Back in April, we noted that the renovation project at the former AAA Building at 2040 Market St. was nearly finished, and that the much-larger mixed-use building was for sale. While we don’t know whether a sale of the building has been executed or not, today we can tell you that the retail spaces in this building are coming to life.

In the past

More recent photo

In June, National Penn Bank opened their second Center City branch in a space in the building’s northwest corner. And in a few days, a shiny new Fine Wines and Good Spirits shop will open its doors in a much larger space on the building’s east side.

National Penn

New liquor store

According to a thread on Philadelphia Speaks, the new state store will open its doors on August 14th. The day before, the large store on the 1900 block of Chestnut Street will be closing its doors, apparently for good. That store has been one of Center City’s largest and we’d guess busiest, with its proximity to so many byob’s and high-rise apartment buildings. But it seems it’s out with the old and in with the new, as the Chestnut Street store was definitely beginning (continuing?) to show its age, and the new store two blocks away will be bright and shiny.

We confess, we’re not fond of the state-controlled liquor store system in PA, which seems to result in higher prices and limited selection for consumers. But we also will confess that we get a little warm and fuzzy from the new or remodeled PA stores, like the space under the Superfresh in Northern Liberties or on the 700 block of South Street, for example. And while the elimination of state stores seems more possible than ever today, until things change, we’ll choose to do our wine and spirits shopping in new stores whenever possible. That doesn’t make us snobs, does it?