In case you missed Mayor Nutter’s remarks at our recent open house. We were very honored that he made the time in his very busy schedule to come check out the buildings.
New Sidewalks!
Poured this morning 🙂
The Coal Cellar
The basement of 204 (where the YIKES kitchen and conference room will be) has a coal cellar which lives under the sidewalk in the front of the building. Pre-construction, I thought it was scary, but now that I feel confident it has been throughly explored and no skeletons have been found, I think it’s pretty cool to have this unique coal storage area that is probably well over 100 years old.
With the sidewalk busted up from the streetscaping, there is natural light temporarily streaming into the cellar through an old, broken pipe and a vent. When I peeked in and saw it, it motivated me to climb in (for the very first time) and take some pictures.
Check them out, they’re kinda cool. I really like the light inside the broken pipe next to the brand new water pipes. Click to see larger versions.
Transformations
There’s a lot going on at the site — not only inside the buildings, but outside on the sidewalk. East Girard Ave is undergoing some streetscaping. I am feeling a little spoiled that we will soon be enjoying brand new sidewalks when I know this project has been in the works for several years with many starts and stops, however I am psyched for a new pretty sidewalk.
On the back of the building, stucco work is in full force. Behold the transformative power of stucco…
The View
The view from one of the windows on the 3rd floor of 206. This is what you’d see if you lived here one day. Click the picture for a bigger version.