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West Philly artist James Dupree saves his studio from eminent domain

Posted on 12 December 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Photo from SaveDupreeStudios.org

Great news for West Philly artist James Dupree and his supporters: After two years of fighting the authorities to save his 8,646-square-foot art studio near 36th and Haverford from being destroyed to build a supermarket, the artist announced victory yesterday.

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James Dupree (Photos from SaveDupreeStudios.org)

Dupree purchased an auto repair shop at 3617-21 Haverford Ave in 2005 and turned it into a sprawling art space, known as Dupree Studios, but the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority seized and condemned the property along with other properties in a two-block area in December 2012 as part of efforts to revitalize the Mantua neighborhood. Since then 64-year-old Dupree has been fighting the plans of turning the lot into a grocery store with a parking lot through legal appeals and public campaigns. The PRA has finally ended the proceedings to condemn the property, which includes art studios, classrooms, and even three “quirky” apartments.

 

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More on car-pedestrian incident at 48th and Cedar

Posted on 06 October 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Here are some more details on Saturday’s incident in Cedar Park when a pedestrian was hit by a car. Police say a 25-year-old woman was hit at about 6:20 p.m. at the intersection of 48th and Cedar and taken to the hospital (no word on her condition yet). A 74-year-old female driver who struck the young woman remained on the scene, according to police.

Two more incidents happened over the weekend, both on Friday morning. A pedestrian was struck by a box truck near 45th and Baltimore and taken to the hospital (no word on this person’s condition) and a bicyclist was hit by a car on the South Street Bridge and had minor injuries, according to witnesses.

Some West Philly Local readers took to social media to discuss intersections where two of the incidents took place.

“The intersections of Cedar and both 47th and 48th are dangerous. Cars fly down Cedar to beat the trolley on Balt[imore] and 48th is treated like a highway. Anyone have any ideas on making this safer?” posted one of them on West Philly Local‘s Facebook page.

“The 45th & Baltimore intersection is also dangerous because vehicles exiting the A-Plus onto Baltimore feel they can either (1) go with the green light along with the cars going north on 45th AND/OR (2) make a short right turn onto Baltimore, light color of no significance. I’ve witnessed at least 4 incidents out my window,” wrote another reader.

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Pedestrian struck by truck near 45th and Baltimore

Posted on 03 October 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com

A pedestrian was struck this morning by a box truck near the intersection at 45th and Baltimore, according to media and witness reports. The incident happened shortly after 7 a.m. We’re trying to get more information on the person’s condition. Police remained on the scene for a while investigating the incident and inspecting the truck, which could be seen parked at the Gas and Mini Mart at 46th and Baltimore.

NBC reports that there was another incident on the west side of the Schuylkill this morning, when a pedestrian was struck by a car on the South Street Bridge and taken to HUP. UPDATE: Witnesses say that it was a bicyclist and appeared to have minor injuries.

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Spring Garden St/I-76 West Ramp closes until December

Posted on 17 September 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com

The Spring Garden Street on-ramp to I-76 West will close on Monday, Sept 22 until the beginning of December for repairs and construction work. PennDOT is planning to replace expansion joints, widen the bridge deck, and install concrete barriers during this time. Watch out for detour signs that will take passenger vehicles over Spring Garden Street, 33rd Street, Mantua Street, 34th Street and Girard Avenue to access the Girard Avenue ramp to I-76 West.

The Spring Garden St/I-76 West ramp repair is part of PennDOT’s $6.6 million project to rehabilitate the two deteriorating Spring Garden Street bridges over Interstate 76, Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail. The project is expected to complete in summer 2015.

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8-year-old girl dies after fall from window at 43rd and Locust

Posted on 17 September 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Really tragic news this morning. An 8-year-old girl has died after falling from a 9th floor window of a high-rise apartment building near 43rd and Locust.

The incident happened around 7:45 a.m. The girl fell from a window located on the east side of the Fairfax apartment building at 4247 Locust Street, across the street from Penn Alexander School. She was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in critical condition where she later died. Our deepest condolences to the girl’s family.

Fairfaxbuilding

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HUD chief to tour ‘Promise Zone’ in West Philly on Friday

Posted on 04 September 2014 by WestPhillyLocal.com

Julián Castro, head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be in town on Friday, Sept. 5 to tour parts of West Philly designated as a Promise Zone.

Castro will be in parts of Mantua, Powelton, West Powelton and Belmont. The tour is related to the recent $4 million initiative by the William Penn Foundation and Drexel University to transform early childhood education in West Philly. The initiative seeks to increase the number of neighborhood children in high-quality child care and to raise children’s performance on literacy tests.

Project organizers hope that improving early childhood education is the first step toward changing life in the Promise Zone, which includes some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.

Neighborhoods included in a “Promise Zone” are placed in the front of the line for federal grants and aid in an effort to help create jobs, reduce violent crime, improve educational opportunities and assist local leaders navigate federal programs.
 

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