Last year, we explored the roasting facilities for Reanimator Coffee, located in an old warehouse on Cecil B that also functioned as an arts space. Since then, this local coffee roaster has appeared in various new cafes around town and even opened a spot of their own in Fishtown. And soon, they'll be moving to a new roasting space a little closer to Girard Avenue, in a building that's taking a dramatic turn for the better.
According to Hidden City, 310 Master St. was once home to an elevator repair shop, took a turn as a nightclub, and at one point served as an illegal marijuana grow house. For a really long time, it looked like it does in the photo above- awesome bones but in terrible condition. Looking at the photo, though, you can see that the place oozed with potential. A little more than a year ago, developer Charlie Abdo purchased the property, and he's currently bringing it back to life a la Dr. Frankenstein.
Soon, Reanimator will be moving their roasting operation to this new space. According to Northeast Times, a tech company and another business will join them. We're always happy to see adaptive reuse in action, and this is a wonderful example of a thoughtful developer "reanimating" an old building for modern (and legal) uses.
Unfortunately, the lots next door which are currently being used by the developer as staging for the project could be on the shelf for years. Two of them are owned by City agencies and the others are owned by various parties. Cross your fingers with us and hope for the best. At least the renovation next door is a tremendous start.