Callahan Ward, the developer behind the controversial luxury apartment building project planned in a back alley at 303 S. 51st Street, have agreed to meet online with community members more than a year after the project was first proposed. The firm’s decision comes after several public meetings and protests and the denial by the city of required permits.

The meeting will be on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Project architects at Interface Studio Architects will also participate in the meeting.

The project would include 33 market-rate apartments and ground floor commercial space and can be built “by-right.” The building would be surrounded by the backyards of several adjacent properties, and the only access to the building would be through a narrow alley off 51st Street. 

The project has received significant opposition from neighbors due to several issues, including fire hazard and environmental concerns. Neighbors for Healthy Community Development (NHCD) was organized last year to fight the development. Earlier this month, NHCD held a rally in Malcolm X. Park and delivered a petition with over 1,500 signatures to the city’s Department of Licences and Inspections arguing the the project violated city fire codes. Callahan Ward’s permit was subsequently rejected, though it can still be appealed.

Thursday’s meeting is the first time that Callahan Ward has agreed to meet with the community. NHCD expects developers to address building and construction safety, which is the principal concern of the community. Neighbors who would like to speak at the meeting are asked to email NHCD (westphillynhcd@gmail.com) to sign up.

Here’s how you can join the meeting:

Go to Zoom.com beforehand and sign up with the following Meeting ID: 928 1823 7549
Passcode: 930369
You can also join by calling: (929) 205-6099