Yeah, I remember when they fined a friend's business for keeping a trash bin in front for a few hours. His trash service was supposed to put it in back and didn't until he called a few times. But L&I was all over him. I'm surprised that this persists.

Fairmount bloggers have been bitching about the lack of a supermarket for some time now, the fact is that there was a supermarket at taney&girard, which closed for lack of business.

I can't figure it out or place it (duh)... where is the leaning tower of fairmount - help me

Ask and ye shall receive: Here's the BRT record on the property. It's owned by David and James Kilcoyne of Holland, PA. A little googling revealed that David Kilcoyne is the contractor who was caught in the middle of the MTV Real World labor dispute in 2004. His company, Apple Construction, was hired by the producers to renovate the building the show was filmed in, but that provoked protests by the Philly labor unions because it's a non-union shop.

As for the local business he owns, it looks like it's the Ace Hardware across the street. Both properties are listed on Hallwatch.org as owned by David and James Kilcoyne. Circumstantial evidence, so don't get the torches and pitchforks ready just yet, but that's what it looks like. That's a shame. I go to Ace Hardware all the time.

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Winston, you are quite the sleuth.

Re: the old supermarket at 27th (Taney) & Girard, I believe by the end it was a pretty awful place, so the reason no-one went there is because there were so many better options elsewhere.

I think Fairmounters are looking for not just any crummy supermarket, but a quality store that can attract business from both sides of the avenue.

Um, the guy owns a CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS AND A HARDWARE STORE and he can't get it together to do something about that building?

That's pathetic. Never again will we be going to ace hardware. Jerks.

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Ironic, isn't it? He also owns a few other properties in the area, including 2022 Fairmount (rental property on the other side of the pet store), 2001 Fairmount (office building on the corner next to the hardware store) and the vacant lot on 20th street just above it. For a guy so heavily invested in that block, he sure doesn't give a damn about how the eyesore he owns might hurt the success of his other properties.

Again, this is all just circumstantial evidence based on property tax records. We should give him the benefit of the doubt in case there's more to the story.

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Thank you for all the great feedback!!
My husband and I would love to host a small focus group at our house to anyone that would be interested. It would be a great way get some concrete feedback from those that live in the neighborhood. Please feel free to e-mail at cindi_pa@yahoo,com or through the blog.

Thank You.

I love that place! What a cool front.

Yes, it needs a MAJOR overhaul, but if they can get it together, it will be amazing. A wonderful specimen of old bldg. Though, unfortunately, it really does look pretty far gone. Seriously needs those front to back heated/cooled bars to hold it up and even still that might not work.

I have a weakness for old bldgs....

I think the plan I've heard would be to raise that lot into a 3 or 4 story garage, increasing the parking exponentially, and having an entire first floor of retail. If done tastefully, it could be a real asset the neighborhood (I'm not talking Dunkin Donuts, Wawa, and Q'Doba as the retail).

Okay, I'd take Wawa.

But it would be a challenge to bring in retail that is unique and maintains the 'feel' of this neighborhood while expecting it to survive.

My vote is for bike shop, newsstand/bookstore, obligatory Mexican restaurant, bank, and maybe a few office spaces as well.