As Girard Avenue continues to grow with new retail locations filling in empty spots up and down the way, it seems the animals too are looking to get in on the fun.
The Fishtown Neighbors Association recently supported plans for a veterinary clinic to open at 233-35 E. Girard Ave., close to the Frankford & Girard intersection. The past year or so we've seen various plans for new retail just past Frankford along Girard like the popular Pizzeria Beddia or Stock, a Pho place that just opened over the weekend.
A veterinary clinic will certainly cater to the needs of Fishtown residents who have dogs and cats and whatever other animals (will they treat fish at a vet clinic in Fishtown?). And there will be no shortage of new Fishtown residents unless Fishtown falls through the cracks of Philadelphia to the center of the Earth, considering the continued amount of new construction planned or occurring right now, be it the numerous infill developments or larger-scale mixed use projects.
That a veterinary clinic is coming also points to another positive element in the creation and redevelopment of a viable commercial corridor: variety. Frankford Ave. is already raining restaurants. And it's only going to keep raining harder, like LeBron's shooting in the playoffs. Along East Girard, we've seen mostly restaurants open in the past few years. So to see a new niche kind of business opening is definitely a positive. Perhaps the Frankford Ave. revitalization is causing developers and entrepreneurs to take a fresh look at the Girard Ave. commercial corridor. In early May, we shared news that there is a new tenant for the former New Acropolis at the northwest corner of Frankford & Girard, as well as a new storefront renovations on the other side of Front Street.
So as building continues in Fishtown, we're thinking you may see more and more businesses pop-up along Girard. We hope so. And so do the neighbors, it seems.