Two years ago, we wondered what a little building the size of a ticket stand on a vacant Frankford Ave. corner was doing. Back then we thought 1431-35 Frankford Ave. would be a solid location for redevelopment. Such a vision has recently come to life as the Fishtown Neighbors Association recently supported plans for a take-out taco shack at this location. It will purportedly be run by the owners of Modo Mio, according to a thread on Fishtown.us.
When we stopped by for photos last month, we spied a hotbed of redevelopment nearby. Just across the street, a concrete truck was readying to pour the foundations for another Frankford Ave. project. We first told you about this mixed-use proposal for three four-story buildings with ground-floor commercial last spring. Meanwhile, if you turn and look the other way from the future stand, you'll see a church on Marlborough that will soon be demolished, completing the tic tac toe of redevelopment here at Frankford & Marlborough. We told you in November the church was coming down to make room for six single-family homes.
When we first wondered about the lot that will eventually house the Mexican joint, we mentioned that it had once been a hot dog stand then a breakfast luncheonette, and then vacant for some time. We'd have to imagine it was a gas station back in the day, as building permits mention the removal of underground tanks. It was first listed back in 2005, then later in 2009, when it was up for $125K. The lot eventually sold in March of 2013 for $105K to Fishbone Real Estate. Only three blocks from Girard Ave., this is right in the swing of the Frankford Ave. redevelopment and we have little doubt that the new business will be well received by the neighborhood.