A mural dedicated to West Philly police officer Sgt. Robert Wilson III murdered in 2015 was vandalized over the weekend, according to reports. The mural, located at 60th and Baltimore, was spray-painted with anti-police slogans:

THIS. IS. A. DISGRACE. Sgt. Robert Wilson is a true Phila. hero who risked & gave his life to protect fellow Philadelphians. Do not insult the memory & service of real heroes who KNOW the real meaning of “Protect and Serve”. Disgust for the defacer! https://t.co/zo2KdoiJnq

— Michael A. Nutter (@Michael_Nutter) August 31, 2020

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Residents near a controversial proposed 30-unit apartment complex tucked down an alley of 51st Street near Spruce Street presented details on their opposition last night during an online meeting with developers, who committed to rethink the project.

A year in the making, the meeting between representatives of Callahan Ward and residents near 303 S. 51st Street, which housed an auto mechanics shop in the past, did not result in any specific concessions. But developers said they would modify the proposal to build 30 market rate apartments to include an unspecified amount or type of affordable housing and community space in addition to ground floor commercial.  Continue Reading

Callahan Ward, the developer behind the controversial luxury apartment building project planned in a back alley at 303 S. 51st Street, have agreed to meet online with community members more than a year after the project was first proposed. The firm’s decision comes after several public meetings and protests and the denial by the city of required permits.

The meeting will be on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. on Zoom. Project architects at Interface Studio Architects will also participate in the meeting.

The project would include 33 market-rate apartments and ground floor commercial space and can be built “by-right.” The building would be surrounded by the backyards of several adjacent properties, and the only access to the building would be through a narrow alley off 51st Street.  Continue Reading

If you live in Garden Court, Cobbs Creek or Cedar Park and need a pizza fix, check out Park Pizza, a new restaurant and pizzeria at 434 S. 52nd Street across from Malcolm X. Park. Park Pizza’s co-owners are experienced restaurateur Joe Scarpa, the former owner of Allegro Pizza at 40th and Spruce, and his son Sean Dundon who worked as a restaurant manager.

They both were approached by the Spak Group, a local real estate company which has been renovating buildings on 52nd Street, to open a neighborhood pizzeria. But, it took a few years for Park Pizza to get going, according to Dundon.  Continue Reading

Rendering of the proposed 6-story addition with 220 apartments over Garden Court Plaza’s parking garage at 4701 Pine Street (Image by BLT Architects).

The owners of Garden Court Plaza, the 14-story apartment building located at 4701 Pine Street, are porposing a 220-unit addition above the complex’s ground floor parking garage.

The project is “by right,” meaning it complies with the zoning code (CMX-3) and variances are not required. However, due to its scale, the project has to be approved by the City Planning Commission’s Civic Design Review Committee.  Continue Reading

University City District’s award-winning program, West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, which helps unemployed West Philly residents connect with local employers seeking talent, has been on hiatus since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But here’s some great news: the program is launching its first virtual training.

The Skills Initiative in partnership with Drexel University will train aspiring Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) exam. Unlike the majority of Skills Initiative training programs, this cohort will serve all Philadelphia residents, regardless of zip code.  Continue Reading