Since it’s Labor Day weekend, we figured we’d give you a quick update on the progress for the commercial spaces at the former Union building at 21st and South Sts.

Massive building

First, the good news: Doggie Style opened for business this past week. No signage yet, but otherwise they’re good to go.

Doggie Style, from the outside

City Fitness still seems to have quite a bit of work to do, though they’ve done plenty of framing inside and we don’t know about their progress in the basement. According to an email from a couple of weeks ago, the grand opening will happen between mid-September and mid-October. From what we can tell looking in the window, we’re thinking it’ll be mid-October at the absolute earliest.

Plans for the first

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East Passyunk Avenue is home to a bevy of classy joints, outdoor seating and adorable boutiques. At Flavors of the Avenue, the East Passyunk food festival, press releases unveiled plans for new projects. Gordon Dinerman (of City Tap House) plans to make his mark on the popular South Philly street. 1700 East Passyunk Avenue used to house the Doggie Style animal daycare center (the retail portion of Doggie Style remains open).  Now the Liquor Control Board has approved Dinerman’s new operation, Birra, for the location.

Dinerman, Barclay Prime manager and ex-Stephen Starr employee, plans to have all of his items at Birra cooked in wood-burning ovens, including pizza and rustic Italian small plates. Birra, Italian for beer, means that, yes, beer will be served here, with an emphasis on worldwide craft beers. Plans also include serving wine…

The former dilapidated 20-year-old Doggy World at 858 N. Third Street is now the bright non-profit charity Operation Ava and soon-to-be for-profit Pet Mechanic. Nine-year-old Ava Guitierrez, daughter of Claudia (CEO of Operatrion Ava and COO and senior vice president of Doggie Style) began the business to provide rescue and adoption services to the neighborhood as well as medical care or funding for medical procedures. Last night attorney Adam Lavar proposed Op Ava’s vet hospital and overnight boarding to the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association (NLNA), to some resistance. Lavar proposed the transformation of the day care at 860-862 N. Third Street, the retail and rescue non-profit Operation Ava, as well as the Pet Mechanic at 858 N. Third Street, a for-profit veterinarian space for at-cost high-quality services for Operation Ava that that will be overseen by University of Pennsylvania vets. (

The empty building on the northwest corner of 21st and South was suppose to be home to a national pharmacy chain, but when the economy fell apart, so did the plans with that tenant. US Realty, who is representing the project, tells us that they approached the landlord with the concept of making it a more local-retailer-packed project with tenants similar to those you’d find at the Piazza in Northern Liberties. David Grasso of Grasso Holdings is developing the corner spot at 2101-43 South Street, which at this time looks like a city high school gymnasium, with one door and various barred windows. However, what US Realty was able to come up with is a pretty impressive all-Philly-based retail haven: Honey’s Sit N’ Eat on the corner with outdoor seating, Doggie Style, City Fitness (which will take a large chunk of the ground floor and entire basement),…