It’s been more than five years since the devastating Christmas Eve fire destroyed the popular Cedar Park bar & restaurant Elena’s Soul and damaged the adjacent diner and hair salon. After the fire and demolition, the empty lot at 4912 Baltimore was temporarily used by Greensgrow West (in 2014-2016), and now we noticed a new building coming up. We reached out to the property owner, local businessman Algernong Allen, for more information.  Continue Reading

A bill introduced last week at the Philadelphia City Council would levy a 1 percent tax on construction and relax some zoning codes to fund programs aimed at providing more affordable housing in the city.

The bills are a series of compromises arising from battles between progressive city council members and real estate and construction lobbying groups. Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sanchez had been pushing for a bill that would mandate the inclusion of affordable housing units in any new development, but her proposal was almost unanimously opposed by the powerful building and real estate lobbies, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The compromise, which replaced a mandate with incentives, but which would also allow developers to pay a penalty fee in lieu of including affordable housing in their developments, has the backing of some of the previously opposed lobbying groups, like the Building Industry Association.

Current estimates are that the tax will raise $25 million a year. There is no word yet on when these proposals will be put to a vote.

– Mike VanHelder

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) filed a notice of proposed rate increases to help pay for maintenance on one of the oldest water systems in the country. A hearing is scheduled for West Philly on Tuesday, April 17, to provide more information and answer questions.

The meeting will take place at White Rock Baptist Church (5240 Chestnut St.) from 6:30 to approximately 8:30 p.m.

The Water Department is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of more than 6,000 miles of water mains and sewers. There were 715 water main breaks in Philadelphia between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017, which impacted about 700 neighborhood blocks. And this past winter season was especially challenging, with 625 water main breaks in just over three months, according to the PWD.  Continue Reading

Photo via fairmountwaterworks.org.

A species in decline, the once-abundant North American freshwater mussel is one of the bedrock animals of our local aquatic ecosystem. Last year, a combination art exhibit, educational facility and working mussel hatchery opened at the Fairmount Water Works. Building on the success of the hatchery, several prominent local organizations including the City of Philadelphia, Bartram’s Garden, The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Drexel University and the Independence Seaport Museum are joining forces to establish an Aquatic Research and Restoration Center (ARRC). 

The Center will be dedicated to the restoration of local aquatic ecosystems in general, and specifically the reintroduction of freshwater mussels and river shad (a kind of herring) to the Delaware Estuary, including our own Schuylkill River. Why shad? Mussels require shad and other host fish in order to breed. Though the shad don’t get anything out of it, we do: Mussels are filter-feeders, and a single mussel can filter waste out of enough drinking water for anywhere from a dozen to two dozen people a day. Considering that the source of Philadelphia’s drinking water is the Schuylkill, which is also where local sewage treatment plants dump their treated effluent, more mussels and therefore more filtration seems like a pretty good idea.

The ARRC program kicks off May 3rd at the Fairmount Water Works (640 Water Works Drive) when a memorandum for the development of the ARRC will be signed.

– Mike VanHelder

SEPTA recently announced some important changes to its Key Card program that will go into effect on May 4, 2018.

Here’s the summary:

• In response to customer feedback, the minimum amount to load funds onto the SEPTA Key Card Travel Wallet will be lowered from $10 to $5. The maximum per transaction will remain $250.

• The card itself will no longer be free after May 4. The $4.95 cost to buy a Key Card will go into effect.  Continue Reading

Superintendent William R. Hite talking to students at Alain Locke Elementary School (Photos courtesy of Philadelphia School District).

The School District of Philadelphia has announced an expansion of its early literacy pilot program and will provide modernized classrooms and materials to pre-Kindergarten through third grade students at 11 additional schools, including in West Philadelphia.

One of the schools already participating in this pilot program is Alain Locke Elementary School in West Philly where the announcement was made earlier this week during Superintendent William R. Hite’s visit. Due to its low performance in reading proficiency at the beginning of the year, Locke received upgrades from the District, including: desks, chairs and seating options better suited for students’ age groups; improved lighting, new paint, new cabinets and new closets in classrooms; and new technology in classrooms to support small-group instruction.  Continue Reading