Westpark Apartment towers (Photo by West Philly Local)

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) broke ground yesterday on the first phase of the redevelopment of Westpark Apartments, the high rise public housing complex near 45th and Market.

The public-private effort between PHA and developers LMXD and MSquared will include 327 new units and will be developed across three buildings north of Market Street between Powelton Avenue and 46th Street during the first phase of the project. Nearly 140 units will be reserved for returning Westpark residents and 190 will be affordable to households earning between 20 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The project will also include infrastructure development to reintegrate the site back into the city’s street grid, linking the campus for the first time to public transit and the broader neighborhood.

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If you’re a frequent SEPTA trolley rider, you’ve probably been stuck at least a few times on a trolley that was blocked by a vehicle double-parked in its lane. To help clear the tracks and keep trolleys moving without delays, the Philadelphia Parking Authority has launched an Automated Trolley Camera Enforcement program that will help track and fine drivers who double-park in trolley lanes and “no stopping” zones. The new initiative, the first of its kind in the country, has launched today with the activation of AI-powered cameras on 30 trolleys.

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The 68th Annual Spruce Hill May Fair is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 in Clark Park. As always, the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) is inviting vendors, artisans and community groups/organizations seeking to do outreach and promotion to set up their tables at the event.

Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans (please no second-hand good or commercial products). This is a day to showcase works that local artisans have produced themselves. Also, vendor applications from businesses/organizations that plan to sell prepared food or beverage items at tables will not be accepted due to Health Department regulations. Food vendors with a free-standing and separately permitted truck/cart may still be able to participate (please contact SHCA).

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A tax preparation volunteer is working with customers at ACHIEVEability.

The Campaign for Working Families (CWF) is once again offering free tax preparation services to West Philadelphia residents this tax season. Now through April 15, residents can schedule an appointment via CWF’s website to receive expert assistance from trained nonprofit professionals.

In partnership with ACHIEVEability, which is serving as one of the host locations for the program, the free services will be held at 5901 Market Street. Appointments are available Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Last year, with the support of ACHIEVEability and CWF, more than 1,000 residents received tax assistance, resulting in a combined total of $855,292 in refunds for those who used the free service.

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Manakeesh, the Lebanese cafe and bakery at 45th and Walnut, has permanently closed after 15 years of operation due to a “sharp increase in rental costs,” according to an Instagram post. The cafe’s last day of operation was Tuesday, Feb. 17. The closing was timed with Ramadan, which began on Tuesday evening.

However, there is some good news: Manakeesh is looking for a new location and will temporarily operate as a cloud kitchen accepting online orders.

“One silver lining from this, we are not totally going away,” reads the post on Instagram. “We will be moving and continue to offer our menu online and for extended hours in Ramadan and thereafter insha’Allah. We are hoping to keep Manakeesh up an running for the next generation with your support, and not just a memory.”

Named for the Lebanese flatbread sandwiches it serves, Manakeesh opened in 2011 in the renovated bank building at 45th and Walnut (see photo).

Here’s some great news for SEPTA’s T5 Trolley Modernization Project. The T5 Trolley Route (former Route 36), which serves people in West and Southwest Philadelphia, is receiving $2 million for its modernization, including new vehicles, on-street stations and infrastructure, as well as new traffic signals, pedestrian safety bump-outs, and accessibility and stormwater drainage improvements.

The funding is part of a $27 million state investment in transportation safety. It was received through Pennsylvania’s ARLE (Automated Red-Light Enforcement) program, which aims to improve safety at intersections with traffic signals by providing automated enforcement at locations where data shows red-light running has been an issue. Fines from red light violations at intersections in Philadelphia are used for grants.

The T5 Trolley Modernization Project kicked off in 2024 and is currently in its design phase, with construction expected to begin in 2027. For more details, visit: https://wwww.septa.org/trolley-modernization/t5.

The new apartment building at 818 N. 40th Street (see Instagram video below).

HopePHL and Mt. Vernon Manor Community Development Corporation (MVMCDC), two West Philadelphia community organizations, today celebrated the grand opening of 40 new apartments along the North 40th Street corridor — a milestone development that transformed 11 long‑vacant properties between Lancaster and Mantua Avenues into long‑term affordable rental homes for local families.

The North 40th Street Corridor Revitalization Project brings new life to a once‑blighted stretch of West Philadelphia at the borders of the Mantua, Belmont and East Parkside neighborhoods. The initiative represents a first‑of‑its‑kind partnership between HopePHL and MVMCDC.

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The American Red Cross is currently experiencing a severe blood shortage and urging people to take action now to help offset the severe impact of recent winter storms on the blood supply. Donors of all blood types are asked to make a blood or platelet donation appointment as soon as possible. As a thank-you, all who come to give through Feb. 28 will receive a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. See RedCrossBlood.org/Heart for details.

Philadelphia residents can donate blood at the following locations:

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Here’s a great chance to support a local community organization and shop for a meaningful and not expensive Valentine’s gift. The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) is holding a Valentine Open House and “Buy Your Bestie a Book” sale on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 12-5 p.m. Tables of fine used books are for 50¢ to $1! The sale will support the association’s work in the community.

The event will be held at the Spruce Hill Community Center located at 257 South 45th St. (between Spruce and Locust). While you’re at the center, enjoy light refreshments and explore all the community services and causes that SHCA promotes.

For more details on what work SHCA does in the neighborhood, visit: https://www.sprucehillca.org.

Starting this week, Curio Theatre Company will present Sojourner, a one-woman show written by Richard Lamonte Pierce and starring award-winning actress Zuhairah McGill.

McGill portrays Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, sharing the stories and experiences of the abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and author. The play explores Truth’s life, including her enslavement in the North, her dramatic escape, and her fight against slavery. It also delves into her interactions with historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

McGill originated the role and toured the play nationally, earning a 2002 Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play. She’s a Founder and Producing Artistic Director of First World Theatre residing at the Community Education Center in Powelton Village. She is a recipient of the 2023 Lunt-Fontanne Award and her honors also include multiple other theatre awards and nominations, including three DC Excellence in Black Theatre Awards and the Black Arts for Social Change Award.

The show runs February 7 to 14 at 7 p.m. and is open to audiences of all ages. There are two Saturday matinee performances at 3 p.m.. Previews will take place February 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. Opening night is February 6 at 7 p.m.

Performances are at Curio Theatre located at 4740 Baltimore Ave.

For more information and tickets, click here.

UPDATE: The meeting will take place on Zoom due to boiler issues in the church. Register here.

The Friends of Malcolm X Park, in cooperation with other local organizations and groups, is kicking off a series of community meetings focused on potential neighborhood issues related to ICE for the area from Baltimore Avenue to Market Street and 48th to 54th Streets.

The first meeting will take place Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. at Cookman Beloved Community Baptist Church (51st and Spruce).

Meetings will be dedicated to general community concerns. The Saturday meeting will also launch a conversation about “how to protect our neighborhoods from likely future ICE and DHS aggression,” according to the organizers.

Other organizations co-sponsoring the meeting include: Blackwell Culture Alliance Inc., Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia, and Cookman Beloved and Holy Apostles and the Mediator churches.

UPDATE: The community meeting has been postponed until Thursday, March 5 (see more details below).

Community members are invited to provide feedback on the 52nd Street Commercial Corridor Improvement Project as the city continues working on the conceptual design. Launched in 2024, the project aims to bring improvements to the portion of the street between Arch and Pine, which would make the corridor “safer, cleaner and greener” for all.

The proposed plan includes traffic calming measures, transit and streetscape improvements, and improved curbside parking and loading.

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Firefighters working near 52nd and Pine streets on Saturday morning. (Photo by West Philly Local)

Firefighters responded to two serious fires in West Philadelphia that occurred overnight within half a mile distance from one another.

One fire was reported around 3 a.m. in a building located near 52nd and Delancey. No injuries were reported.

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Mayor Cherelle Parker has declared a snow emergency in the city beginning Saturday, Jan. 24 at 9 p.m., due to the upcoming winter storm. This means that all vehicles parked on Snow Emergency Routes should be relocated before the snow emergency begins. Any remaining vehicles will be ticketed and relocated.

Snow Emergency Routes are marked with signs posted along the route. You can also find the Snow Emergency route map and list here.

All Philadelphia School District schools will be closed on Monday, Jan. 25 due to the storm.

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