Portland Taking Interesting Approach To Creating Walkable Sustainable Neightborhoods

Just read this great article over at grist.org, where the mayor of Portland OR talks about creating what he calls 20 minute neighborhoods throughout the Portland MSA. His definition of a 20 minute neighborhood is effectively a neighborhood where you can walk or bike to restaurants - they liken it to a "mixed use development."

It would seem Philadelphia is extremely well positioned to leverage this concept as it's a city of neighborhoods. It would be interesting to see this concept made part of the Greenworks Initiative or some other program(s).

Mexican Restaurant Coming To W. Girard Avenue In Brewerytown

Back in March we put out a call for a Mexican restaurant to come up to W. Girard Avenue in Brewerytown. In just two months we are very excited to announce that we have just signed a Letter Of Intent with a very accomplished Chef (who must remain nameless for the time being) to open his first restaurant at 2711 W Girard. The project must be classified as tentative until full financing is in place, but we can say that it will feature a combination of authentic Mexican food and flavor from all regions of Mexico and, despite being a BYO, will provide a changing, unique menu of specialty cocktail mixers to add to your favorite spirit.



The Chef aims to create a cozy atmosphere with impeccable service, a communal table, and be affordable with a full meal (appetizer, entrée, dessert) running $20-25 per person. The restaurant will seat 40 or more and will be open from 4pm to 10pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Next Installment In the Temple Philadelphia Neighborhoods Series On Brewerytown

Here is the latest article in the ongoing series being written by Temple Journalism students on Brewerytown as part of the Philadelphia Neighborhoods project. This story focuses on economic development along Girard Avenue, something MM Partners strongly supports. Enjoy the photo of Aaron and Cooper who work with MM Partners.

Metro Philadelphia Article Today - "Brewerytown Next Hot Spot"

We of course are biased, so surprisingly we agree with this article in today's Philadelphia Metro that Brewerytown is a great place to live and invest. The article discusses the development along W. Girard Avenue including new retail coming like Mugshots Coffee Shop and the campaign to get a Mexican restaurant restaurant up to the avenue.

Nice quote by Mr. Roller btw.

What Is The Future of Urban Retail?

Great think piece about urban retail in the internet shopping era by Greg at Urban Direction. Here's a sample:

...I would argue that cities still have the strongest chance to keep small, diverse, and privately-owned retailers open, but it depends on their ability to understand the new market forces brought on by online shopping, and the necessity of centralizing their major retailers so as to create the critical mass of shoppers needed to provide the kind of retail we have traditionally come to expect from urban shopping. Small commercial corridors can certainly stay relevant based on the perpetual need for place-based, Internet-resilient businesses. However, downtowns and larger urban commercial corridors continue to need anchors....

Philadelphia Neighborhoods - Revitalization in Brewerytown

Here is the new installment from the Philadelphia Neighborhood Series by Temple University Journalism students. The story focuses on bringing new retail up to W. Girard Avenue with a focus on Mugshots opening at 2831 W. Girard as the catalyst to drive additional new retail.

Here is a link to the story, enjoy the video where Aaron Smith kills it. He is really using up his fifteen minutes of fame fast.

Plan Philly Chronicles Rise of Retail In Center City

Over on Plan Philly there is a great article talking about the continued retail renaissance in Center City Philadelphia which date has gone unnoticed. Here is a link to the article

This is a trend MM Partners is pushing in Brewerytown to bring interesting service oriented retail to W. Girard Avenue and are working diligently to bring businesses like Mugshots up to the Avenue. We are currently working on a Mexican Restaurant and have some other interesting retailers are in the works.

We Are Looking For a Few Good Tacos

MM Partners in partnership with the Girard Coalition and The Merchant Fund is looking to entice a mexican restaurant to come join Mugshots in the W Girard Avenue retail renaissance.

We have a few renovated storefronts on W. Girard Avenue in Brewerytown that are ideal locations and will provide a generous fit out package along with potential grant money to assist a business owner with the upfront costs. There is real demand for a mexican restaurant and we are committed to helping make it a reality. Please contact us if you are interested.

For everyone else, please stay tuned as we will keep you up to date on our progress.

Here is the Press Release issued today and it was already covered on Foobooz and Phoodie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Angel Coleman
Executive Director, Girard Coalition, Inc.
215.825.8821 acoleman@girardcoalition.org

Girard Avenue Seeking Mexican Restaurant
Grant Funding Available
The Girard Coalition, Inc., is partnering with MM Partners, LLC and The Merchant’s Fund to attract a Mexican restaurant to West Girard Avenue in Brewerytown. The restaurant should offer authentic Mexican cuisine, and be willing to serve a lunch and dinner crowd. This opportunity would be ideal for a restaurateur looking to open a second location on a growing commercial corridor.
The location is between Brewerytown and Fairmount, just minutes from the Art Museum, Fairmount Park, the new Westrum development (Brewerytown Square), the Philadelphia Zoo and I-76.
MM Partners, LLC is a real estate development, management and construction company committed to the revitalization of the West Girard corridor. They have several mixed-use properties for lease. MM has recently signed a lease with Mugshots Coffee House & Café for 2831 W Girard. The Mexican restaurant will be housed in one of MM’s available commercial spaces, and they will provide a generous tenant improvement package to sweeten the deal. Visit their website www.mmpartnersllc.com for more information.
The Merchants Fund is a Philadelphia charity established in 1854 to provide charitable gifts to business persons facing financial hardship. Their mission is to provide financial assistance to current and past merchants in Philadelphia. They will provide a small grant to help develop the Mexican restaurant. Grants are competitive. New ventures are not qualified only expansion projects of businesses with at least a three year track record in an existing retail location. The Next deadline for considerations is Friday, April 30, 2010 (postmarked). Visit their website www.merchantsfund.org for more information about their products and services.
The Girard Coalition, Inc is 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to revitalize the Girard Avenue corridor between I-95 and the Philadelphia Zoo. We partner with neighborhood groups, businesses and political leaders to improve the quality of life in the Girard Avenue community. Our primary focus is business development and attraction. Visit our website www.girardcoalition.org for more information.

Open a Business

Improving the commercial corridor of West Girard Avenue is a major goal of ours, and we are interested in helping new small businesses open. Unlike typical landlords, we are hands-on and proactive when it comes to helping small businesses. We understand that opening a new business is a lot of work, and we are there to help every step of the way. Be it zoning and permitting, fit out, marketing or more, MM Partners will be on your side. Please check out our currently available storefront opportunities:

Aaron Smith | MM Partners, LLC | 267-519-0895 2711 W. Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA Brand new, 100% renovated, beautiful store front on major commercial corridor in great neighborhood surrounding Art Museum and Fairmount Park Retail/Commercial $1,850/month Sq Footage 1,500 DESCRIPTION Newly renovated storefront with 14ft. ceilings, original wood floors, and A.C. +/- 1,500 SF. see additional photos below LOCATION FEATURES - Beautiful storefront surrounding major areas in Philadelphia (Art Museum/Fairmount Park/Brewerytown) LEASE TERMS NNN Lease ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Photo 1 Photo 1 Contact info: Aaron Smith MM Partners, LLC 267-519-0895 Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Oct 29, 2009, 10:46am PDT

Aaron Smith | MM Partners, LLC | 267-519-0895 2819 W. Girard Ave., Philadelphia, PA Great retail space. 100% newly renovated, brand new store front. Retail/Commercial $1,850/month Sq Footage 1,500 DESCRIPTION 2819 W. Girard Ave. offers a great location for a business. The retail space is 100% newly renovated, and is located just three blocks from Fairmount Park, with easy access to Center City and the expressway. The space is newly renovated with a brand new store front. Features 14 ft. ceilings, original wood floors, and A.C. see additional photos below LOCATION FEATURES - Beautiful area. The office space is minutes from both the Art Museum and Fairmount Park. LEASE TERMS NNN lease. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Photo 1 Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 1 Contact info: Aaron Smith MM Partners, LLC 267-519-0895 Equal Opportunity Housing Posted: Nov 19, 2009, 11:54am PST