Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia breaks ground on four new homes in West Philadelphia. From left: Miss Bernice, West Philadelphia resident; Kim Mathis, Habitat homeowner and former Board member; Jamie Gauthier, City Councilmember, 3rd District; Corinne O’Connell, Habitat Philadelphia CEO; Floyd Lebron, Habitat Philadelphia Board Chair; Daryn Edwards, Principal, CICADA Architecture; Carlo Arjona, Senior Project Manager. (Photo by Cary Porter)

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia held a public groundbreaking ceremony on June 5 for a 40th Street Rowhomes project in the Mantua neighborhood.

A crowd of about 50 residents, supporters and staff cheered as the first shovels dug into the site at 40th and Reno Streets that will see four affordable homes built and sold to first-time homebuyers. Habitat Philadelphia Board Chair, Floyd Lebron, CEO Corinne O’Connell, and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier provided remarks.

Habitat Philadelphia sells new homes with zero-interest mortgages to buyers making between 30-80 percent of the Area Median Income, creating equity and a foundation for families to thrive.

“When I meet families in our homeownership program, they inevitably say, ‘This is the first time I’ve heard yes,’ said Corinne O’Connell, CEO. “‘This is the first time I’m going to be able to catch my breath.’ That is what gives us the urgency to build more and do more.”

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Jim Roebuck speaking at a local event in 2012 (Photo West Philly Local)

UPDATE (5/31/24): Services for former State Representative Jim Roebuck, who passed away earlier this month, will be held Friday, June 7 at Calvary Center for Culture and Community, 801 S. 48th Street. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Alpha Phi Alpha will perform an Omega Service at 10:30 a.m., and the funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Jim Roebuck will be interred next to his beloved wife Cheryl at Laurel Hill West Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA (Westlawn Lot).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Garden Court Community Association’s Cheryl Roebuck Memorial Music Scholarship (P.O. Box 16654, Philadelphia, PA 19139, membership@gardencourtca.org) or to the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus’s James R. Roebuck Scholarship Fund (327 K. Leroy Irvis Office Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120).

5/16/24: We are sad to report that James R. “Jim” Roebuck, the former state representative from West Philadelphia, has passed away. He was 79.

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The University City Grocery Outlet grand opening took place on Thursday, May 30. (Photos by Hanbit Kwon)

A new grocery store, University City Grocery Outlet, has opened at 4301 Chestnut Street, on the ground floor of the new apartment complex that replaced a strip mall (the construction began in Spring 2022). The store is a medium-size supermarket that carries everything from fresh produce to meats to frozen foods and personal care items. It is locally owned and operated by sisters Jaelyn and Jaida Deas (check out their Instagram post).

University City Grocery Outlet is a franchise of the Grocery Outlet chain founded in 1946 in San Francisco. The store offers bargain prices on many items. Grocery Outlet’s business model is built on offering brand-name items that have been discounted because of “packaging changes, surplus inventory or product overruns,” according to the company’s website.

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View from Ludlow Street (rendering image). Credit: KCA Design Associates

A new residential complex that includes two six-story buildings has been proposed for a parking lot at 5235 Chestnut Street. The buildings would include 204 units, 41 of which are designated as affordable housing, with rental prices starting at $700 per unit. Both buildings would also include some commercial spaces on the ground floor.

One, smaller building, will include 33 residential units and will be on Chestnut Street, and the other –  with 131 units – will be located along Ludlow Street, according to the proposal (see rendering below). The complex will also include bike parking spaces and various amenities, including a gym.

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The new Schmear It bagel shop at 265 S. 44th Street will be selling Lil Pop Shop’s handcrafted ice pops and Weckerly’s ice cream.

Here’s some exciting news for locally made popsicle and bagel lovers. Two popular local businesses, Lil Pop Shop and Schmear It, have announced that they both will be offering their goods at 265 S. 44th St., Lil Pop Shop’s former location. What’s even better, Lil Pop Shop, whose owner Jeanne Chang announced permanent closing of the shop in Fall 2023, has already restarted its operation at the store (the re-opening date was Thursday, May 23).

The shop is now owned by Schmear It founder Dave Fine and his partner Brett Weinheimer, both Penn alumni. Schmear It will begin serving bagels, schmears, Rival Bros. coffee and espresso, and drinks in the coming months, according to Weinheimer. He says that him and his family used to live in Spruce Hill and have been long-term customers of the Lil Pop Shop.

“The Schmear It team is especially excited to share that the store will feature Lil Pop Shop’s all natural ice pops as it has for over a decade. Lil Pop Shop’s team, led by founder Jeanne Chang, will continue to craft and deliver their amazing creations for the Schmear It team to sell at Lil Pop Shop’s former 265 S. 44th St. storefront,” Weinheimer wrote in an email.

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After many years of operation, two popular Baltimore Avenue businesses – Ice Cave and Aksum – have closed their doors.

                          Ice Cave in 2023

Ice Cave, the dessert shop specializing in Taiwanese shaved ice treats, reopened under new ownership just last spring. The original shop, managed by a Taiwanese American couple, opened in 2016 at 4507 Baltimore Ave. and then moved across the street to 4520 Baltimore in 2020. The original owners closed the shop in early 2023 due to family matters, however, a new family took over the space just a few weeks later, in March 2023, continuing the old tradition. Although the “Ice Cave” signage is gone from the storefront, a sign on the door says that the space is only “closed temporarily”, which means a new business may be coming there soon.

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