Penn has announced its annual Spruce Street closures to accommodate students moving to campus to start the school year. Portions of the street will be closed to vehicular traffic, including bicycles, every day from Monday, Aug. 19 through Friday, Aug. 23 with the exception of Thursday, Aug. 22. Here are more details:

Monday, Aug. 19 and Tuesday, Aug. 20

Spruce Street closed between 34th and 38th Streets from 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 21

Spruce Street closed between 34th and 38th Streets from 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 23

Spruce Street closed between 38th and 40th Streets from 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SEPTA buses will be rerouted during the closures. Please visit the SEPTA website for more information on detours.

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is partnering with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) for a new Navy Yard Skills Initiative program, which will train Philadelphia residents for permanent, full-time, union careers with the Philadelphia division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.

The Management Assistant program seeks to connect Philadelphians with experience in office management for federal careers earning $26/hour. Recruitment for the program kicked off on Tuesday, Aug. 13 and job seekers will be able to submit applications until Friday, Aug. 23 at 5 p.m.. To apply, candidates must be a resident of Philadelphia county, commit to the full training schedule, possess a high school diploma or GED, and have previous experience using Microsoft Office Suite in an office setting. For additional information and to apply for the program, please visit: www.navyyard.org/skills.

The program is the second partnership between the Skills Initiative and Naval Surface Warfare Center, building on the success of the 2023 Industrial Trades Program. The Naval Surface Warfare Center facility at The Navy Yard employs about 2,800 people.

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Theatre in the X, the popular all-Black theatre company, is returning with a new summer production in the park this month. From Aug. 22-25, the company will present One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show, a comedic play by the American playwright Don Evans. Set in the 1970s in Philadelphia, the play deals with the clash between middle-class and working-class African Americans. Don’t miss this show filled with laughter and drama, and featuring unforgettable performances.

The show is directed by Maureen Henighan Booker and features actors Janan Ashton, Carlo Campbell, Eric Carter, Danielle Shaw-Oglesby, Sharese Salters, Tasha Holmes, Semaja Murphy, and Davon Cochran.

All performances are free and open to everyone, just bring your own chair (BYOC!). Tickets can be reserved here.

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Innovate Capital Growth Fund, an SBIC fund sponsored by The Enterprise Center, has recently announced its first investment: a $2 million equity investment in EMSCO Scientific Enterprises Inc., a West Philadelphia-based distributor of research laboratory supplies and equipment. This investment in EMSCO’s growth strategy will hopefully allow the company to become a world-class distributor of choice for researchers across the globe.

EMSCO is an African-American owned enterprise which has been in business for more than 40 years. The company recently opened a new 70,000 square-foot biorepository/freezer farm facility in West Philadelphia devoted to the processing and storage of human/animal cell and tissue samples for use in cell and gene therapy and immune-oncology research.

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Chai Nashta, an Indian cafe, is coming soon to 4520 Baltimore Ave.. We don’t have a ton of info on Chai Nashta yet, but it’s exciting that the space that until recently was occupied by the shaved ice dessert shop Ice Cave hasn’t stayed empty for long. Ice Cave closed its doors in late spring.

The location on Baltimore Avenue is very close to two popular Indian/South Asian cuisine spots – Desi Village Restaurant (4527 Baltimore Ave) and Mood Cafe (4618 Baltimore Ave). We can’t wait to try Chai Nashta’s drinks and treats and hope the new cafe will be a great addition to the local food scene.

We’ll let you know about the opening date and other details when they become available. In the meantime, follow Chai Nashta on Instagram.

The former Millcreek Tavern building is expected to be demolished soon.

UPDATE (8/8/2024): The demolition work on the site of the former Millcreek Tavern at 42nd and Chester has begun and includes the three-story building behind the red-brick Tavern building (see photo).

(8/5/2024): A redevelopment project that began more than five years ago is finally moving forward. A permit was issued this summer to demolish the former Millcreek Tavern building at the corner of 42nd Street and Chester Avenue to make way for a 4-story apartment building on the site, which encompasses 4200-4202 Chester Ave., according to a zoning permit issued earlier this year. The new building will include 34 residential units, including seven affordable housing units, 12 bicycle parking spaces and a green roof.

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