We got a hot tip from a reader that some elaborate masonry work was being done on a building on the 2700 block of Frankford Ave., just below Somerset Street. Literally on the other side of the tracks from Fishtown, this building, we believe, was once housed a telephone exchange, whatever that means.

Here’s a look at what 2757 Frankford Ave. looked like a couple of years ago.

In the past

And a shot from the other day:

Getting cleaned up, big time

While we were over there snapping photos, the owner of the property happened to be out front. Matthew Proud purchased the building, along with the vacant lots next door, a couple of months ago. Proud is a masonry contractor, who does brick, stone, concrete, and stucco work. So he’s clearly a good fit for this property, which was in dire need of repair.

Proud isn’t entirely sure what he’s going to do with this property, and is considering both residential or commercial uses at this time. As we said, he owns several currently vacant parcels next door, and he’s hoping to build on those lots once he’s done working on the existing building. Proud believes that the redevelopment of Fishtown and East Kensington will continue to progress on the other side of Lehigh Avenue, and this is his foothold in this (hopefully) soon-to-be developing area.

Looking toward Fishtown

Time will tell when or if this does indeed take place, but a few more investors like Proud could do a great deal to speed up the process. We’ll keep our eyes peeled on the area, and we’ll be sure to check back in on this property in the months to come.

Could be a really cool apartment, no?