Back in late 2012, Stephen Starr said something about eventual plans for a "rock and roll" boutique hotel in Fishtown. We, along with Foobooz, speculated that the hotel could appear at 1224 Frankford Ave., the former Arctic Storage building which happens to be adjacent to Starr spots Frankford Hall and Fette Sau. The building, which was previously a brewery and a pickle factory, dates back to the turn of the century and has generally looked worse for the wear in recent decades.
We passed by the other day, and thought that the hotel might be getting started. Or at least something might be getting started. Or at the very least, the owners are doing some work on the facade.
The L&I Map only indicates permits for masonry work to replace loose and missing bricks. The permits specifically state that sealed windows are to remain undisturbed. So while it's possible that the scaffolding you see in the photo portends the building's restoration, there's also a chance that the property owners are simply performing long overdue maintenance and the redevelopment is still a ways away. The same can't be said for a garage a few doors down at 1236 Frankford Ave., which is no more.
Again, the L&I Map only indicates permits for demolition, not the construction that will likely follow. Has anybody heard about plans for this property, which changed hands about a year ago? And have any neighbors heard about imminent plans for the reawakening of the Arctic Storage building?