/a> Square feet 100000 to 499999<\/a> Traditional<\/a>