Over two years ago, we first brought two blighted buildings at the corner of 6th & Lombard to your attention. We explained that the two buildings were owned by Mother Bethel AME Church, a long-established congregation across the street. At the time, we hoped that the church would either fix up the buildings or sell them off to somebody who would.
About a year ago, we were encouraged to learn that 540 Lombard St., the building one off from the corner, had been sold to a private developer who demolished and rebuilt the property. Our expectation was that the church would take the proceeds from the sale of the building to renovate the corner property, which it still owned at the time. By the summer, we learned that the church sold off the corner property as well, which was just fine by us. The new owner came to QVNA asking for support for a coffee shop in this location, a variance that was ultimately granted by the ZBA.
As you can see, the building has been throughly renovated, and Iamcoffee has taken over the commercial space. We stuck our heads in the door of this week-and-a-half-old business and discovered an adorable shop with seating for just shy of twenty, serving La Colombe coffee and tasty-looking pastries. They also have breakfast items, sandwiches, and salads on the menu, which is pretty impressive considering the relatively small space they're working with. While it's true that the inside of the place is super cute, it's the exterior that really left us impressed. The storefront has been both restored and reimagined at the same time, meshing old architectural details with new flourishes. We especially appreciate the windows, which add so much character to the place.
Hopefully, this new shop will be a wonderful addition to the neighborhood and an oasis for thirsty parents of kids playing at Starr Garden. Combined with the elimination of blight on a particularly visible Center City corner, it looks like a win all the way around.