Bradley Maule Goes To Super-Annoying Community Meetings So You Don’t Have To
Well, I guess we can let the cat out of the bag now: Remember this blind item about the old Global Thrift/ye olde Jumbo Theater at Front & Girard being converted into some kind of large bar/venue thing? Well, that would be Avram Hornik, whom you may know from such establishments as Lucy’s Hat Shop, Drinker’s, Bar Noir, Loie and Noche. (Full disclosure: Some of Hornik’s venues advertise on Philebrity.) Hornik revealed last night at a community meeting his plans for the joint: A 100-capacity restaurant and a live music venue geared towards national tour acts that holds 500-700. Bradley Maule of Phillyskyline went to the meeting, and thus far, it looks like Hornik’s got his work cut out for him. To wit, via Maule’s extensive notes:
· Even though the bulk of dyed-in-the-wool Fishtowners laid down and played dead for Sugarhouse, Hornik’s venue (we’re thinking TLA in scope, possibly World Cafe Live in vibe, minus of course the Cosi design, instead restoring the locale to its old glory as the Jumbo) for some reason already seems to rile the NIMBY anger and ongoing class war that rages in Fishtown presently.
· And to that end, there’s already a motion to block Hornik’s liquor license here.
· Meanwhile, at the cross-roads of the NIMBYs and the class warriors, there are, of course, the Crazy Ladies that seem to show up at any community meeting. Avram, meet Mrs. “You’re Not Opening This Place Without Somehow Adding On 400 Parking Spots.” Are you fucking kidding me? (Remind us to do a post later about how, much like racists don’t believe in the holocaust, NIMBYs don’t believe that people actually walk, bike or take cabs/SEPTA.)
Because here’s the thing: This venue sits under the El, across from what I personally can attest is one of the skankiest titty bars in the entire city, and is flanked on one side by a closed-down KFC. Even if this is your backyard, the fact that an entrepreneur with a proven track record wants to come in, restore a property that has major historical significance to this neighborhood, aggressively attract a more upscale crowd to a dirty little corner and bring a load of money into the neighborhood should belie any woes about parking and noise, no? Ah, Fishtown: You just can’t stop not loving you.
PhillySkyline: Let’s Rumble At The Jumbo
September 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I’m not sure what ‘class war’ means in this post. Otherwise, I hope the music industry can hold up its end of the bargain.
September 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
How did I miss this? Fuckin’ NIMBys.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I do think the person at the meeting who speculated that this would end up being akin to the love child of the Spaghetti Warehouse and Finnegan’s Wake had a point. (I believe Hornik himself conceded the possibility as well). The idea itself isn’t bad, but I’m not sure this particular developer has the absolute best taste, nor does it seem likey that he can restore this space for under $1 million (his figure, not mine).
September 11th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
How can a neighborhood have so much left to redevelop and yet still feel so played-out already?
September 11th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I don’t understand how this is going to bring a load of money into the neighborhood. If you mean people with loads of money will come to the neighborhood and give it to people who neither live nor hang out there, who will then take that money and spend it in other neighborhoods, then the statement is accurate. As I understand, it would not result in any increase in city services, budgeting, or other direct gain to the residents of the neighborhood except for the fact that the property is restored.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
@ onthelam: You don’t think a venue this size will A) employ people who live in the neighborhood and B) pay hefty property taxes? And that’s just off the top of my head. At the end of any neighborhood association’s groaning is always some kind of payout or in-kind tradeoff. There’s no way the people of Fishtown don’t win here. And we’re not even talking about the restoration of the property to something that celebrates its history, which is really very important. There are not a lot of historical landmarks in Fishtown, but growing up here, my folks always told me about the Jumbo with fond memories.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
While Sweeney’s right, I still like OmtheLam’s notion that any business larger than mom and pop in his book is some sort of money laundering operation. It’d be cool to go through life seeing the world that way. Like a video game or comic book.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
In response, as to A) an unknown (understandably subject to debate but when you want your place to have a certain “look and feel,” I’m not confident that prioritizes neighborhood residents as employees), and; B) doesn’t matter, property taxes go into the city budget which then is a big pool of money for the city as a whole. Besides, we’re not talking about that much money in taxes. Further, that money only gets back to the neighborhood through the councilman, who may or may not be able to use the existence of that business to lobby for increased funds. As to “payouts” or tradeoffs, Mr. Hornik’s track record with neighborhood associations has been chronicled by other publications and has been less than stellar to put it kindly. I think Hornik certainly has good intentions and I’d be happy to see him succeed there with an upscale restaurant/venue. However, Drinker’s, Lucy’s, Loie, etc. all speak for themselves and reflect residents’ skepticism and desire for up-front guarantees, e.g. advance payment for additional police, etc. A lack of parking and forced use of public transit would in fact be desirable, simply in that it will keep the place from feeling like an isolated venue (Electric Factory, Tiki Bob’s) and avoid the attendant risks of drunk driving. I think what it comes down to, is residents anticipate public drunkenness, fights, and drunk driving and there’s simply no way to anticipate what’s going to happen, and that’s why he’s seeing some backlash.
C. the Impaler: Way to read between the lines and bring something extra to the table. You should be a commentator for FoxNews.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
As someone who lives less than two blocks from this intersection, I personally am not excited about a venue of this size so close at a location that is already crowded with many people, cars, bikes, buses, etc. The number of accidents (car on car, car on bike, car on pedestrian) that I have witnessed in the few block stretch on Girard between 3rd Street and Frankford may be proof enough that the infrastructure currently there is insufficient and that without significant improvements and more police presence, an addition of this size right there may not be a pro-neighborhood/pro-neighborhoodie move. I would be interested in hearing more about how Hornik promises to make improvements in the area before unleashing almost a 1,000 drunk revelers on to this corner. I like good music and I like good times but a 700-person venue? Eh, I could do without. The intersection currently leaves much to be desired but…this? I’m not saying no development would work, I’m saying maybe not THIS development right now. I am also not sure that folks coming to shows would really take SEPTA in large numbers. Wish I could be more optimistic…
September 15th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Wow, “skankiest titty bar” what a completely derogatory dehumanization of the women who work there. And you were trying to make a compelling, intelligent argument in support of a live music venue, although you know personally that it’s a skanky titty bar.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Next door to the proposed venue.
September 15th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
@number10: You do realize we’re talking about two separate places, correct?
September 15th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
@tips: yep, and correction made.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
@number10ox. Wow. Just wow. Having lived off of girard, never at most more than 3 blocks from the places in question for quite a long time – much as I am sad to admit this – you have NO clue about how awful that place is to the area. You’re getting jazzed up about something trivial to what sween said. Are you one of the people who negates a argument because the other person cursed? Surely I hope not.
Oh and Need parking? Tear down the kfc and make THAT parking. Or park all the way up front, lord knows there are 3 people that live off that street for 10 blocks north. Park in front of that drug runner/car shop.