Over the last couple of years, the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation has renovated a number of buildings on and near Passyunk Avenue, improving the corridor one property at a time. Thanks to their efforts, the Avenue now has a comic book shop, Will BYOB, and a new Fond location, among other stuff. And soon, PARC will renovate the former Colombo's to accomodate a new steak house, and will oversee the construction of a new gateway to Passyunk Avenue. But at the moment, they're working on a renovation of 1520 E. Passyunk Ave., most recently home to Karina's restaurant.
As you can see, all the windows have been replaced, and some new ones have been added. The tiles that covered the facade at the corner have gone away, and a handicap ramp has appeared. Inside, the space has been gutted to the studs. The unfortunate blue paint on the 2nd floor remains, but not for long. Check out these elevations drawings, provided by PARC:
The second floor will be painted and shutters will be added. Brick veneers are going to be used on the first floor, covering the stucco you see today. A handsome wood strip will bridge the gap between the first and second floor. Brigantessa, from the guys who own Le Virtu, will be taking over the space, with a kitchen in the basement, a bar on the first floor, and dining on the second floor. Clearly, this will be a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and will upgrade a building that needed a bit of a facelift. We'll look forward to seeing the drawings above become a reality.
And soon enough, PARC's next project will get going.
Can't wait for this one either.