Philadelphia · Belmont · #CP-2024-005883
4217-19 Lancaster Ave
4217-19 Lancaster Ave, Belmont, PA · 6 homes, mixed use
About this project
An attached three-story building with two first-floor commercial spaces and six dwelling units above, at 4217-19 Lancaster Ave in Belmont, Philadelphia.
Official description: FOR THE ERECTION OF AN ATTACHED 3- STORY BUILDING WITH A ROOF DECK AND ROOF DECK ACCESS STRUCTURE FOR THE USE OF TWO (2) VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACES (SEPARATE FIT OUT PERMITS REQUIRED PRIOR TO OCCUPANCY) ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND R2 OCCUPANCY (6 DWELLING UNITS) ABOVE FIRST FLOOR. ALL WORK TO BE DONE PER APPROVED PLANS. IF FIELD CONDITIONS VARY CONTACT DESIGN ENGINEER PRIOR TO THE START OF ANY WORK. **A COVERED WALKWAY OR SIDEWALK CLOSURE SHALL BE REQUIRED WITHIN THE BUILDING FACADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 3306 OF THE 2018 IBC. SEPARATE PERMITS REQUIRED FOR ALL OTHER WORK. ***DEED NEEDS TO RECORDED TO CONSOLIDATE PREMISES A AND PREMISES B PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY***
- Applicant
- BQ LANCASTER AVE LLC
- Contractor
- Backcourt Builders LLC
- Plan type
- Building permit (new construction)
- Land use
- R-2 Residential (>2 Dwellings)|Unknown/Other
- Status
- Permit issued
Filing history
- 2025-10-20 · #CP-2024-005883 · Building permit (new construction) · 6 lots/units
- 2025-05-21 · #ZP-2024-012758 · Building permit (new construction)
- 2025-01-30 · #ZP-2024-012758 · Zoning Board appeal (Variance)
The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026
The project is a three-story building at the corner of Lancaster Avenue, Brown Street and Brooklyn Street in Belmont, West Philadelphia. It will have two shops or other commercial spaces on the ground floor and six apartments on the floors above. A rooftop deck and a small roof-access structure are also planned.
The building is about 6,500 square feet on a lot of about 2,400 square feet, and it covers most of the lot. The lot is zoned for neighborhood commercial and mixed use. A news report describes the site as a vacant lot that the building will replace. Permits were issued in October 2025, with a listed construction cost of about $980,000.
No opposition was found. No tenants or end users have been announced.
What it could mean nearby
- Six new homes on a commercial corridor could add residents who shop and eat nearby.
- Two ground-floor commercial spaces could bring storefronts and a few jobs to the corner. Which businesses will move in is not known.
- A vacant lot would become an occupied building. The coverage reports a vacant site, though this was not confirmed in city records.
- No traffic, parking or school effects were found in the sources.
Where it stands
Building permits were issued in October 2025, so the project has cleared city plan review and can start construction. Next come construction, inspections and then occupancy approval.
- Oct 22, 2025 A news outlet reported that permits had been issued for the building.
- Oct 20, 2025 Latest county filing for the project.
Want to weigh in? No further public hearing is known, because permits have already been issued. Residents with concerns about construction can contact the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Who's behind it
BQ Lancaster Ave LLC (owner) with Backcourt Builders LLC (contractor) · BQ Lancaster Ave LLC is listed as the owner and Backcourt Builders LLC as the contractor on the permits. No company website or information about other projects was found.
Around the web
- Permits Issued for Mixed-Use Building at 4217-19 Lancaster Avenue in Belmont, West PhiladelphiaPhilly YIMBY · Oct 22, 2025Reports permits for a three-story building with six apartments and two ground-floor commercial spaces, and gives the size, zoning, cost, architect and contractor.
Planning terms explained
- CMX-2
- A Philadelphia zoning category for neighborhood commercial areas. It allows shops and homes in the same building.
- Mixed use
- A building that combines different uses, here shops on the ground floor and apartments above.
- Lot coverage
- The share of a property's land that the building covers. Here it is about 92 percent.
- Pilot house
- A small enclosed structure on a roof that gives stairs or elevator access to the roof deck.
- Building permit
- City approval that lets construction begin once plans meet the code.
Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.
Scope estimate for contractors
Estimated construction value: $3.4M
- ~192 roofing squares
- ~6 HVAC systems
- ~6 kitchens / 12+ bathrooms
- ~16,800 sq ft of finished living space