The boiler room in the concrete poured building which is part of the Globe Dye Works still has the boiler in it, and it’s right off the main lobby too.  And it’s huge.  Like three stories huge.  You can’t help but to stare at it.  Charlie Abdo, operations point man on the project, told me there was discussion to keep it because… well look at it.  But with scrap prices climbing higher we’re kinda at a wait and see moment.  But I’m voting keep it.  Frankford was a mecca for industry once, and that thing screams it more than anything else I’ve ever seen.  My eyes couldn’t take it all in at once.

Yesterday, local Frankfordian and free lance journalist Christopher Wink and I took our misadventures on the road to the Globe Dye Works.  And this is what we’ve learned.

• Charlie Abdo, brothers Matt and Ian Papajohn, and 3 other guys(sorry I can’t remember their names) have gone partners in the Globe Development Group.  Charlie and and another guy are the operations guys on this project.  GDG has other buildings in other neighborhoods too
• this Charlie Abdo founded North Star Bar back in ‘81 as their history states, so he has already touched on awesomeness.
• by some estimates, the facility has 165,000 square feet of space
• Globe Dye Works isn’t just one building.  It’s many buildings built side by side as the organization expanded through it’s existence
• The development of the facility appears to be very organic, it’s just evolving.  The one thing that’s being concentrated on is its environmental sustainability
• they bought a house across the street at sheriff sale to make sure something will get done with the place, super cool
• Here’s it’s entry by Torben Jenk on workshopoftheworld.com
• There’s a metal worker, wood worker and a UPenn art professor already taking up space in the building
• An art exhibition showcasing the building is on May 9th from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM.  I’ll be there.
• I have a ton of pictures from this very cool place that I will be showcasing for quite some time.  Below is a little taste: