The proposal to convert the Provident Mutual Insurance Co. site at 46^th and Market into a healthcare campus hit a major roadblock on Thursday when Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell halted a vote on legislation that would have allowed the city to sell the property.

The move followed a contentious public meeting in West Philly on Tuesday where several community members spoke against the proposal, which the city selected this summer after a bidding process. Criticisms included the low sale price of $10 million and a lack of transparency in the bid selection process.  Continue Reading

Residents criticized developers and city officials for a lack of transparency in the proposal to convert the city-owned Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. building and surrounding land at 46^th and Market into a campus focused on mental health services and child care during a public meeting on Tuesday night.

About 125 residents gathered in the auditorium of West Philadelphia High School at 49^th and Chestnut for presentations from the developers, a city official handling the deal, and proposed tenants, which include the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania and the YMCA.

The city chose that plan earlier this year after a call for proposals. The call came after a long-anticipated plan proposed by former mayor Michael Nutter to move the police headquarters and related offices to the 13-acre site was scuttled by Mayor Jim Kenney, Nutter’s successor. The police headquarters, the Medical Examiner’s office and the 6th and 9th police districts will now move into the old Philadelphia Inquirer building at 400 N. Broad St..

That change and the city’s subsequent choice of this new proposal caught many residents off guard.

“People aren’t mad, they’re just tired of hearing a lot of things that they didn’t have any say in,” said one resident. “The process is defective.”  Continue Reading

Rent prices in the University City District leveled off, the number of home sales dropped by a third last year and the population got a little older, according to the annual “State of University City” report released yesterday.

The report covers everything from real estate development to population demographics to tree coverage in the area managed by the University City District (UCD). UCD roughly defines “University City” as the area bounded by the Schuylkill River to the east, 50th Street to the west, Market Street/Powelton Avenue/Spring Garden Street to the north and Woodland Avenue/University Avenue to the south.

Here’s what the report, which covers trends through 2017, shows in key areas:  Continue Reading

Police have arrested a suspect in connection to the shooting death of four people, two men and two teenage women, in Cedar Park last week, according to reports. Jahlil Porter, 32, of the 200 block of E. Ashmead Street, was charged with murder, robbery, and other related charges. At least one other suspect is in custody, but had not been charged as of Thursday, Nov. 29.

The victims, identified by police as Tiyaniah Hopkins, 17, Yaleah Hall, 17, Akeem Mattox, 28, and William Taylor, 31, were found shot in the head “execution-style” in the basement of a residence on the 5100 block of Malcolm Street on Monday, Nov. 19 after a welfare call. Neighbors reported hearing banging sounds coming from the building, which was undergoing renovation, the day before.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018): Police are still investigating the murder of four people, two men and two women, whose bodies were found Monday afternoon in the basement of a residence on the 5100 block of Malcolm Street in Cedar Park. All four were shot once in the head, according to police. The male victims, 28 and 31 years old, are reportedly cousins. One of the female victims is 20 years old, according to police. No names and no suspect information have been released as of 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20. Philadelphia Police Captain Derrick Wood tweeted shortly after the discovery of the victims that “it [was] the worst crime scene I have seen in my 20 years with the Philadelphia Police Department”:  Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Marathon returns this weekend, with two main events, the Dietz & Watson Half Marathon and 25th annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Marathon being held on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The city has announced road closures and other restrictions ahead of the event that brings thousands of people to the streets.

Streets will be closed in many parts of the city this weekend. Delays can be expected. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes, avoid areas along the race course, and allow for extra driving time. Due to increased security in the Parkway area, parking and traffic regulations will be strictly enforced. Street closures are implemented on a rolling basis and will occur as runners go by.  Continue Reading