Last week, we saw a sign in the storefront at 244 South St. announcing a new business on the way.

We’re usually pretty good with digging around and finding out information about new residential and commercial development, but we’re coming up empty on this one. This is pretty surprising, because we’d imagine that tobacco stores aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms, even on a commercial corridor like South St., and that there should probably be some information out there about community presentations or a zoning application. Maybe just not yet.

So we’re left mostly with questions right now. Could this new business be related to SJ Cigars, just half a block away up 3rd St.? Or is it a new competitor? Will this business successfully open, or will neighborhood opposition prevent it?

Provided they are able to open, the new Tobacco House will certainly have plenty of foot traffic on South St., especially with the popular Maoz on one side, and the delicious Haagen Dazs on the other. We just hope that they check ID carefully- there are tons of kids on South St. every day and night, even with a curfew ostensibly keeping them inside on weekend nights.