PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Popular cheesesteak destination Jim’s South St. is promising a happy new year, with new details about its planned "epic Philly comeback" from a fire last summer that gutted the business.
A Jan. 1 tweet from the iconic sandwich shop — "Can't wait to see you again in 2023!" — included an early look at architectural renderings of the rebuild.
The rendering shared on the Jim's South St. Twitter feed shows the restoration of upper floors and an update on the art deco stylings of the street-facing exterior.
Jim's, located at Fourth and South streets, has a lot of work ahead if it is going to meet owner Ken Silver's best-case-scenario projection for reopening by June 1.
City officials said faulty wiring in the building’s HVAC system was the likely cause of the July 29 fire, which took more than 125 Philadelphia Fire Department personnel over four hours to tame.
Related
Within days of the fire, inspectors said the building was structurally sound. Since then, work has continued on demolition, cleanup and the early stages of renovation.
The city's Department of Licenses and Inspections issued two permits for the property in December — one to rebuild the roof and framing, and another to demolish an interior wall.
No one was injured in the fire, but Silver said it put his team of 33 employees out of work. The restaurant launched a GoFundMe page in July, anticipating the difficult road ahead. To date, it has raised more than $25,000.