Future 4224 Baltimore Avenue construction site now has a community garden (the gate has been removed by the gardeners).

We finally have an update on 4224 Baltimore Avenue, the site slated for construction of a 132-unit residential building with ground floor commercial space that has been in the works for four years.

Some work is finally scheduled to begin on the site, according to the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning chair Barry Grossbach. Crews will be entering the property to remove overgrown vegetation and perform a general cleaning, and additional soil testing on the lot will take place in the near future.

“The community has been anxiously waiting for progress on the site and we are now at the point where activity will be more pronounced,” Grossbach recently wrote in an e-mail.  Continue Reading

Police believe this car, a blue Hyundai Sonata, struck and killed 5-year-old Xavier Moy on Friday.

UPDATE (6/25/2018): The vehicle believed to be involved in the fatal hit-and-run on Friday was turned in on Sunday night, according to police, but no arrests were made as of Monday morning. The owner of the vehicle is cooperating with the police, but it’s not clear whether this person was behind the wheel when the accident happened. The investigation is still underway.

Police are searching for the driver of the vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed a 5-year-old West Philly boy on Friday, June 22. The boy, identified by police as Xavier Moy, was struck on the 5000 block of Irving Street at 4:08 p.m. on Friday and was taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in critical condition. He died about an hour later, according to reports.  Continue Reading

It looks like the empty lot at 224 S. 44th Street sitting between two row homes just south of Walnut will not be empty much longer. A request has been submitted to the City’s Zoning Board of Adjustment by the owners to obtain a permit for construction of a four-unit residential building. The new building is being proposed as a semi-detached structure.

The plan for the building was presented to the Spruce Hill Community Association’s Zoning Board earlier this week, and will most likely be back before the SCHA Zoning Board at their next meeting in July, according to SCHA Zoning Chair Barry Grossbach. “We are at a preliminary stage on the 44th Street project,” he wrote in an e-mail.

We’ll keep you posted about the next meeting since community feedback is always welcome on new development projects in Spruce Hill.

The city has announced opening of its 2018 public pool season – just in time for this heat. Check out opening schedules for West Philly and Center City West pools below. Philadelphia public pools are free and open to everyone and usually stay open until early to mid-August. For more information, visit the Philadelphia Parks & Rec website. Also, check out this page with information on the spraygrounds in the city.

Wednesday, June 20

• Kelly Pool (4231 Landsdowne Dr., 19131)
• Lee Cultural Center (4328 Haverford Ave., 19104)

Thursday, June 21

• Christy Recreation Center (728 S. 55th St., 19143)

Saturday, June 23

• Baker Playground (5433 Landsdowne Ave., 19131)
• Cobbs Creek Recreation Center (280 Cobbs Creek Pkwy., 19139)  Continue Reading

Click to enlarge.

Beginning on Monday, June 18, there is an opportunity to help low-income families in the Greater Philadelphia region by participating in SEPTA’s annual food drive.

Since the academic year has come to an end, many local families will struggle to find a way to replace the free and reduced cost breakfasts and lunches their children receive at school every day. Food collected during SEPTA’s food drive for Philabundance and its member agencies will help families throughout the area supplement those meals.

The food drive will run for five days through Friday, June 22. During these days, food collection barrels will be placed at SEPTA stations across the Authority’s service area. SEPTA will collect donations of much needed food staples including peanut butter, canned tuna and meat, whole grain pasta and canned fruits and vegetables to help provide local children with nutritious meals during the summer months. Last year, SEPTA employees and customers contributed the equivalent of almost 35,000 meals.

Check out the flier for a list of Philabundance’s most needed items.

Police are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying three individuals responsible for stealing several video surveillance cameras from homes in the area of 4700 Osage Avenue and for a fire believed to be arson near 41st and Sansom.

The video camera theft occurred on Thursday, April 19, in the early morning hours, according to police. Then, on Saturday, May 3, around 1:25 a.m., the same suspects vandalized the side of a commercial vehicle with paint and then set it on fire on the 4100 block of Sansom Street, according to police.  Continue Reading