Demolition of the 131-year-old Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church at 43rd and Chestnut is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, May 1. (Photo West Philly Local)

Residents who live near 43rd and Chestnut have received notices from the City’s Department of Public Health to prepare for demolition of the 131-year-old former Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church building at 43rd and Chestnut, scheduled to begin today (May 1).

The city issued a demolition permit for the building last month. The permit was issued to building owners Kalidave Limited Partners, which is run by local developer Guy Laren, who saved a Frank Furness church at 47th and Kingsessing from demolition three years ago.  Continue Reading

Evidence of the pressure on the historic building is just across the street from the Christ Memorial Church, where an apartment building aimed at students is under construction.

After years of speculation about its future, it appears that the end is near for the 131-year-old Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church at 43rd and Chestnut.

Earlier this month the city issued a permit for the demolition of the church. The permit was issued to building owners Kalidave Limited Partners, which is run by local developer Guy Laren. Laren saved a Frank Furness church at 47th and Kingsessing from the wrecking ball three years ago, prompting some to hope he might salvage some of Isaac Pursell-designed English Gothic Revival building. He has not responded to calls or e-mails.  Continue Reading

It’s been more than five years since the devastating Christmas Eve fire destroyed the popular Cedar Park bar & restaurant Elena’s Soul and damaged the adjacent diner and hair salon. After the fire and demolition, the empty lot at 4912 Baltimore was temporarily used by Greensgrow West (in 2014-2016), and now we noticed a new building coming up. We reached out to the property owner, local businessman Algernong Allen, for more information.  Continue Reading

A bill introduced last week at the Philadelphia City Council would levy a 1 percent tax on construction and relax some zoning codes to fund programs aimed at providing more affordable housing in the city.

The bills are a series of compromises arising from battles between progressive city council members and real estate and construction lobbying groups. Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sanchez had been pushing for a bill that would mandate the inclusion of affordable housing units in any new development, but her proposal was almost unanimously opposed by the powerful building and real estate lobbies, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The compromise, which replaced a mandate with incentives, but which would also allow developers to pay a penalty fee in lieu of including affordable housing in their developments, has the backing of some of the previously opposed lobbying groups, like the Building Industry Association.

Current estimates are that the tax will raise $25 million a year. There is no word yet on when these proposals will be put to a vote.

– Mike VanHelder

Click to enlarge

A proposal for a 5-unit apartment building at 4829 Baltimore Ave. will be back in front of the Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee on Tuesday, April 17. Last month the committee asked the developer to slim down the building so it would encroach less on adjacent buildings.

The owner has requested a variance for construction of the apartment building (see rendering) at the site currently zoned RSA-3, which would allow only a single-family structure on the long vacant lot.

The public is welcome to attend to the meeting, which will be held at Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore, entrance on Baltimore), beginning at 7 p.m., to see the revised plans and elevations for the proposed building and to voice your opinions on this proposal. If you cannot make this meeting and wish to comment, please contact Cedar Park Neighbors.

To read more about the original plans presented at the previous zoning meeting, go here.

A rendering of the proposed five-unit apartment building for the vacant lot at 4829 Baltimore Ave. The Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee asked the developers to reduce the number of units and the scale of the building.

The Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee on Thursday evening convinced developers proposing a four-story, five-unit apartment building for a long empty lot on the 4800 block of Baltimore Ave. to slim down the project and introduce it again at a later date.

The plan requires variances from the city because the lot is zoned for a single-family home and the proposed building would cover more than 50 percent of the lot, which is between a building fronted by a nail salon on one side and a residential building on the other side. It includes five units ranging from 620 square feet to 1,400 square feet.

“I don’t think anyone is saying that Baltimore Avenue (on that lot) needs to be a single-family home, but five units is a big ask,” said zoning committee chair Shawn Markovich. “It’s overbuilt.”  Continue Reading