Residents seem to have been granted limited access through a third party to retrieve some of their belongings. But that information is still conflicting and confusing.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s office is reporting that it successfully petitioned the building’s owners to allow some access. A man, whose name is reportedly Tom Vail, will be on site at the building from noon to 3 p.m. this afternoon and from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. this evening. Residents should report to Vail to request that belongings be retrieved. They will then be bagged and turned over to the building’s security, Blackwell’s representative, Anjali Chainani, said by e-mail. Building residents themselves will still not be permitted to enter the building.

Resident representative J.B. Farley said the situation is still confusing and that he is still trying to determine how the plan to retrieve belongings will work.

There has been no indication that a search for surviving cats left behind during the fire will be conducted.

Meanwhile, a crew from PGW was at the Windermere building today to sever the gas lines in preparation for the building’s demolition, which is now scheduled to begin tomorrow (photo left).

Protesters stand near a backhoe on Monday to prevent it from being used to begin demolition of the Windermere Court Apartments. (Photo by Daniel Brown, Wide Eyed Pictures)

The story of the Windermere Court residents and their fight to get back into their building has touched a nerve with many of us. It has gone from a story about saving pets and belongings to a story about justice and the struggle of regular people against a large bureaucratic machine.

There are no street demonstrations today, but the rally is continuing. The demolition was put on hold until tomorrow, but residents have still not been granted permission to enter. Maybe now is a good time for reflection as we wait for more news. Filmmaker Daniel Brown and his production company Wide Eyed Pictures has produced a wonderful documentary on the experience of Windermere Court residents. Please pass this around as it does a great job in helping people understand what is at stake here.

Here’s what Daniel wrote:

I’m so worried about the animals in there. Of course I’m worried about  peoples personal possessions – photo albums, home videos, etc. But to  know that there are living, breathing pets in there who have their own  feelings and emotions – it just kills me. That’s the drive for me to shoot this.

When I go back Wednesday I plan to focus more on the undamaged areas.  I feel the first video shows a lot of the damaged top, and I want people to understand how much of the building is still intact.

What you can do to help:
Write or call the Mayor’s office and register your complaint about the scheduled demolition. The city is reportedly the driving force behind the building being torn down so quickly.

Here is the contact info:
michael.nutter@phila.gov and phone number is 215-686-2181.

Here is Daniel’s piece:

This week’s weather will try to convince us that spring is right around the corner. OK, we’ll take the bait, and remind folks that registration for youth sports leagues is upon us. Here’s a quick rundown of a few popular ones:

• Clark Park Youth Soccer

The registration deadline is March 1. The season runs March 19 through May 21. The cost of registration is $42 for one child, which includes membership in the Friends of Clark Park. Additional kiddos in the same family are cheaper. All the forms you need to make it happen are here.

Each 90-minute Saturday session includes instruction and a game. The league is open to kids 5-11.

• Fairmount Sports Association baseball and softball

Many kids from neighborhood play softball and baseball across the river in the Fairmount Sports Association youth leagues off Ben Franklin Parkway. T-Ball typically involves age groups (boys and girls) starting at 4-6 years old. Girls softball begins at the rookie level with league play for ages 6-10 years of age. There is also a junior–senior level league for ages 11-16 years of age.

Boy’s baseball begins at the Rookie level (7-9), Junior or Pony League (10-12) and Senior league (13-16). Travel teams will be made up upon coaches and players availability.

You’ve already missed the early bird registration for this one, so it will cost you an extra $10 to register now. Online registration is available here. Walk-in registration is also available at the FSA building near the fields every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesday/Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Taney Youth baseball and softball

This league headquartered in South Philadelphia is also a popular one for neighborhood kids. The league plays its games on a number of fields in Center City. Opening day is April 9. Early bird registration is closed for this one too. But be quick because there is a cap on the number of players that will be allowed to register. The league is trying to get everyone to register online here. The registration fee is $90 for the first child and $80 for each additional child. The league is open to kids ages 3-15.

The protests at the Windermere Court Apartments seemed to have worked – for now. The demolition of the building has been put on hold until Wednesday.

Demolition crews began work on the west side of the building on Monday.

A judge is reportedly reviewing the Department of Licenses and Inspections decision to demolish the building before residents have a chance to retrieve their pets and belongings, which were left behind after the Jan. 10 fire.

It’s still not clear if residents or a private contractor or investigator will be allowed to enter the building to assess the possibility of residents legally reentering to assess the damage to their apartments.

Residents who have snuck into the building in the last few days have said that many of the apartments have been looted.

Demolition crews began work today on a large tree on the west side of the building. But late in the afternoon the crane that had started to work was parked quietly near the building.

Here are assorted news reports of the protests: Inquirer CBS NBC ABC

About 150 people gathered outside the Windermere Court Apartments at the intersection of 48th and Walnut Streets this afternoon to call for the building’s owners to let former residents in to gather their belongings and pets left behind after a devastating fire last month.

Protesters blocked the intersection, prompting police to close streets within a block of the building. Demolition of the Windermere Court building is scheduled to begin Monday. The organizers of the protest said they will file a court injunction Monday to stop the demolition until residents are allowed to enter the building to retrieve their belongings and look for pets, mostly cats, that are still missing after the January 10 fire. No one was injured in the fire.

The organizers also called on protesters to return to the building on Monday at 8:45 a.m. to continue the demonstration.

“People’s pets are in there,” said one organizer. “Their family heirlooms are in there. The ashes of their relatives in urns are in there.”

The city Department of Licenses and Inspections (L and I) has deemed the building “imminently dangerous,” which has led to the decision to demolish it. L and I offiicials have said that the owners of the building must decide whether residents can reenter. So far the owner, which residents say is nearly impossible to reach, has not granted that authorization.

The Walnut Hill Community Association has been very helpful to the former residents of the Windermere. Residents have advised us that any call for donations should go to Walnut Hill CA. They have a page set up for donations here.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell stood with the protesters. Blackwell has pressed the city on behalf of the former residents.

Here is a slideshow of Saturday’s protest, which lasted from 2 p.m. to about 3 p.m.

A spokesman for the mayor’s office told West Philly Local today that the demolition of the Windermere Court Apartments at 48th and Walnut Streets in West Philadelphia will begin Monday.

“The city and the owner have come to agreement and the building demolition will commence on Monday,” said Mark McDonald, a spokesman in Mayor Michael Nutter’s office. “The property owner is the one to talk to about the retrieval of anything inside the building. It is structurally unsound and has been declared imminently dangerous by Licenses and Inspections. But again, it’s under the owner’s control.”

The Windermere Court building was partially destroyed by fire on January 10. Residents have been pressing city officials and the owners of the building for access to retrieve their belongings and search for pets, which they have been denied. A barbed wire fence was erected around much of the building.

Many residents have organized their own security for the building to watch over what might remain from their belongings and to look for pets that were left behind during the fire and may still be alive.

“My biggest frustration is that we know that there are still pets in there alive,” said Lara Figueroa, a former Windermere resident.

Residents and the animal rescue group City Kitties are holding a rally tomorrow at 2 p.m. to protest the lack of information and cooperation from the building’s owners, who were not available for comment.