It might be awhile before developers have a chance to appear before the Fishtown Neighbors Association zoning committee for their proposal to transform a large corner vacant parcel at 623 E Girard Ave. into a new mixed-use building.
Developers from Ascender Investments failed to appear for a scheduled appearance with the FNA earlier this month, and have not yet filed an appeal with the ZBA, according to FNA zoning chair Matt Karp. The property sits at the edge of Fishtown, about a block from where Girard Avenue melts into I-95. We're pretty sure they're the same folks who built the seven homes on Flora Street in recent years- you can see the backs of those homes in the photos of the site.
“We spent a lot of time flyering and advertising for them not to show up to their community meeting,” Karp said.
Something here must be amiss, like a hurdle in the plans that's yet to be jumped, but judging from the ongoing redevelopment occurring along East Girard Avenue, we think ultimately a new project will rise here. With all the new residential building across Fishtown the past few years, there's plenty retail coming to this side of the corridor. Stock came online earlier this year, and we recently wrote about some other potential-laden properties nearby. Plus, a former rose garden at 300 E Girard was being transformed into a mixed-use building last year which will soon house a tip-free restaurant. Compound that with the former auto parts star that was being renovated last winter where Marlborough hits Girard, and you can really begin to see widespread redevelopment, the kind that builds a neighborhood, with retailers too, in the works. It makes us wonder what will fill the retail space when the building in question eventually gets built.