Photos by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local

When I first met Lola Reed a few weeks ago, I was struck by her style.

It’s a brisk Saturday in February, and Reed is meeting me for a mid-morning interview at her new store, HALO Foundation Boutique. She’s wrapped in a chic tan coat and sporting killer heels that make her hike over the mound of snow she’s crossing a bit shaky. As we make small talk during her walk over, Reed has a warm smile on her face.

Reed, 28, opened HALO Foundation Boutique at 4616 Baltimore Avenue during the holidays, taking over the space from a short-lived clothing store. It’s a small two-level shop with oversized front windows, decked out mannequins, and an intimate atmosphere. A cozy nook notches out the ground floor, where high-end and designer clothing, jewelry, and accessories are placed on display.

To the right, wooden stairs lead up to a nearly empty loft space. A cozy loveseat and cluttered table are pushed against the back wall, which is plastered with a large collage of fashion editorials and photos of runway models cut from magazines.

This is where we find ourselves after we’ve made our way inside. As we sink into the couch, Reed, dressed in all black, begins to chat with affection about the boutique and its backstory. The air is filled with faith music playing from a portable stereo/CD player on the floor. Light from the morning sun bathes the space.

In a way, it’s a scene that perfectly encapsulates Reed’s mission, of which the boutique is only a part. Continue Reading

About 150 people turned out at the People’s Baptist Church at 5039 Baltimore Ave. for a public meeting about the future of the 5000 and 5100 blocks of Baltimore Ave. Business owner and state representative candidate Algernong Allen (front left) and David Hincher (right), both of Cedar Park Neighbors, facilitated the meeting, which raised as many questions as it answered. (Photo by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local)

UPDATED (2/1/14): City Paper’s Ryan Briggs also has a recap of Thursday night’s meeting at the People’s Baptist Church. He also caught up with Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell after the meeting to ask why she was missing and what’s happening with the land around 50th/51st and Baltimore. Read more here.

If one thing is clear following last night’s public meeting on the future of the 5000 and 5100 blocks of Baltimore Avenue, it’s that nothing is clear about the future of the 5000 and 5100 blocks of Baltimore Avenue.

About 150 people jammed into the basement of the People’s Baptist Church, to talk about what kind of development, if any, might take place in the area. The block is a patchwork of city and privately held land. Some parcels have structures – many are abandoned – and some are empty lots.

One longstanding plan by a private developer would expand the Mercy Wellness Center at 5008 Baltimore and include parking lots. Another plan by a private developer would have put a garden center on the block, but investors were scared off by the possibility of eminent domain seizures by the city.

Much of the background was included in a story last week.

Anxiety about the future of the area among nearby residents and property holders prompted the meeting. The meeting was well-intentioned, but some key players – like folks from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and others –  were missing, so many questions and concerns went unaddressed. People were looking for answers about blight certification, eminent domain and definite plans for the block. We don’t purport to have all of the answers in this post. We do try to fill in some holes by providing information (if you know more about this than we do, which is quite possible, comment below and we’ll try to fill holes together). For those of you have been keeping a close eye on this there will likely be nothing new here:

• Blight certification. The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority oversees blight certification in the city. The ins and outs of that process are spelled out (somewhat) here. Blight and redevelopment reports are here. The area near 51st and Baltimore was certified for redevelopment in 1995, so the report is not online. The area is now due for recertification, which could pave the way for redevelopment. Certification clears the way for lots of things, including condemnation or seizure through eminent domain.

• Redevelopment plan. Before the city proceeds with redevelopment, it must have a plan. In the Philadelphia 2035 plan, the City Planning Commission identified 51st and Baltimore as an area where blight certification needed to be updated and a new plan written. It also notes that “senior housing” had been identified as a possible priority. The key here is that there needs to be a legitimate, specific plan in place with “demonstrated financing.” One plan that has been on the table for many years is the expansion of the Mercy Wellness Center, but no action has been taken.

• Eminent domain. Several speakers at last night’s meeting voiced concerns about the threat of eminent domain seizure as part of a redevelopment process chasing away potential investors. This requires a City Council resolution.

So that’s about the size of it. More questions were probably raised than answered last night. Perhaps the best thing we can do is serve as a public discussion platform. If you have comments, insights or answers, please feel free to comment below.

– Mike Lyons

In recent months, the 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue has become a politically-charged center of controversy that has West Philly residents both frustrated and perplexed. Should the block, flanked by some boarded-up buildings, evolve with the help of local businesses into a commercial strip? Or should the city step in, reclaim the land and enlarge an existing health center and include parking?

A public meeting scheduled for next Thursday (see details below) will provide an opportunity for business owners and residents to discuss these two possibilities.

As Naked Philly reported earlier this month, community members learned in November about possible tentative plans to redevelop mostly privately-owned properties between 50th and 51st Streets. The redevelopment, which would happen through eminent domain, could make way for an expansion of the Mercy Wellness Center at 5008 Baltimore Avenue as per a proposal currently being considered by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA).

Baltimore Avenue near 51st Street.

For many residents, the tentative expansion proposal, submitted to the PRA by the Baltimore Avenue Redevelopment Corporation (BARC) — the non-profit that owns the Wellness Center—runs contrary to the needs of the community. In business owner Saba Tedla’s view, what the neighborhood needs along the slowly developing stretch are more restaurants and retail spaces that can solidify the Baltimore Avenue Corridor as a destination point—and without the use of eminent domain. (According to a recent City Paper article, the BARC proposal is “in flux” and may have already lost steam as inferred by statements made by BARC’s current president, Dr. Benjamin Smallwood.)

After all, more foot traffic on that block can only help Tedla, who owns Seeds Gallery at 5011 Baltimore Avenue and the restaurant Aksum further east on Baltimore and  plans to open a second restaurant across from the center this spring. She wants the competition.

“People like myself feel that the needs of the community are more for commercial retail than it is to have an expansion of a parking lot and a healthcare center,” Telda told West Philly Local. “If I know I’m opening a restaurant, why am I asking for restaurants? Because I am a member of the community. It’s productive and economical for more people to have more jobs [and] to attract more young professionals.”  Continue Reading

Pound Cake Heaven’s Now Open sign at 5029 Baltimore Avenue (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

Fans of pound cake and other baked deliciousness rejoice: Yeadon’s Pound Cake Heaven has made West Philly its new home.

The fledgling business, which opened two years ago, established its second location at 5029 Baltimore Avenue in November, although it hit a few rough patches due to the weather, owner and baker Pam Thornton told West Philly Local. Much like her flagship store, Pound Cake on Baltimore will offer Thornton’s signature variety of pound cake flavors, as well as pies, cobblers, layered cakes, sugar free desserts, cupcakes, and other sweets.

In addition to wanting to expand her business, Thornton told West Philly Local that she had chosen the Baltimore Avenue spot because she recognized an unmet need on the developing corridor. With its arrival, Pound Cake on Baltimore Avenue has become the only full-service dessert bakery on the strip east of 52^nd Street, offering cakes for every occasion—from birthdays to weddings and family gatherings.

One of Pam Thornton’s signature pound cakes (Photo from Pound Cake Heaven’s website)

As a grand opening incentive, West Philly Local readers who print out this article and bring it to Baltimore Avenue location will receive a free cupcake with their Pound Cake Heaven purchase.

Pound Cake on Baltimore Avenue is opened 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, according to Thornton and a worker at the Baltimore Avenue location. For the summer, Tuesday through Saturday closing hours will extend to 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., Thornton said.

So tell us readers, have you been able to check out Pound Cake’s new location? What do you think of the digs and baked goods?

–Annamarya Scaccia

Tomorrow, in conjunction with the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, the Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA) will launch its new website, babawestphilly.org—a first for the member organization that has promoted and supported local business along the Baltimore Avenue corridor for the last few decades.

Baltimore Avenue/West Philly Local archive photo.

BABA’s new website will feature a list of known businesses within its boundaries (Baltimore Avenue between 40^th and 52^nd streets, plus one block north and south), a calendar of events, special promotions, a member-maintained blog, and local business and community news. The website, made possible through grants from The Enterprise Center and Local Initiative Support Corporation, was created by BABA members and will feature BABA’s new member-designed brand and logo.

According to BABA member and neighborhood organizer Algernong Allen, the website was launched in an effort to “enhance our digital presence, better marketing of the Baltimore Avenue corridor, and connect customers with the diverse range of local businesses we have to offer.” “The Baltimore Avenue Business Association will be able to highlight the wonderful energy taking place in West Philly from a commercial perspective,” Allen told West Philly Local.

The Baltimore Avenue Business Association underwent a revival six years ago thanks to the effort of a small group within the organization that focused on cementing BABA as a presence in the community, Vincent Whittacre, owner of the Gold Standard Café on 48^th Street and Baltimore Avenue, told West Philly Local. In those intervening years, he said, the association held group meetings as well as business and community meetings to address local concerns, like parking and outdoor table licenses.  Continue Reading

UPDATED 8/9/13 at 2:10 p.m.: After a few readers asked about the petition in City Paper, we reached back out to Greensgrow to get more info. According to Greensgrow’s Ryan Kuck, as a phase one step, the farm hub gathered signatures from business associations and community leaders for each proposal they’ve assembled. If any of the proposals move forward and once they’ve identified a site, Greensgrow will reach out to the community through meetings and the like for community input.

As we reported in June, a garden center was being proposed at an empty lot at the southeast corner of 51st Street and Baltimore Avenue (pictured). A couple of weeks ago City Paper wrote that Kensington farm and garden hub Greensgrow has its eye on two plots of West Philly land, including at 51st and Baltimore. We checked on it and found out that nothing is set in stone, although, according to a Greensgrow rep, those sites are among many swaths of West Philly land they are considering as their next home.

Ryan Spak, owner of the corner lot on Baltimore, said much the same when we spoke to him this week. While he would be “honored” to bring a garden center to the lot because “the neighborhood deserves one,” he said that he is considering multiple possibilities for the land and an operator has not been identified. As for Greensgrow, Ryan said they were at the community meeting at Seeds Gallery on June 21 and showed interest, but he would not confirm if they are in talks.

We’ll keep you posted on this development when we have more information.

-Annamarya Scaccia