Shepard Recreation Center is another West Philly public space that will get a renovation. (Photo courtesy of Rebuild PHL).

Rebuild Philadelphia, the City’s program that invests in public spaces, will break ground on a renovation project at Shepard Recreation Center located in the Haddington neighborhood at 57th and Haverford. This is the latest in a series of renovation projects at local recreation centers, public libraries and playgrounds implemented through the program.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 27, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Community members are welcome to attend.

The $17 million Shepard Rec transformation project will bring major renovations, including a new gym, multi-purpose rooms, computer lab, and upgrades to the playground and football field. The project is in collaboration with William Penn Foundation, Philadelphia Parks & Rec, and Nicetown CDC. It is also supported by the Philadelphia Eagles.

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A four-year project to improve the Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River is expected to begin this week, according to PennDOT. The project will be carried out in phases and will include a complete 14-month closure of the bridge to vehicular traffic.

The initial phase of the project includes construction activities by the general contractor on this project, Buckley & Company Inc., that will focus on extensive utility work to replace numerous electric, gas, water, fiber optic and other lines within the project area.

Further work will include structural work on the bridge. As part of this work, the superstructure on the existing Market Street bridge over Amtrak and I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) will be partially demolished and replaced. The deteriorated deck and sidewalks of the adjacent Market Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River will also be replaced, and the existing four-span Market Street bridge over the Schuylkill River Trail and CSX Railroad on the east side of the river will be replaced with a single-span bridge.

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Spruce Hill Provisions, a small local grocery/general store located near 46th and Baltimore, is closing its doors after less than four years in business. The store, “selling local products wherever possible,” from produce to baked goods to flowers and gifts, opened in 2021 at 4529 Baltimore Avenue.

The last day of operation will be March 31. The owner, Elizabeth Planet, who lives in the neighborhood, has decided to dedicate all her time to nonprofit work.

“Given everything that’s going on at the federal level at the moment, I have decided to devote myself fully to my nonprofit/social impact work,” she posted on Spruce Hill Provision’s Instagram page. “It has been a joy to serve the community we live in and love since 2021, and I’m sorry I can no longer keep it going.”

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In an effort to make pedestrian crossings safer, the Streets Department has begun installing “pedestrian refuge islands” along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. The construction work began this week.

A pedestrian refuge island is a concrete raised median at crosswalks that serves as pedestrian refuge on wide roadways (see image). They often separate traffic lanes and are used on wide roadways. This safety feature reduces crossing distances and provides refuge for pedestrians to be able to cross the road in stages.

The project on Chestnut Street includes the removal of the existing plastic delineator posts and construction of concrete pedestrian refuge islands in the bicycle lane buffer areas.

The pedestrian islands will be installed at multiple intersections from 43rd Street to 62nd Street:

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West Philly residents have a chance to meet and hear from two Democratic candidates ahead of the May 20 primary election at a District Attorney Candidates Forum at West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, 123 S. 51st St., on Tuesday, March 11, at 5 p.m.

The candidates participating in the forum are:

• The incumbent Larry Krasner who is once again running for District Attorney.

• Patrick Dugan, a former Philadelphia judge.

The forum is organized by the 46th Ward Democrats. Please go here to RSVP.

On May 20, a primary is being held to elect the District Attorney, judges, controller and Judge of Elections. See the full slate here. Because Philadelphia is heavily Democratic, elections in this city are really decided in the primary.

The Walnut Hill Community Playground renovation project is moving forward thanks to a recently secured $75,000 grant.

The Walnut Hill Community Association, in collaboration with the University City District, is now gathering community input that will help them understand what parts of the playground’s improvement are most important for users. The association has released an online survey which takes a few minutes to complete. Here is the link.

The Walnut Hill Community Association is still trying to raise more funding and understanding who the playground users are and how they use the playground can help them do that. There are several voluntary questions about the playground usage in the survey. Please answer as much of that information as you are comfortable with sharing. The only required questions are about the park improvements.’

If you have any questions about this survey, please email Morgan Rogers Burns at morgan@universitycity.org.

More information about the $75,000 grant and the playground renovation efforts is available here.

Trolley tracks will be replaced along 42nd Street between Spruce Street and Woodland Avenue, which is a portion of the trolley diversion route usually used in the summer during trolley tunnel maintenance, SEPTA recently announced. The project will begin March 17 and is expected to last until the end of May and will affect parking and vehicular traffic.

During the project’s pre-construction phase, from March 17 to March 29, parking will be restricted on the portions of 42nd Street affected by work. From March 30 to May 31, 42nd Street will be closed in segments as the project moves along. Only one block at a time will be closed. The intersections of 42nd and Spruce, 42nd and Baltimore, 42nd and Chester, and 42nd and Woodland will not be affected by the project.

Construction hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (sometimes later). Occasional weekend work may also take place.

Additional information about this project is available here.

Drexel University’s Manufacturing Career Accelerator Program is back for the 2025 season. This free 6-week boot camp style program focuses on a Good Manufacturing Practice curriculum and necessary certifications.

Recruiting is now open for the 2025 Spring session, which kicks off April 28. The program will run Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

To participate in the program, you must be a Philadelphia resident, be 18+ years of age and have a high school diploma or GED.

The program is specifically interested in recruiting West Philadelphia residents. In MCAP, participants work with program instructors and staff to develop even more professional skills and learn how to apply them in the workplace. The program helps professionals who have recently become unemployed or are working part-time with low wages and seeking a new career opportunity.

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Community members are invited to take part in a free CPR training session, which will be held this Saturday, March 1, at the Walnut Street West Free Library of Philadelphia branch, located at 40th and Walnut. This is a hands-on, non-certification training provided by The Mobile CPR Project Philadelphia, a partnership between Independence Blue Cross and the University of Pennsylvania.

To register for the workshop, please fill out a form at this link or use the QR code in the flyer below:

Raxx Vintage West at 3425 Walnut St. (Instagram photo)

Raxx Vintage, a beloved Philadelphia-based vintage clothing retailer, has recently opened a pop-up shop in University City. The new pop-up, Raxx Vintage West, is located on the Penn campus, at 3425 Walnut Street, and filled with fun, unique, and sometimes quirky goods.

Raxx Vintage has built a loyal following through its carefully curated selection of vintage clothing, accessories, and collectibles from the 1960s through the 2000s. The new location features a signature mix of vintage denim, band t-shirts, varsity jackets, and other retro treasures that have made it a destination for fashion-forward shoppers and sustainable fashion enthusiasts.

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Power Street Theater (PST), a celebrated organization known for showcasing multicultural artistic talent and hosting free community events, has announced a diverse roster of 2025 free programming in partnership with Esperanza Health Center, Two Locals Brewing, Theatre Philadelphia, Theatre Horizon, Izlas Latin Cuisine, Souletri, and more.

From their popular bilingual “Land and Body” adult theatre classes to their Souletri Open Mics and a brand new contemporary play reading series, PST has something for everyone. Their work brings accessible performing arts to Philadelphia neighborhoods and creates opportunities for connection, play, and healing.

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Traci Smith, the owner of Creative Vases.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and if you are looking to shop local for flowers, vases, plants, or balloons that would make your loved one smile, here’s a great spot.

Creative Vases is a Black-owned florist (and more) located at 52nd and Cedar that is brimming with flowers and arrangements for the holidays or other occasions like weddings, funerals, birthday parties or just to brighten someone’s day a little.

Traci Smith and her daughter Madison started the business online during the pandemic and moved into a brick-and-mortar shop on 52nd Street near Cedar Avenue last year.

“We stepped out on faith,” Smith said. “I took my love of flowers and love of decor and voilà.”

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The city is celebrating the 2025 Eagles Super Bowl Championship this Friday, Feb. 14 with a parade, which will kick off from Lincoln Financial Field at 11 a.m. More information on the parade route and road closures can be found here, but here’s some info on the road closures in the University City area. The following streets and roads will be closed on Friday from approximately 10:30 a.m. until approximately 6 p.m.:

• Spring Garden Street exit of the Schuylkill
• Vine Street off ramps closed in Center City
• Broad Street exit of I-95
• 30th St Market to Arch
• 29th St Market to JFK
• 76W Schuylkill ramp
• 76E 30th St ramp
• 76W 30th St ramp
• Spring Garden Bridge at 31st Street
• JFK Blvd 20th to Schuylkill Ave

SEPTA will have special service throughout the day. Since many buses will be detoured SEPTA is encouraging riders to use Market-Frankford Line (L) and Broad Street Line (B). Service on these lines will run every 6-to-8 minutes starting at approximately 5 a.m. throughout the day. There will also be free rides on both lines throughout the day to make boarding trains easier.

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SEPTA has updates about its Trolley Modernization project, a multi-year effort to replace its entire fleet of trolleys with new, more accessible vehicles. This Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., SEPTA is hosting a virtual public Open House where riders can learn more about improvements planned for service and infrastructure along the Route 36 [T5] Trolley. This modernization effort includes introducing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, low-floor vehicles to improve accessibility for riders of all abilities and the creation of new trolley stations equipped with passenger amenities.

Currently, the Trolley Modernization project is in its design phase, which is expected to be completed in 2026, with construction planned for 2027-2030.

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