Three years ago we saw the lesser-known side of Fairmount Avenue, east of the Penitentiary, experience vast redevelopment that spilled over into Francisville. This wave of development has yet to crest, and its most notable addition is the large Project H.O.M.E. 55-unit mixed-use project on the formerly vacant lot near Broad Street, mere steps from the Divine Lorraine, which itself has been the site of many developers’ dreams.
These days it’s looking like West Girard Avenue in Brewerytown, which has seen various improvements in recent years, like the opening of Mugshots, which left and was just as quick filled in by High Point Cafe this past fall, is the next commercial corridor getting the redevelopment makeover.
Near High Point, we recently spotted workers hauling in lumber to the ground-floor retail location of a three-story building at 2819 Girard Ave. next to Butter's Soul Food. MM Partners, a developer that’s played an integral role in recent improvements along Girard and its neighboring blocks, bought the building back in 2008. Does anybody know what's coming here?
While we're not sure exactly what this site will be, we do know that Music Box Records has moved from the 2700 block to 2826 Girard Ave., which means the area is strong enough to support a record store (it might be the only area these days). A bike shop quickly opened at the old Music Box Records location, according to a commenter. And a brewery should be arriving next fall. And with the historic St. Augustine's Church next door now being renovated into residential units, all of these businesses should soon have plenty of new customers. Parlay that with plans for a major mixed-use development on the block long vacant lot across the street on the southeast corner at 27th & Girard, and West Girard in Brewerytown seems to be tuning up her voice for a redevelopment song.