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

Cafe Renata owners, Yasser Aiq and Kate Steenstra, at the cafe (archive photo, West Philly Local).

As many of you know, an overnight fire destroyed Café Renata at 43rd and Locust and injured a neighbor last Thursday. Café Renata co-owners, Kate Steenstra and Yasser Aiq, are safe, but heartbroken over the fire and are still assessing the damage. A lot of support has poured in to them from the community members, which Katie and Yasser are very grateful for.

“Our neighbors and friends have been so supportive of us during all of this and we are so grateful for their encouragement and hugs. We are lucky to be part of such a loving community,” Katie wrote in an email.

While it is still unknown when the popular Spruce Hill coffee and brunch shop will reopen here’s some encouraging news from Katie:

“After taking a few days of reflection Yasser and I would like to tell our friends and customers that we are so encouraged by their support and love the past few days. Without them, Renata would never have been the vibrant café it was. We are looking forward to your continued support during our rebuilding efforts. We will be back!”

If you would like to support Katie and Yasser, visit Cafe Renata’s Facebook page and leave a message. We’re also sharing information about a fundraiser for Café Renata this Thursday, March 19, at The Bar(n) (49th and Catharine) in Cedar Park. The Barn and Wyndridge Farms are teaming up for the Café Renata Tap Takeover Fundraiser where Wyndridge Farms brew will be hooked up to all four of The Barn’s taps. Admission fee is $10 at the door, but guests will get their first brew for free. All drafts will be $3. All of the door and draft proceeds will go to the owners of Café Renata. The event will take place from 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. Check The Barn’s Facebook page for updates.

Photo courtesy University City District

The University City District is continuing experimenting with new “social seating” structures in the area. Last year, they introduced the Looped In structures in various locations, and earlier this week, a custom public transit stop seat was installed at 36th and Lancaster Avenue.

The new seats are designed to “provide seating and information to passengers waiting for public transit… the latest in a series of social seats designed to be functional, versatile, and unique to University City.”

The 3600 block of Lancaster Avenue was selected as a high-volume transit area where there is a strong need for seating. The location is a popular stop on the Route 10 SEPTA line; it serves mostly Drexel students and patrons of local businesses. UCD plans to install two more in other similar areas in University City and is currently evaluating additional locations.

The idea of these new seats was conceived by UCD’s Policy and Research Manager Seth Budick, and Capital Projects Manager Nate Hommel designed them and oversaw their production.

The small building at 46th and Walnut that has housed a halal food store and convenience stores over the years has been torn down to make room for an apartment building likely aimed at students.

University Realty bought the parcel at 4525 Walnut St. in January 2014 and confirmed that it will build a 40-unit apartment building on the site. The parcel is zoned CMX-2, meaning that an apartment building with limited commercial or retail space is permitted on the site. University Realty does not have to go through Zoning Board of Adjustment or seek community approval for its building plans. The building will have a maximum height of 38 feet.

The building’s last tenant, Mohamed’s Halal Center (pictured left), closed in the summer of 2012, and the building has been vacant since then.

A spokesman for University Realty said he was unsure when the building might be ready for occupancy.

– Mike Lyons