Construction has begun on a new 8-story apartment building at the former parking lot on the southwest corner of 49th and Spruce. The building will include 150 residential units from the first through seventh floors and a roof deck on the eighth floor. The project also includes 41 parking spaces and 63 bicycle spaces on the ground floor.  Continue Reading

Abyssinia, the popular Ethiopian restaurant located at the corner of 45th and Locust, is eyeing expansion into the adjacent space on S. 45th Street (a former laundromat) and also wants to offer outdoor seating.

“They are in early stages and will have to apply for their expansion [to the City’s Zoning Board of Adjustment] and come back once they have a refusal,” says Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee Chair Barry Grossbach following a meeting on the plan. Continue Reading

Monthly Spruce Hill Zoning Committee meetings resume after a short break in December. The Monday, Jan. 13, meeting will include:

• Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia, located at the corner of 45th and Locust, would like to offer outdoor seating to its customers in the near future. The restaurant owner will be at the meeting to discuss this proposal, as well as a proposed expansion to the adjacent empty storefront, a former laundromat, on S. 45th Street (see photo).

• A zoning application for seven family dwelling at 4206 Chester Avenue will also be discussed. It’s a multi-family home built in 1900 and is a little over 4,800 square feet, according to Realtor.com.

The meeting will be held at the Spruce Hill Community Association Headquarters (257 S. 45th St), beginning at 7 p.m.

A rendering of Village Square at 36th and Haverford.

Redevelopment of a long-vacant site in the Mantua neighborhood, near 36th and Haverford, has received a green light from the city.

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m., community members are invited to a celebration kicking off the redevelopment of the site. Mayor Jim Kenney, along with representatives from Lomax Real Estate, Mantua Civic Association, and Mt. Vernon Manor CDC, are also expected to recognize Councilwoman Blackwell’s service at the event, which will take place at West Philadelphia Community Center, 3535 Haverford Ave.

City Council passed legislation at its year-end meeting last week clearing the way for the project that put the finishing touches on the sale of the city land for a reported $1 million to a consortium of developers headed by Philadelphian Charles Lomax. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2020. Continue Reading

City Council voted this week to change the 10-year tax abatement that has helped spur development in West Philly and elsewhere.

The abatement, which has been in place since 2000, exempted property improvements from taxes for 10 years, making property value increases on big improvements, like ground-up rehab or construction, virtually tax free.

Under the bill passed on Thursday, the tax abatement on residential properties would start at 100 percent and decrease 10 percent per year. The modified abatement will go into effect on Dec. 31, 2020.  Continue Reading

City Council passed legislation on Thursday changing the zoning on West Catholic High School’s parking lot at 46th and Chestnut, clearing the way for a seven-story apartment building.

Proposed by outgoing Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, the bill passed after extensive negotiations between a group of West Catholic alumni and supporters of the school and the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA). West Catholic wants to lease the land to a property developer to help fund renovations and provide scholarships for students. To make the deal financially attractive, the zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a developer can build a much bigger structure than is currently allowed.  Continue Reading