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 

The City is selling two large long-time vacant overgrown lots just about underneath I-95 at Front and Wildey Streets through Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). The deadline to submit an RFP is February 8.

The two lots, 1049-69 N. Front St. and 1101-19 N. Front St. total just shy of 63K sqft are immediately across the street from Tip Top Playground. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the lots were turned over to the City in 1974. In years past, one was a leather tannery and the other a cotton factory, with other various uses at both sites over the years.

1049-69 Front St

In Northern Liberties, there was a 112 percent increase of the 20- to 29-years-old population, between 2000 and 2010, according to the RFP, and it’s continuing, with the Northern…

A significant deal has gone down on the hush along the waterfront, where 700-30 N Delaware Ave., a 50K+ sqft parcel, was purchased for $10M in August, according to the OPA.

Block for sale

Running north along the south side of Delaware Avenue, the property includes a closed faded building which operated under various names in the past, like Club Flow, that includes Greyhound offices and the large adjacent lot that houses dozens of Greyhound and Bolt Buses.  Realtor Karen Caplan confirmed the sale.

Dance!

We wonder who purchased the lot. Public records led us to a VMDT Partnership registered to what seems to be the same address as the Westover Country Club in Norristown. Was it Samschick and Core Realty? With his Penn Treaty Village and plans for the old Richmond Street…

About a month ago, we had a brief post about the large, dilapidated warehouse on the 900 block of Frankford Avenue. At the time, we noted that developer Michael Samschick of Core Realty had purchased the property, and that plans could soon be forthcoming to improve this unfortunate eyesore that seemed full of potential.

Yuck

According to Planphilly, the cat emerged from the bag last week, when Samschick presented plans for the building to the Fishtown Neighbors Association Zoning Committee. Apparently, the developer intends to create an exciting concept in this space which will include a music venue for 3,000, two restaurants, a distillery, and a (possibly slightly redundant) bowling alley. In addition, Samschick hopes to establish a country & western venue in a former dry ice building around the corner, which is actually a little…

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…

Something we’ve started to notice when we research abandoned, deteriorating properties, or sites where years old zoning notices hang beaten and weathered, is that there tend to be property tax issues. Similar to the owners of this overgrown Brewerytown lot that we told you about last week, the owners of 1101-1103 Frankford Avenue have accumulated a hefty sum of unpaid property taxes, according to the BRT. Owners 1101 Frankford LLC acquired the property for $595K in 2004 and made payments until 2008. In just four years, they’ve piled up $79,833.35 in delinquent taxes.

The building

This civil court case, which lists 1101 Frankford LLC as one of the defendants, gives us the idea that the story of this property is complex indeed. There are at least three other lawsuits that the owners of this property are involved in, which sheds a…