A reader shot us an email the other day, wondering about some construction activity they noticed at 118 Richmond St., pretty much in the shadow of I95. Just a couple of blocks from Sugarhouse Casino and around the corner from the next step in the Penn Treaty Village development plan, this area seems ripe for redevelopment, and has seen some new construction and renovation in the last couple of years. Plus, it’s super-close to Barcade, so we figured it would be a sensible spot for some residential development.

The lot

As you can see in the photo above, a foundation of sorts is in place. We asked a worker on the site, who told us that he’s heard a garage will be built here, but he seemed uncertain. We then peeked at the

The south side of Frankford Avenue has been on our radar for months. Considering all of the commercial activity on the block where already sit the Handle Bar, Barcade, Barbary and more, we wondered what else could soon happen around these parts.

The answer to our question is… there’s a ton of potential. First, we stumbled upon the fact and broke the story the Michael Samschick, of Core Realty, has acquired the large warehouse that extends almost the length of the block between Richmond Street and Delaware Avenue. We also came upon 1101-1103 Frankford Ave., a warehouse that’s ripe for renovation. And just across the street, 1039-55 Frankford Ave. sits unfinished, a stalled condo conversion that’s been tied up in court for several years.

1039-55 Frankford Ave.

Gibor Partners, based in Bala Cynwyd, purchased the 52K sqft property about a…

We were in the neighborhood the other day, and the sight of this building, under construction, gave us pause. 1600 Frankford Ave. has been on and off the market for the last couple of years, before finally being purchased by Barksdale Properties LLC earlier this year, for $210K.

The building

Inside, the building has nearly 3,400 sqft of space, and it had most recently been set up for five apartments. According to the most recent listing, the property was in need of a total rehab, and that is exactly what appears to be taking place. Speaking of the listing, it also boasts that the property is within walking distance of “Barcade Sandwich and Sub Shop.” Huh?

On Oxford St.

What was this, originally?

The bones of this building are very cool, and…

It’s been years since Philadelphia was referred to as the “Next Borough” in the New York Times, but there’s no doubt that New York based businesses are starting to notice Philadelphia and take it seriously as a location for expansion. The hype for Shake Shack, as we discussed at length, was palpable. Barcade, the Brooklyn-based bar plus arcade (‘natch) has had success in its nearly yearlong run on on a sometimes forgotten stretch of Frankford Avenue. And now, right next door to the wildly successful Frankford Hall, another Brooklyn-based business will soon burst onto the scene.

On the right

Frankford Hall next door

Weeks ago, we noticed a zoning application and a liquor license application at 1204 Frankford Ave., on the commercial space in between…

A reader tipped us off about a zoning notice in front of a warehouse at 19 E. Oregon Ave., just to the east of I-95.

Great name

Thomas Colace Co. is a company that processes and distributes fruits and vegetables to food service businesses. They moved from this huge warehouse to Jersey a few years back, and the building was most recently on the market for $1.725M. According to the representative we spoke with at CBRE, the property is currently under contract, though we don’t know the identity of the buyer.

What we do know is that the buyer is proposing a unique new use for the building, according to the zoning application that was granted over the summer. The new concept will include a bowling alley, a bar/restaurant, live music, a pool room, an amusement arcade, and outdoor…

While millions of shad that once swam through the Delaware River off the banks of Fishtown have been killed off by American industry among other things, Fishtown is faring quite well these days, thank you very much, in terms of neighborhood revitalization. While the development of Frankford Ave. north of Girard is well documented, the quieter southern stretch of Frankford Ave., between Girard Ave. and SugarHouse Casino, has deservedly received less attention.

From Google

Looking north

Other side of the street, looking north. Barcade is in the building next to the empty lot

But things are starting to move in this area.

A lengthy road improvement project that diverted traffic off of this street for months recently came to an end.

Barcade opened its doors a couple of weeks ago. Despite some…