A bridge construction on South 34th Street in Southwest Philadelphia is expected to begin January 3, according to a recent announcement by PennDOT. The project aims to replace the deteriorating 34th Street bridge over a former CSX rail line and future Schuylkill River Trail.

During the construction period, 34th Street will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between Grays Ferry Avenue and the ramp from I-76 East to Grays Ferry Avenue/University Avenue. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work area because backups and delays may occur.

The bridge construction is expected to continue through October 31, 2024.

Information on PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects is available at www.projects.penndot.gov.

If you’re planning to use SEPTA during the holidays, please make sure to check modified schedules for Metro, bus and regional rail services.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

On Christmas Eve, Metro (SEPTA’s new name for the Market-Frankford, Broad Street and Norristown High Speed lines, and trolleys), buses and regional rail operate on a Sunday schedule.

On Christmas Day, Metro and bus routes will also operate on a Sunday schedule. The following bus routes are not operating on Christmas Day: 204, 310, 311 and LUCY.

All Regional Rail lines will run on special Christmas schedules with reduced Sunday service.

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Amina Ocean Restaurant is coming to 3.0 University Place at 41st and Market.

The team behind Amina Restaurant & Lounge in Old City is opening up a new venture, Amina Ocean, in University City. The new seafood-focused restaurant has inked a deal with University Place Associates (UPA) to become the anchor retail tenant in 3.0 University Place’s ground floor retail space. The new 250,000 square-foot eight story commercial lab and office building is located at 4101 Market Street.

Encompassing 4,800 square-feet, the upscale dining and nightlife brand is the second retail partner to be announced by UPA, and will be located on the northeast corner of 41st and Market Streets. Lancaster, PA-based Fulton Bank, which occupies 2,250 square-feet in the center of the street level retail corridor, opened on August 7.

“My vision for Amina Ocean is ‘Southern Seafood Fusion,” entrepreneur Felicia Wilson said in a statement. “The theme and vibe of the restaurant will provide a Tulum-meets-Morocco feel.”

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The University City District (UCD) has announced the Green Giving Challenge that would support their greening efforts in the area. UCD’s Green Team has been taking care of the green spaces at The Porch at 30th Street Station, Trolley Portal Gardens at 40th and Baltimore, which have become beautiful urban oases. The team also maintains planters and pedestrian plazas in the neighborhood as well as participates in community cleanups.

Funds raised through the Green Giving Challenge will go to support the Green Team’s work. Here’s how it works:

Community members are invited to contribute to the Challenge online. Donations will be matched up to $25,000 thanks to a generous support from a longtime Spruce Hill resident and founding UCD Board member Barry Grossbach.

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The Calvary Center for Culture and Community (CCCC), a nonprofit created by Calvary United Methodist Church in 2000 to manage staffing, space rental and fundraising related to the Calvary building, is in the process of restructuring its governance, organizational structure, and business model. The organization is hosting an informal meet-and-greet with current CCCC Board members, Calvary United Methodist Church leadership and other community stakeholders, on Monday, Dec. 11, 5-6 p.m.

The purpose of the gathering is three-fold:

1. To provide important updates on the Calvary building, including plans to restructure the CCCC Board to provide for broader community representation and more effective management and maintenance.

2. To encourage networking and relationship-building in support of Calvary’s ongoing function as a critical center of community activity.

3. To invite your consideration as to how you (and/or your office/organization) might be involved in or otherwise support the CCCC’s mission going forward.

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The Blanche A. Nixon Library after renovation (rendering image).

Rebuild Philadelphia, the City’s program that invests in public spaces, broke ground on a major renovation project for the historic Blanche A. Nixon Library located in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia (at 58th and Baltimore).

“Built in the 1900s, the Blanche A. Nixon Library requires critical accessibility improvements to equitably meet the needs of all the residents it serves,” Mayor Jim Kenney said at the groundbreaking ceremony held last week. “The renovations at Blanche are set to transform and restore this historic building into a clean, safe, modern, and accessible community asset for many generations to come.”

A community staple within the Cobbs Creek neighborhood, the Blanche A. Nixon Library is undergoing major renovations thanks to Rebuild’s $8.5 million investment, which includes nearly $1.7 million in grants including $250,000 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and $1.4 million in federal Community Project Funding (CPF) for ADA upgrades to the library, secured by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).

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