We remember back when The 700 was the place to be on 2nd Street, mostly because there weren't too many other places to go. Over the last decade plus, the 2nd Street corridor in Northern Liberties has experienced a dramatic resurgence. The Piazza is the big fish, drawing plenty of people to area businesses, and housing a few hundred more potential customers. But closer to Spring Garden Street, it's been a collection of small businesses that have slowly filled in the gaps along the corridor. And another space could soon get filled, after many years of vacancy.
710 N. 2nd St. has been empty for over a decade, with its storefront boarded up. Avi Developers LLC purchased the building back in 2002, and their 4,500 sqft property has surely appreciated over those years. Finally, it seems they're renovating the property. According to FUSA Designs, the architects working on the project, there will be a commercial space on the first floor and three 2-bedroom apartments above. The renovation effort was apparently spurred by the fact that the new zoning code allows the project by right, and the old code required a variance for the project described above. Does anyone who lives in the neighborhood have any additional insight into the recent history of this property?
With all the little businesses that have opened on 2nd Street in recent years, many of the neighborhood's needs are surely met. But another business is always a welcome addition to a commercial corridor. What would people in the neighborhood like to see go into this space?