In fits and starts, we’re seeing real estate development make its way past Lehigh Avenue, over the railroad tracks, and into Port Richmond. We’ve covered a handful of larger projects over the last couple years, but the vast majority of the action in this area is in the form of a one-off new construction homes, and even more commonly, the rehabbing of existing homes. As such, the neighborhood has largely maintained its character and personality, even as new owners and renters move to this part of town. This could, of course, change in the coming years if and when additional development makes its way into the area.

The major commercial corridors here are Richmond Street and Lehigh Avenue, but Port Richmond also has a robust local economy around businesses located on corners around the neighborhood, similar to certain parts of South Philly. Many of these storefronts are home to food establishments, which generally rely on locals to stay afloat. It’s a tough model, but some of these places have been around forever, becoming institutions. The same can’t be said about the most recent business at 2636 E. Ann St., a pub called Dooey’s Road which opened in 2012 and closed a couple years later.

A reader reached out to us the other day, letting us know that the former Dooey’s was getting some serious work done, both inside and out. From the outside, you can see that the upper floor has gotten a new coat of paint. We have to believe that the interior is getting a little more work done.

The same reader directed our attention to a newish Facebook page which identifies the business working on the space as Nemi Mexican Restaurant. The entity that bought the property paid $380K for this smallish building, which leads us to believe that they acquired the liquor license along with the bricks. So we don’t have many details on this new place, but figure on a Mexican spot with a full bar, which would bring something new and different to the neighborhood. We’d have thought that something like this might have made more sense on a corridor, but like we said there are plenty of corner businesses around here that do just fine. And hey, if Bait and Switch can make things work a few blocks away on Somerset Street, we don’t see why Nemi can’t have similar success.