Last summer, we brought 1101-03 Frankford Ave. to your attention, noting that the blighted building represented a stalled residential conversion project that was unfortunately tied up with litigation and delinquent taxes. This building was quite a bit of history, having been home to a hosiery mill and an elevator factory at different points over the years.

Last summer

A few weeks ago, a reader checked in and told us that dumpsters had appeared outside this property, and it was apparently being gutted. An interior demolition permit from last month would seem to confirm this diagnosis.

Last week

Apparently, the building got some new owners right before we wrote our post last August, only this wasn’t reflected in public record until several months later. Real Estate 1101 Frankford LLC got a serious deal, purchasing the building at sheriff’s sale…

Back in December, we brought 1526 Frankford Ave. to your attention, noting that the former Samuel Machinery Co. warehouse had recently gotten its facade ripped off. At that time, a tarp was temporarily covering the front of the building, and we had no idea about what plans might be in store.

In the past

In December

Fast forward five months and the building has most of a new facade and we have a halfway decent idea of what’s to come. Next week, the developers will come before Fishtown Neighbors Association to present plans for a restaurant/cafe with residential units above. We’re not going to speculate on the restaurant concept that’s in the works, because no matter what it’s gonna be a huge upgrade over what was there before.

Facade is progressing.

…

We were zipping up Frankford Avenue last week to grab a slice and a scoop at Pizza Brain and Little Baby’s Ice Cream, respectively, when we noticed some new-looking signage next to Palmer Park. Truth be told, we’d wondered about 1619 Frankford Ave. in the past, admiring its unique appearance and wondering why it didn’t have a business operating out of the first floor. But it seems our wondering has come to an end, as Steap and Grind will apparently be doing business out of this triangle-shaped structure in the very near future.

In the past

Current view

According to a thread on Fishtown.us, this new cafe will offer coffee, loose tea, and “delicious breakfast treats.” Apparently, the space was very nearly a gourmet cheese shop operated by…

We’ll refrain from sharing the specific results from a recent 4am jaunt to Sugarhouse, but after this unmitigated disaster, we noted an interesting rickety and seemingly vacant building across the street from the casino, at the corner where Shackamaxon St. hits Delaware Avenue. Since the casino recently announced its plans for an expansion, and with news of various waterfront developments the past year, like plans for a major mixed-use entertainment rooted development that includes the Richmond Street warehouse complex,  just north of Frankford and Delaware Avenues, we decided to come back and check the building out in proper daylight.

The building

It turns out the entire 1100 block of N Delaware Avenue, which stretches between Shackamaxon and Marlborough Streets, is owned by the same developer. They acquired the parcel in question, 1100-02 N. Delaware Ave., for $3.9M in May, 2008, according to 

In Fishtown, Port Richmond and Kensington, various sustainable efforts have dominated the work of local groups. In order to continue to develop concepts like the Big Green Block and the Columbia Avenue Connector, members of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) hosted an event last month called the Blight Busters Ball.

Blight will be busted

Blight that has been busted

“It helped to honor two civic leaders that have been instrumental … to our sustainable development,” said Diana Jih of NKCDC. The leaders were Howard Neukrug, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), and

The wolf, the turkey, the turtle and William Penn are all part of an infrastructure improvement project down by the waterfront in Fishtown. In addition to creating a streetscape that includes tree plantings, rain gardens and other sustainable elements, the Columbia Avenue Connector will feature public art that pays tribute to the treaty signed between the Lenni Lenape Indians and William Penn in Penn Treaty Park.

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) is creating a Columbia Avenue Connector that will improve access between the neighborhood and waterfront at Delaware Avenue, according to Karen Thompson, a DRWC spokesperson. The section of the Columbia Avenue west of the I-95 underpass, between the overpass and Girard Avenue will be improved by a streetscape designed by Studio Bryan Hanes.

Current view

In the future

Hanes…