Land for development offers Philadelphia exchange investors the opportunity to participate in value creation through entitlements, site improvements, and vertical construction. The asset class includes infill parcels in established markets, suburban development sites, and redevelopment opportunities in transitioning areas.
Philadelphia's land market spans diverse opportunities from Center City infill sites to suburban greenfield development. Each opportunity presents different entitlement timelines, infrastructure requirements, and development potential, requiring careful evaluation of both current value and future development costs.
Our team helps investors evaluate land replacement properties through comprehensive entitlement analysis, improvement exchange structuring, and development feasibility studies. We coordinate environmental and geotechnical due diligence, municipal entitlement tracking, and capital stack planning to ensure investors understand both acquisition costs and future development requirements.
How we support this asset class in Philadelphia, PA.
- • Entitlement schedule mapping with municipal contacts
- • Improvement exchange structuring for site work and vertical construction
- • Environmental and geotechnical due diligence support
- • Capital stack planning for phased development
Common situations.
- •Selling developed properties and moving into land for development to participate in value creation through entitlements and construction
- •Exchanging from out-of-state land holdings into Philadelphia-area parcels to simplify management and reduce travel
- •Consolidating multiple smaller land parcels into larger development sites with better economies of scale
- •Moving from passive income properties into land for development to create value through active development activities
Key considerations.
- •Entitlement timeline and approval probability, as zoning changes and development approvals can take months or years to obtain
- •Improvement exchange structuring for site work and vertical construction, which requires coordination with qualified intermediaries and tax counsel
- •Environmental and geotechnical due diligence, as land may have contamination or soil conditions that require remediation
- •Infrastructure requirements including utilities, roads, and other improvements needed to make land developable
- •Development feasibility including construction costs, market absorption, and financing availability for planned development
Market insights.
Philadelphia's land market offers diverse opportunities from infill redevelopment sites in established neighborhoods to suburban greenfield development. Infill sites benefit from existing infrastructure and proximity to amenities, while suburban sites may offer lower acquisition costs but require significant infrastructure investment. The region's growing population and expanding job market support demand for both residential and commercial development.