'Generic fast food' is the actual plan to replace the historic an architecturally significant home of a doctor who served the neighborhood.

It'll be interesting to see if this goes through or not. It'll set the tone for the direction of the neighborhood. Will it stay Roxborough or become another Mayfair? We shall see.

Panera Would be Wonderful!

"Generic fast food"!? So the Giovannones don't care how they bring down the neighborhood, just that they do? This may make the battle to preserve Roxborough tougher, but it doesn't mean they'll win. Stay the course - keep voicing your opinion.

The space isn't big enough for a Panera? I beg to differ. That is a large lot with plenty of room for parking. I think the Giavannones are just sticking it to the neighborhood, as they know that Roxborough residents think fast food is the least appealing thing that can go there. What a bunch of maggots this developer is.

I think you're taking it too personally, as for what goes there, there isn't much around here in the way of anything other than pizza

Knock down domino diner and put what's there..figure something else out for the bunting hse location

Wendys there... !

It isn't about which major chain restaurant or retail store goes in that site. Its about destroying the unique quality of the neighborhood by turning it into one giant car friendly strip mall! Take a look at Grant Road in Tucson AZ to see the future of Ridge Ave if these developers get their way. We need to do more than comment & sign petitions. We need to call Councilman Jones & show up at every RDC & CRC meeting till they realize this is not what we want!!!!

The proposed Wendy's at 5901 Ridge (Ridge & Roxborough) will be the main topic of discussion at the next Central Roxborough Civic Association meeting, Thurs. Mar. 7, 7:30 PM at Leverington Presbyterian Church, Ridge & Hermitage across from Gorgas Park.

There is considerable opposition to this project and strategies will be discussed. If there is a decision to oppose the project approximately $3000 will need to be raised in order to cover court costs.

So it will not, allegedly, be a Wendy's. As if Arby's, Taco Bell, or Burger King, would be any better. Panera's, forget such an idea, the site is being developed to have a Drive-Through, which is necessary for any generic fast food restaurant to prosper.

I got it! We could use another Dunkin' Donuts on the Ridge! (just kidding)

Whatever goes there I hope it is architectually compatible with the neighborhood.

Too bad they can't put buildings up there for Eisler's Bakery and Dairyland to occupy and go back in business.

I get it, a quick drive-through, small parking lot/small establishment place would fit better where the old bunting house stood... however, it doesn't mean that's the only thing that can go in there. One thing Ridge Ave is missing are more coffee shops/bistro's/cafe's like Cross Roads and Starbucks. I get that a Panera Bread or Corner Bakery requires parking space and ample restaurant space, but little coffee shops and cafe's sit on corners around the city without designated parking spots. Why don't we get a Kickstarter started for a small cafe to go in there? I'll put in the first $100!

Last comment, I promise... the Starbucks on Ridge now probably loses A LOT of business because it has no drive-through option. I bet the local residents wouldn't mind a stand-alone Starbucks going in with a drive through. It doesn't draw the same kind of crowds a McDonald's or Burger King does. I can just see it now... the after-school kids hanging out until 6pm causing ruckus...

What is disgusting is that the Giavonnone Construction Company indicated that they would be building houses on the sight, prior to knocking down that beautiful home. So, they lied to get our support (somewhat) and now they are really sticking it to us with a fast food restaurant, regardless if it is Wendy's, Micky D's or Burger King, it brings a bad element. Just more low paying jobs that won't help the area. Furthermore, on a side note about the demolition of beautiful buildings, imagine if they knocked down the Parthenon, Tower of London, or the Coliseum to build a fast food place. Future generations will never know the history of Roxborough if you tear down all historically significant buildings. Get a clue you money grabbers.

Yes Margret, keeping that lot vacant is better than just letting something in that'll be a catalyst for the destruction of Roxborough. A lot of longtime residents don't travel to the new squalor of the city like Mayfair and Tacony, just 10 yrs ago great neighborhoods.

These stand alone fast food joints started coming in. They paya lot to developers to tear down buildings that sit along the sidewalks and replace them with buildings surrounded by parking lots. At first no one cared, but then the floodgates opened when developers saw how easy it was. All the sudden the neighborhood didn't even look like Mayfair anymore.

Pretty soon the sidewalk strips that weren't torn down like Frankford Ave and Cottman Ave had their businesses going under b/c people didn't leave their houses without cars and b/c the neighborhood started going downhill with all the kids congregating at these fast food places and bringing all their trash and shenanigans. People decided they wanted to leave when the plague spread form business to business, and the ones with money did.

Who's left is people who want to leave but can't afford it (low income long timers) and the Section 8 renters who took the newly empty housing. And business cater to them, so just picture the neighborhood now.

Giovanonne doesn't live in Rox and doesn't care about me, you or anyone here. Rox is at a crossroads. Tearing down something like the Bunting House for Wendy's would be the first nail in the coffin.

I think the areas first Tim Horton's would be great!

ryan what do you mean nice try? u cried for 5 sentences about section 8 and Mayfair and btw I was there last Thurs. They wanna put a fast food place on Ridge and all you have done is cry whine and attempt to insult anyone who doesn't feel the way you do. I can't understand what you mean about a Wendy's in Mount Airy it sounds like you stopped paying attention to what you're arguing and are now in torrent of hate and ignorance. If you don't like what they place there move. I can't argue with you on this due to the fact that you don't even read what you type.

Let's be clear, there's a Ryan and a Ryan Gibbons (me) on here... but I agree with other Ryan. I grew up in Mayfair for 15 years and yes, going back there to see what's happened to "the place to live in Philadelphia" is horrible. Fast food spots go in, followed by check cashing places, pawn shops and dollar stores. NONE of that speaks to a demographic or race, so lay off the prejudice comments Margaret. Kids loiter at fast food restaurants EVERY DAY after school. Not to mention, fast food leads to fast littering. We can go on and on, but there are a variety of reasons why people don't want a place like Wendy's to go in and NONE of them have to do with race or ethnicity. The Foodery just went in on Ridge Ave and look at their other locations... Northern Liberties and Old City... so yes, we want more places like The Foodery because look at how well those neighborhoods have thrived in the past few years. I want good/healthy restaurants, cafe's, shops and local owners setting up shop where I live because I want my property value to go up and I want my kids to live in an area that's safe. That's what a lot of this boils down to; I don't want sh*tty fast food spots popping up within walking distance to my house because it does NOTHING for the neighborhood.

I think Cohen should ask them to build a "generic" fast food place next door to his house.

what everyone needs to understand is that SOMETHING is going to be erected there. personally attacking me on a public forum does not make any of you sound logical at all. I am simply a homeowner expressing my views. I find it funny because in the end not one of you will be happy with anything there where as I'm just glad that unsightly hazard of a house is gone.

"I want my kids to grow up with stores and shops... we already have pawn shops and dollar stores so why not a fast food place"
-Margaret Seda, 03/06/2013

LOL I'll let the readers chew on that one for a while.

So Margaret, if Mayfair is so great (interesting claim b/c even people who actually sill live in Mayfair hate Mayfair), then maybe you should go live there? We're about to put our house up for sale. Newly renovated, easy parking (the whole other side of the block is a church), 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1 car garage, big front deck, quiet except for the gunshots and fights a few blocks down. More fast food than even you can handle. It's going up for about $110,000. A similar house in Roxborough would go for close to $200,000. So sell yours for $200,000 or whatever it's worth, buy ours for $110,000, and do what you want with the rest. You wish Roxborough was like Mayfair, so why not sell and go live in Mayfair? They're both 8 miles from City Hall. Just imagine all the KFC gravy buckets and Big Macs you can eat, all for about half of what you're paying in Rox. What a deal, amirite or amirite? What's it gonna take for me to put you in that house today? Talk to your husband and get back to me.

Margaret there really is something wrong with you if you think the Bunting House was unsightly. It was a beautiful Victorian house that gave Roxborough character. I guess you prefer the more modern looking new homes that are going up all over the area.

Good clear video. It appears the speaker was addressing a packed standing room only audience.

I lived in the Bunting House, nothing about it was unsightly. It was a beautiful place to call home. When I first moved to Roxborough I dreamed of living there and eventually it came to pass. The owners at that time were less than honorable with their word but tried to put an effort into it. Once the Giavonnones got ahold if it the trouble really started. Repairs were promised and never happened, renovations were done to one apartment, just so they could tear it down? That makes no sense. When it came time for us to move out we were told the house would be totally rehabbed and rented again. All lies. As for the vacant lot, I feel a place to buy fresh produce and locally grown foods would benefit the area as we do not have that here. I hated to see the place I called home be torn to shreds but in the end I was powerless. I go by there almost every day and want to cry. My hope is the neighborhood does not take a turn for the worse whatever goes there.