October 21, 2019
A 3-alarm fire broke out on Monday morning at a large auto body shop located at 59th and Irving, according to multiple reports. The fire broke out shortly after 10 a.m. and soon the whole building was engulfed in flames:
The heavy smoke from the fire was seen from many blocks away: Continue Reading
October 21, 2019
A monthly Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) Zoning Committee meeting will take place tonight (Monday, Oct. 21) at the Spruce Hill Center (257 S. 45th St).
One of the items on the agenda of the meeting is a “by right” development for construction of a new 7-story mixed use building at 4240 Chestnut Street. The building will include 102 residential units on floors 3-7 with a garage for 40 underground parking slots, 34 bicycle spaces and trash rooms. The first two floors will house new space for Intercultural Family Services, currently located at 4225 Chestnut St., with a separate entrance, elevators and services.
A “by right” development means that the developer doesn’t need to apply for a zoning permit to proceed with construction. However, some developers still want to present their projects to the community for informational purposes. A community RCO (Recognized Community Organization), such as SHCA, has no legal sway over a “by right” project, but it can make suggestions and recommendations that a project’s development team can consider and potentially implement. Continue Reading
October 17, 2019
The 20th annual Peoplehood, a West Philly-based parade and community gathering, will take place Saturday, Oct. 19. The event once again will feature giant puppets, created by Spiral Q puppet makers with the help of community members.
The parade starts at the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut) at 1 p.m. and marches along West Philly streets to Clark Park (45th & Chester) for a participatory giant puppet performance around 2:15 p.m. Continue Reading
October 16, 2019
The Enterprise Center in West Philadelphia is forming a new Neighborhood Advisory Subcommittee (NAS) and inviting residents in their designated area (see map) to participate in its work.
The Enterprise Center is looking for community members who are interested in bettering their communities and working across neighborhoods, and specifically interested in: Continue Reading
October 14, 2019
Third Thursdays this Fall it’s Karaoke Night at The Bank (3750 Lancaster Ave.)! Sing your way into the weekend with friends and your favorite hits. Free! 21+ BYOB. RSVP here.
October 11, 2019
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Forty-two crimes were reported in the University City area in September and nine arrests were made, according to this month’s UCD Crime Update. The number of robberies and armed robberies was down in comparison to the report published in April 2019, but the number of thefts from automobiles remained high since May.
Three gunpoint robberies were reported last month – at 49th and Hazel, 43rd and Chester and 32nd and Powelton (see map). An arrest was made in the Powelton robbery. Unarmed robberies took place at 41st and Walnut and 38th and Market, according to the report.
As for car break-ins and thefts from cars, 14 cases were reported in September in the area, and two arrests were made. There were also seven reports of stolen vehicles. Continue Reading
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