UPDATE (9:35 p.m.): The 29-year-old woman was shot to death several weeks ago, but her body wasn’t discovered until this morning, according to police. Several people live in separate bedrooms in the boarding house, according to reports. The woman’s body was found in the first-floor living room under a mattress or blanket, and there was a foul smell in the house, according to police. Police also discovered the crime scene in one of the 3rd floor bedrooms where they believe the shooting took place. The investigation continues.

9:54 a.m.: Police are investigating a homicide on the 5100 block of Spruce Street. They say a woman’s body was found this morning, shortly before 7 a.m., inside a boarding house. Police say the woman lived in the boarding house with her boyfriend, and that she was probably killed a few days ago.

The plan to transform a mile of vacant river frontage near Bartram’s Garden on the west side of Schuylkill took another step toward reality with the announcement this week of the funding of that and other park projects in the city.

Dubbed “Bartram’s Mile,” the project would provide better river access to neighborhoods in Southwest Philadelphia, including boardwalk trails and recreation areas. The plan is for the Schuylkill River Trail along the east bank to connect to the west side. Another project, “Centennial Commons,” in the Parkside neighborhood will include a large playground with a climbing wall and spray park near the Please Touch Museum (see rendering below).

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the William Penn Foundation will fund the projects as part of an $11 million grant to help to reimagine public spaces in Philadelphia. Spearheaded by Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park Conservancy, the initiative will serve as a pilot project to explore the impact of connecting civic spaces and the success of cities.  Continue Reading

Scott (left) and Guy Orens talk to the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee on Wednesday about very rough plans for a residential building on the 4400 block of Chestnut. (Photo by Mike Lyons / West Philly Local)

A local developer gave the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee a sneak peak of their plan for a residential complex that would dramatically change the 4400 block of Chestnut Street.

Scott and Guy Orens, owners of Orens Brothers Real Estate, presented a project that was very early in the planning stages to build a five-story, 150-unit on the north side of the 4400 block of Chestnut that require the demolition of some vacant and owner-occupied homes and a warehouse along Ludlow Street.

The two brothers, whose firm has built or renovated several large residential buildings in the city including the once-abandoned Croydon building at 49th and Locust, were not yet seeking any approval for their plan from the committee.

They have already purchased many of the properties that would be required to build the complex, which would be one- and two-bedroom rentals, but public discussions about things like building design, materials and facade appearance have not yet begun.

“We are willing to participate in creating something that you will like,” Scott Orens told the committee.  Continue Reading

Here’s a reminder to all not to leave any valuables in your parked car. Several car break-ins have been reported on Hazel Avenue near 51st Street and in the Cedar Park area in the past several days. Some of these reports came from our readers who wanted to alert their neighbors. Here’s one of them:

“Just wanted to inform you that there have been a string of car break-ins along 51st street near Hazel Ave. over the last week. My roommate’s car was broken into the night of 3/13, and a GPS device was stolen from her glove compartment. A few days prior, my downstairs neighbor (whose car was parked on 51st St. near Hazel) found that someone broke into his car and stole the bike in the backseat…”

While we were not able to confirm these two break-ins with the police, we found out that there were other break-ins and thefts from cars on Hazel Avenue recently (Source: Crimereports.com): on March 7 on the 4900 block of Hazel; on March 8 on the 5100 block; and on March 10 on the 4800 block. A car parked near the corner of 51st St and Larchwood Ave was also broken into on March 10.

Pre-manufactured apartment building at 46th and Sansom. (Photo by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local)

Last spring we wrote about a new residential building, “Sansom Street Flats,” planned on the vacant lot at 46th and Sansom Streets. There wasn’t too much development going on on the site since then, until just a few weeks ago when we saw that the building’s foundation had been laid. Suddenly, a building has appeared.

Last week a three-story building went up really fast, according to West Philly Local reader reports. One reader reported that “a crane arrived and dropped in some what look like prefab 2- or 3-story houses.” A quick search of the city’s Licenses and Inspections database confirmed that the owner of the lot, which encompasses 128-138 S. 46th Street, received a permit in December 2014 for the “erection of a foundation system and the installation of a three-story pre-manufactured structure with cellar for use as a three-family dwelling.”

It became known last week that another apartment building is planned just across the street from this building – at 46th and Walnut.

Sansom Street Flats is a project by Sansom Street Development LP. It was reported earlier that the units in the building were planned for rental purposes. The project is expected to be completed in August 2015.

Two important and informative community events are happening this week in the Spruce Hill and Garden Court neighborhoods.

On Wednesday, March 18, the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee will be meeting at 6:45 p.m. at the Spruce Hill center, 257 S. 45th Street, to discuss a number of applications for development in the area. Cases will be heard in this order:

• 217 S. 42nd Street–application for a two-family dwelling
• 4030 Spruce Street–application for fraternity housing
• 400 S. 45th Street–increase in square footage allowed and increase number of permitted units from 12 to 19.
• 18, 20, 22 S. 43rd Street–application to increase maximum occupied area plus relief from five required parking spots (application is for relocation of lot lines from three to one in order to erect a structure for religious and educational use, connected to an existing structure).
• Presentation for feedback on possible development at 4415 Chestnut back to 4412 Ludlow by Scott Orens.  Continue Reading