Mayor Jim Kenney speaks on Thursday at the opening of the Trolley Portal Gardens near 40th and Baltimore. (Photo by West Philly Local).

As trolleys screeched by, Mayor Jim Kenney was among the dignitaries who spoke Thursday at the opening of Trolley Portal Gardens, the public space near the trolley stops at 40th and Baltimore. Kenney, whose mayorship is defined by balancing the “old” Philadelphia of open fire hydrants and block parties and the “new” Philadelphia of “eds and meds,” said the new space balances both.

“This is the ‘old’ Philadelphia and the ‘new’ Philadelphia,” he said. “This is where we’re going.”  Continue Reading

Trolley Portal Gardens, the development project transforming the 40th Street Trolley Portal into a more welcoming public space, has been completed, and this Thursday, Sept. 27, the public are invited to a grand opening. The event will be held from 5 – 7 p.m. and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with city and state representatives, including Mayor Jim Kenney and Senator Anthony Williams, as well as speakers from University City District, SEPTA and business owners.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 5:15 p.m. and will be followed by an open house and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public (you can RSVP here).  Continue Reading

The Mantua Greenway rendering.

Here’s an opportunity for local artists to help create public art in West Philadelphia’s Mantua neighborhood. Mt. Vernon Manor CDC and the Friends of the Mantua Greenway are seeking a qualified team of artists to work on public art installations along the future Mantua Greenway site, a new bike and walking trail. The project includes the design, creation, and installation of three community-supported, semi-permanent elements that “will inspire curiosity and foster engagement with the Mantua Greenway project during its construction phases,” according to the project description.  Continue Reading

A self-service pet washing facility is likely coming to a storefront near the corner of 47th and Baltimore.

The Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee voted earlier this week to support a special zoning exception required by the city for the ground floor of 806 S. 47th St., which for many years was the location for Vincent Goffredo Plumbing and Heating. The proposal will soon go before the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment for final approval.

The facility, which the owner told the committee will grow to include grooming services, will include six elevated stainless steel wash tubs – two each for small, medium and large pets. The large tubs will even include a ramp that will allow your Saint Bernard or Newfoundland to walk right into the tub. So if you’re tired of bending over the bath tub to scrub down your pup, this might be for you.

The service will include a dryer, shampoos and brushes. A small pet washing, up to 25 pounds, will cost $12. Mediums will cost $14 and larges will be $16.

Redesigned Garden Court community garden rendering provided by the Community Design Collaborative.

Community members are invited this Friday (Sept. 21) to learn more about a major fundraising effort in West Philly’s Garden Court neighborhood – the Corner Park Renovation project – which includes renovation of the community tennis courts and redesign of the community garden at 47th and Spruce.

Garden Court Community Association is partnering with the Community Design Collaborative on this project. The Collaborative prepared a plan and diagram for the redesign of the garden after conducting a community input process last spring. They will be presented at Friday’s event. The plan for the garden includes reconfiguring garden plots to allow more residents to garden, creating a new pedestrian-only entrance and gathering space with picnic tables and chairs, and more.  Continue Reading

A monthly Cedar Park zoning meeting will get underway on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore). One of the development projects to be discussed at the meeting is a proposal for a self-service pet washing space at 806 S. 47th Street, in the space formerly occupied by Goffredo Plumbing (see Google map above).

The new business requires a special exception for the first-floor commercial space in the three-story mixed use building because it’s an “animal service.” The residential use above will remain unchanged. Stay tuned for more information.

More details about tomorrow’s meeting, which begins at 7 p.m., is available here.