Close to the waterfront, it seems that a longtime local business owner is looking to capitalize on the wave of residential development unfurling throughout Fishtown.
The zoning at 118-120 Richmond St. is for industrial use despite the fact that the block its on is largely residential. Keeping with the approved zoning uses, John Neill, the owner of John Neill and Son Plumbing & Heating at 256 E. Girard Ave., built a garage here last year, ostensibly for use as a plumbing shop. Somewhere along the line, plans were apparently changed slightly and he appeared before the Fishtown Neighbors Association zoning committee recently with plans to turn the upstairs space into two apartments. Though members in attendance were concerned that, depending on final designs, either the living room or a bedroom would be without a window, the community offered its support for the project.
We wondered what was happening at this site back in 2012 when the supposed plumbing office, as indicated by permits, first started to peep up. At the time, we were disappointed that there would only be a commercial use here. Now, the changes to the project make sense. As we mentioned, there are already a number of residential units along this block. And just down the street, the Richmond Street Warehouse complex project from major developer Michael Samshick of Core Realty (and Penn Treaty Village) is poised to redevelop a wasted block-long-and-wide site into an entertainment complex that includes a music venue with room for thousands, two restaurants, and a distillery.
When that happens, the Frankford Avenue revitalization that started at Girard will have spread both northward and southward. Right now, the northern end of Frankford Avenue is spilling over with development. So we are not surprised in the least that owners have taken this lot, which they acquired in 2007, and transformed it from vacant into mixed-use, a common theme throughout the neighborhood these days.