Entrepreneur Brian Corcodilos Creates Some Fun on Main Street
By Brenda Hillegas
Photos By Big T’s House of Photos
Manayunk stands out in Philadelphia’s city of neighborhoods with small town vibes, plenty of restaurants and shops that can be accessed without getting in the car, and the ability to get to know your neighbors thanks to year-round festivals and events. Entrepreneur Brian Corcodilos appreciates all of these unique aspects of this corner of the city, but keeping the neighborhood’s slogan in mind – Live. Dine. Shop. Play. – he realized the need for much more of the play part.
And that’s why many residents and visitors recently found themselves clutching battery operated candles and walking through a dark mill next to the river, terrified at what might pop out next. Chainsaws, bodies, the fear that Viktor (the ghost of the building) might not let them out alive. This was Valentine’s Day weekend at Lincoln Mill Haunted House which operates not just on Halloween, but also during Christmas and pop-ups throughout the year. Each visit is guaranteed to be different than the last.
“There have always been a lot of live, shop, and dine options, but not enough play options,” he says. “The haunted house is a pure play operation. It gives visitors an experience they have never seen anywhere else in this world. Manayunk is centrally located and a great spot for any business. The location for the haunted house couldn’t miss by being on Main Street.”
Lincoln Mill Haunted House is the brainchild of Brian, who owns the building that once housed bar and nightclub Mad River, and Jared Bilsak, who developed the design and storyline of the attraction with his background in haunted houses. The two met in 2009 while attending Philadelphia University (now Jefferson University). Brian was in school for architecture, wanting to one day design restaurants since he already had a pretty good idea of how they worked from growing up on the frontlines of the industry.
“My family on my dad’s side was always in the restaurant industry,” he says. “My grandfather owned Jim’s Country Diner on Rt. 130 in Windsor, New Jersey. My relatives owned a diner in Bordentown called Mastoris. My father owned a deli in Hightstown called Corky’s Hightstown Steak and Sub. My uncle also owned a deli. I remember skipping grammar school some days, so I could go cook in my dad’s deli, and nights making cheesecakes before Thanksgiving with my uncle and dad. I watched my family work seven days a week in that industry.”
Brian and Jared were both a part of Alpha Chi Rho at Philadelphia University and in 2012, when the fraternity was seeking new ideas for charitable events on campus, they worked together to develop a haunted house within the university’s Ravenhill Mansion. It seemed unlikely that they’d actually get a greenlight to transform such a historic building into an attraction, but Brian decided to pitch the idea to the school’s leadership anyway. They said yes.
The risk paid off, and they successfully ran “Ravenkill Mansion” each October for the remainder of their time in college, then continued to return each season to lead the event with their fraternity brothers until 2018. One of the key design features in “Ravenkill Mansion” was the attention to detail. Rather than throwing together Halloween decorations and creating an ordinary walk through, Brian and his frat divided the mansion into smaller rooms, introduced special effects and created characters. The haunted house attracted college students and members of the community with proceeds donated to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
The project tied into ideas Brian wrote about on his blog, Designblendz, which he also launched while in college. He used the platform to discuss his passions of design and architecture, while also covering overlapping concepts such as 3D virtual worlds, graphic design, and industrial design. The fun distraction from academics eventually picked up traction from local firms, and he began consulting and implementing new design techniques for clients. Designblendz, which started as a side hustle, is now a “one stop shop” as Brian calls it, located in Manayunk and helping businesses utilize the virtual world to inform the built world. In 2020, it was recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in America on the INC 5000 list.
Around Northwest Philadelphia, Brian and his team developed many residential units like Walnut Hill in Roxborough, and commercial projects like Elite Sports Factory on Umbria. Throughout the city, suburbs and beyond, you’ll find Designblendz behind numerous builds, working with clients such as PGA Golf, GoPuff, VaynerMedia, GalaGames, Southern Land Company, Greystar, and Armstrong World Industries. They touch sectors relating to housing, multifamily, commercial, hospitality, retail, industrial, corporate, government, and municipal.
“From the early beginnings of a project to handing off keys with the owner, we help clients truly visualize their project before a shovel hits the ground,” he explains. “We are there to help them through the construction process. Our main service is a full service architecture and interiors firm, with a specialization in 3D visualization and simulations.”
As Designblendz’s visionary, Brian oversees a team that helps raise the bar on how these worlds come together. With Lincoln Mill Haunted House, Brian and Jared created a backstory that includes Manayunk’s real history, flooding, and the old textile mill era from the early 1930s, making each visit to the fictional horror world feel like the events actually did happen.
“The deep backstory carries through the entire experience,” he says. “There are characters and developing plots that continue to come to life event after event. It truly captures the origins of Manayunk and builds upon a story [we] developed. It all started from the flood of Hurricane Ida in September of 2021.”
The flood, though, is what initially made Jared hesitant about the whole project. After seeing the photos from Hurricane Ida online and the building that is now Lincoln Mill under water, Jared thought the venture was too high risk. But Brian was persistent. Even before their success with “Ravenkill Mansion”, Jared was running haunted houses at his home in Bethlehem. Brian knew this would be an ideal experience for Manayunk. The two met again, months later, to analyze the flood maps over the course of 200 hundred years. They discovered that Hurricane Ida was one of the worst in history and weighed their odds, deciding to give it a go. It turned out that Brian was the right tenant for his recently purchased building all along.
February’s Viktor’s Valentine marked the ninth pop-up and off-season event for Lincoln Mill. Other themes have included a holiday haunt in December, St. Patrick’s Day in March, and a May 4th Star Wars theme. Year-round openings were always part of the plan for Brian and he’s continuously looking for ways to enhance the experience for visitors. For anyone who might not enjoy being scared, Corcodilos and Designblendz are working on a less frightening adrenaline boosting activity in Manayunk with a projected opening of early 2026.
“I am working with a few partners to open an indoor golf simulator and putting experience on Main Street,” he says. “I’m super excited to bring a golf concept that bridges the gap of getting new faces into the sport and helping those that play to become better golfers. There will also be a merchandising component that I hope will expand nationally through golf culture and the professional tour.”
That’s not all for Brian who can always be found helping others while also focused on his own projects. He is a member of the College of Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) Advancement Council at Jefferson University which helps the college build a national reputation for offering innovative programs in design, construction, and sustainability. The council supports the University’s Nexus Learning approach by focusing on hands-on, collaborative learning with industry partners to prepare students to become leaders in their careers. In addition, he’s part of the University’s Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce Advancement Council which also exists with similar goals. Brian loves being able to teach and support others on their journey to success through mentoring and coaching too. His podcast, The New How, features interviews with business owners and they discuss building businesses through the use of new technology.
“I bring on other entrepreneurs to tell their story about how they got started in business,” he says. “I bring on people who are relatable to the average person. Most people I bring on built their business from nothing and grew it into an impactful operation improving the lives of the people they employ and the communities they service.”
Evident in his work with Designblendz and the “play” he’s creating on Main Street, Brian Corcodilos certainly has a knack for building something from nothing by blending creativity and history with a commitment to the surrounding community. As his lifelong passion continues to take shape in Manayunk, residents can look forward to a lot more fun, heart-pounding thrills at Lincoln Mill and unique experiences he hasn’t even dreamt up yet.