Remember the Princess Diaries story about the former auto supply store at the corner of Marlborough Street & E. Girard Avenue? This business occupied the building for many years, painting the bricks white and covering the window openings with plywood. Then the building changed hands in 2013 and took off its proverbial glasses, revealing the beautiful princess hiding underneath all those layers of paint. And it was wonderful.
Over the last few months, this property has been under construction and we're not wild about the results. The owners rightfully realized that the missing chunk of building on Girard Avenue wasn't making them any money, so they decided that an addition was in order. This addition is allowing them to increase the residential unit count in the building from two to four, and you know we're all about density, especially on a commercial corridor. Where we find ourselves a little bummed is the look of the addition. The red stucco facade, the stucco framing for the windows, the mixed-up window sizes, and the lack of a cornice all make it look like this section of the building was just sort of plopped on top of the existing building. Seen in contrast to the original section, it's pretty jarring.
On the plus side, Fishtown Real Estate indicates that Atomic Comics! Bar will be taking over on the first floor, and a building permit from last year suggests that some kind of grocery store is also in the works. No idea whether this means there will be two tenants here, whether the comic place will sell groceries, or whether the comic place is happening instead of the other concept. We'd bet that the comic store is related to Atomic City Comics on South Street but we couldn't tell you for sure. Also, a comics bar kind of sounds like something out of Kick Ass– maybe this place will also show the news all the time and be a hangout for teenage superheroes and their friends.