A long-empty brick factory at 1807 E. Huntingdon Street in East Kensington is finally getting a second act. Developers plan to convert the site into a 109-unit apartment building stacked over two ground-floor eateries and roughly 8,600 square feet of commercial space. The project, led by Smith & Roller in partnership with New Jersey-based Ellavoz Impact Capital, sits steps from the Huntingdon SEPTA stop and is being pitched as a mix of workforce housing and neighborhood-serving retail. Developers say construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and run for about 18 months, with initial move-ins projected in 2028.
Who’s behind the plan
According to an official release, Ellavoz Impact Capital has acquired the property and is partnering with local developer Smith & Roller to rehabilitate the long-vacant factory and add new residential square footage. The announcement says the combined site will contain 109 apartments and about 8,600 square feet of commercial space. Ellavoz presents the deal as an impact-focused investment that is meant to preserve workforce housing while bringing life back to a dormant block.
Timeline and the retail plan
As reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal, the development team expects to start construction in the second half of 2026 and is planning for an approximately 18-month build schedule. That coverage also notes that the ground-floor commercial space will include two eateries as part of the preleased storefronts, a detail the team says should help keep the street lively throughout the day and into the evening. Financing and final entitlements are still being lined up before shovels can hit the ground.
Who the housing will serve
The bulk of the apartments are geared toward lower-cost renters. Roughly 60% of units are earmarked for households at 80% of area median income, which the Philadelphia Inquirer reports is about $67,000 for a single-person household. Developers describe a mix of studios, one-bedrooms and some two-bedroom and loft-style units, and say the goal is to keep rents near current neighborhood market levels while preserving long-term affordability. Community groups have been briefed on the plans and, according to reporting, the East Kensington Neighbors Association has offered conditional support.
Retail, jobs and community benefits
Ellavoz’s announcement states that the commercial space has already been preleased and that tenants have agreed to partner on a job-training program with Impact Services, Inc., a local nonprofit focused on workforce development. The developer is framing the retail component, including the two eateries, as both a neighborhood amenity and a pipeline for local hiring and training opportunities. Project backers also point out that the property sits inside a Keystone Opportunity Zone, which they say improves the economics of tackling a site that had sat idle for years.
Design history and earlier iterations
The current 109-unit blueprint is the latest revision of a plan that first surfaced in renderings and civic-design reviews in 2022. As Philadelphia YIMBY documented, earlier versions leaned more heavily on light-industrial space and included a smaller residential count. The new scheme flips that balance in order to deliver more homes and less industrial square footage. JKRP Architects produced renderings for the earlier submission, and the development team says the update will preserve key elements of the building’s brick shell while adding new construction on the adjacent lot.
What’s next
Developers still need to secure full financing and obtain final permits before any work can begin. If the schedule holds, construction could be underway in late 2026 and stretch into 2028. Nearby, the 1801 Huntingdon building, a historic bank structure, is also slated for reuse as a commissary and banquet hall tied to Strother Enterprises. That is a separate Smith & Roller project that will move through the Zoning Board process on a longer timetable, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Developers say they will share tenant names and more details as leases are finalized and approvals fall into place.
