As Fishtown has continued to redevelop, we've seen a good mix of larger projects and one-off projects, sometimes even on the same block. On the 2100 block of Norris Street alone, we've seen the ten-home Norris Point project and an additional six homes get started a little closer to Frankford Avenue. On the other side of Frankford but technically on the same block, we recently came upon a one-off mixed-use building under construction at 2186 E. Norris St., replacing a vacant lot.
According to the permits, this property will have commercial on the first floor and residential above. It's encouraging that the developers would opt for a commercial use at this location. With Frankford Avenue just steps away, perhaps there's a belief that the good vibes from the corridor can spill over onto Norris Street, adding a slightly hidden retail amenity for the neighborhood. It's actually pretty consistent with the fact that the folks building this thing are the same ones who own the building across the street which is on its way to renovation.
In case you don't recall, this property, a former fire house, post office, and army surplus store, is getting converted into nine aparments and a ground-floor commercial space. Once this building gets renovated and the building currently under construction is finished, there will be two new commercial spaces on Norris Street, right near Frankford Avenue. Oh, and a handful of new customers to patronize the businesses that eventually fill those spaces. Forgive us though, if we've just a pinch more excited about the building that's getting remodeled than we are about the one that's getting built.