Back in December, we brought 1526 Frankford Ave. to your attention, noting that the former Samuel Machinery Co. warehouse had recently gotten its facade ripped off. At that time, a tarp was temporarily covering the front of the building, and we had no idea about what plans might be in store.

In the past

In December

Fast forward five months and the building has most of a new facade and we have a halfway decent idea of what’s to come. Next week, the developers will come before Fishtown Neighbors Association to present plans for a restaurant/cafe with residential units above. We’re not going to speculate on the restaurant concept that’s in the works, because no matter what it’s gonna be a huge upgrade over what was there before.

Facade is progressing. That restaurant is going to have some high ceilings.

But wait! That’s not all for this block!

Right next door, a building that also recently received a facelift will soon be getting a new (but actually very old) retail tenant. According to a thread on Fishtown.us which was informed by a post on Philebrity, 1524 Frankford Ave. will soon be home to the Philadelphia Record Exchange. The venerable PREX has seen it all for nearly thirty years in its location just off of South Street, and after receiving unanimous support from FNA yesterday will hopefully spend the next thirty taking in the sights of Frankford Avenue.

Future PREX

Yes folks, the hits just keep on coming to Frankford Avenue. One question for locals- though the retail options keep on expanding, what amenities are still lacking? Sure, there are plenty of places to grab a bite or a coffee or a beer, but what else would people be excited to see come to the neighborhood?