Last week, we told you about the new Turkish restaurant, Divan, located in the former Shouk space at 622 S 6th St., in Bella Vista. At the time, we also mentioned the upcoming Bainbridge Street Barrel House, on the northeast corner of 6th and Bainbridge Sts., which is currently under heavy construction. Perusing Philadelphia Speaks the other day as we so often do, we learned about another interesting project in the immediate area that bears mentioning.

6th St., looking north

In February, we told you that 531-33 Bainbridge St., a former storage facility for Fleishman’s Fabrics, had been sold. We wondered at that time whether the new owner, a Center City dentist, would open a huge dental facility, tear down the buildings and replace it with new homes, or open up a laser tag facility. All wrong, it seems. According to a post on Philadelphia Speaks, the new owners will turn the warehouse into a humungous big 10,000 sqft home. Uh, can we request an open house?

Warehouse, with the rear of the Bainbridge Street Barrel House in the foreground

Closer look at future giant home

Pretty cool, huh?

On the other hand, a project that we expected to happen looks like it could be dead.

Moving a block to the north, you may recall a few months back when we told you that 7-11 is working to take over the long-shuttered McDonald’s space at 6th & South. The zoning hearing was scheduled for last week, and the ZBA tells us that the application was withdrawn. The project apparently didn’t have the support of South Street Headhouse District or Bella Vista Town Watch. So it appears possible that the new Roots mural could find itself painted on the side of a vacant commercial building.

Is this good news for locals? Bad news? Does anybody have any more insight into just what happened here?