In the past few years, Girard Avenue east of Front Street has experienced the fruits of entrepreneurs and developers who envision the area as a good spot for business. Perhaps it was anchored by the construction of the Piazza, or maybe it’s just the natural extension of Northern Liberties development bursting from its britches. That being said, development sometimes takes time. And in the case of the vacant property at Girard Ave. and Shackamaxon St. we’ve been waiting over five years.

The lot

In 2007, owners of the lot situated at 114-120 E Girard Ave. (or 1140-44 Shackamaxon St.) received overwhelming community support from Fishtown Neighbors Association for their project which depicted a three-story mixed-use development with a ground-floor commercial space occupied by Palm Tree Market, two residential units above, and underground parking. At the time, the site featured a vacant overgrown lot and presented a water…