‘Cash for gold’ shop near Philly casino closes its doors

It appears the “cash for gold” shop across from SugarHouse Casino in Phiadephia has shut down almost as soon as it opened its doors.

On the Monday after Plan Philly reported that the storefront full of empty jewelry cases and a teller’s window had opened, apparently circumventing localized zoning banning pawn shops, the shop on Delaware Avenue was locked.

 

Reached by phone, owner Kim Bui said he had “too many headaches” with the business.

The storefront had briefly alarmed neighbors in the neighborhood of Fishtown.

Kate Micklow Harwan, president of the Fishtown Neighbors Association, said her concerns were about the area becoming a target for muggings.

“Whether you put the label on it of ‘cash for gold’ or ‘selling metal,’ people are going to walk into that store to try and exchange something for money and, purportedly, they would be walking right across the street to spend that money at the SugarHouse Casino,” she said.

A spokeswoman for Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses & Inspection could not immediately be reached for comment on how the business obtained a license to open. The area’s zoning has a potential loophole allowing for stores that devote 75 percent of their floor space to selling jewelery.