In celebration of Black History Month, many Free Library of Philadelphia branches will be hosting special events for both children and adults, including book readings and discussions, lectures, arts and crafts, and other educational and fun events and activities. Here’s a list of events happening in West Philadelphia branches and on-line this week. For more events, visit this page.

Monday, Jan. 31, 6:00 p.m.

Walnut Street West Library (40th and Walnut):

W. E. B. Du Bois’ The Ordeal of Mansart Community Reading Group – Stop by the library for a community reading group of W. E. B Du Bois’ classic novel The Ordeal of Mansart. W. E. B. Du Bois was a public intellectual, sociologist, and activist and profoundly shaped Black political culture in the United States. This is a weekly event through Feb. 28. Click here for more information. Continue Reading

UPDATE (1/29/2022): The snow emergency will be lifted at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29. This means vehicles can be parked again on snow emergency routes after 5 p.m.

(1/28/2022): The City of Philadelphia has announced that it will declare a snow emergency beginning at 7 p.m. tonight, meaning vehicles need to be moved from emergency routes for plowing or face towing.

Snow emergency routes in West Philly include :

• Walnut and Chestnut Streets from Broad Street to the Cobbs Creek Parkway
• Woodland Avenue from Baltimore Avenue to Island Avenue
• 38th Street (and then University Avenue) south of Walnut
• Girard Avenue from the river west to Lancaster Avenue
• Lancaster Avenue from Girard to City Avenue.
• Cobbs Creek Parkway and 63rd Street

When moving vehicles, the City advises drivers to park as far from street corners as possible.

Vehicles left on snow emergency routes will be moved to other parking spots to assist in snow plowing operations. If your car is moved, call 215-686-SNOW (7669), and press option four (4), to find it. Do NOT call 911.

Walnut Street West Library, one of the oldest Free Library of Philadelphia branches, has reopened its doors to the public after last week’s fire in an electrical transformer located under the sidewalk on 40th Street, in front of the library.

“Walnut West [head] librarian Bruce [Siebers] arrived at work early last Thursday morning, January 20, before anyone else. When he turned on the lights, they flickered, then suddenly there was a WHOOSH and black smoke billowed into the rooms,” writes Alice Wells, a member of volunteer group The Friends of Walnut West Library. “He ran outside – smoke was visible from the street too. In moments the block was filled with fire trucks, police cars, an ambulance and PECO and PGW trucks.” Continue Reading

The University of Pennsylvania is proposing a multi-million dollar partnership with Henry C. Lea School – the K-8 public school located four blocks west of Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (aka “Penn Alexander”) School, their first partnership school in West Philadelphia.

The proposed Penn-Lea partnership is for five years, during which the university will be making a total grant commitment of $816,500 per academic year, totaling $4,082,500. A portion of these funds will be in the form of services provided by individuals who are paid by Penn.

Concerns about rising home values, gentrification and displacement have followed the announcement. Home prices in the Penn Alexander catchment rose exponentially since 2000. Continue Reading

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has announced new partners and the next step in their redevelopment plan for Westpark Apartments, the three public housing towers that sit just north of Market St. near the 46th St. El station.

Two New York-based firms, L+M Development Partners and MSquared, have been selected as partners in the 12-acre Westpark site modernization project after an extended local and national search, according to an announcement by PHA.

The next step in the Westpark site redevelopment project is negotiating an agreement with the new partners for a final overall plan. L+M Development Partners and MSquared had initially proposed building 650 rental units on the site – 327 low-income housing units to replace the existing number of apartments at Westpark, and an additional 323 affordable and market rate units along with commercial space. Continue Reading

Cobbs Creek Golf Course map (from the Cobbs Creek Foundation website).

The City of Philadelphia has announced plans for revitalization of the historic Cobbs Creek Golf Course and a multi-year lease agreement with the Cobbs Creek Foundation. This public-private partnership will invest at least $65 million to restore this public golf course and the surrounding areas. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring.

The 105-year-old golf course has been closed since 2020 due to significant capital needs and safety concerns. Years of erosion and flooding from the creek washed away large sections of the greens and fairways, making the course essentially unplayable. In addition, a 2016 a fire destroyed the golf course’s historic clubhouse. Continue Reading