Photo: Annamarya Scaccia/West Philly Local

After years of uneven and stalled construction, the eyesore of a site at 4809 Chester Avenue was recently put up for sale and it’s going for a whopping $549,000.

The three-story residential project has a long and sordid history. The nearly 5,000 sq-ft lot, which was bought empty by Antonie Gardiner’s company Bizness as Usual Inc. in 2004, received 15 code violations since 2007—all of which were resolved, according to a March 13 Philadelphia Inquirer article. The piece also reports that, from 2003 forward, Gardiner owed $5,324 in delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest, and has set up a payment arrangement on the property with a city collection agency. And that’s not all—the Southwest Cedar Park site is allegedly one of Gardiner’s 58 delinquent properties, states The Inquirer.

The unfinished Chester Avenue project is being sold as-is by the owner, according to an online listing by Fred R. Levine Real Estate, the agent on the property. The post catalogs the building as a three-story single-family detached home with six bedrooms, four full and two partial bathrooms, a garage, parking space, basement, electric heat, and a brick exterior.

When West Philly Local visited the site on Wednesday, the unsecured property was still overwhelmed by a muddy and uneven front yard, cut through by equipment tracks and peppered with murky puddles, debris, and litter. The entryway is also boarded up by two sections of large wood planks, with a small “SALE” plaque by Fred R. Levine Real Estate tacked to the right side.

-Annamarya Scaccia

A garden center is being proposed at the southeast corner of 51st and Baltimore.

An empty lot at the southeast corner of 51st Street and Baltimore Avenue may soon host a garden center. To kick start the project residents are invited to provide their input at the first community discussion tonight. One of the main topics discussed at tonight’s meeting, which will take place at Seeds Gallery (5011 Baltimore Ave) beginning at 6:30 p.m., is how to structure the project (i.e. co-op or private business).

Seeds Gallery owner Saba Tedla will lead tonight’s discussion along with the land owner Ryan Spak and community members can learn more about and share their thoughts on the following issues:

– What is the proposed lease term for the space?
– Who are the stockholders of this project?
– What can University City District/Cedar Park Neighbors do to support this effort?
– Private vs. public (co-op) structure garden center?
– Who has an interest to invest?
– What government /non-profit organizations can be involved with this project?

There is no more information available on the proposed garden center at this time as “things are just unfolding”, according to Tedla, and  many things will depend on the community input.

Architect Cecil Baker discusses a proposed building plan for 4224 Baltimore Avenue. The plan essentially divides the structure into two parts, with retail space (beginning near his hand) running along 43rd Street and Baltimore Ave.) that would include residential units above and a larger residential section with underground parking (behind his head).

Developers unveiled a couple of possible design plans on Tuesday for 4224 Baltimore Ave., the vacant plot of land across from Clark Park. A key remaining question is whether the building owners, who have the right to start building whenever they want, will go for one of the proposals.

About 50 community members attended the public meeting Tuesday night at the International House on Penn’s campus to offer input on building proposals that include underground parking, retail, possibly owner-occupied condos and one catch – more units. The land owners, Clarkmore Group LLC, currently have a “by right” permit to build a 92-unit residential building with no retail and only six parking spaces. They could start building tomorrow if they wanted to, with no community input. Instead the firm hired U3 Ventures, a development firm headed by former University of Pennsylvania executive and neighborhood resident Omar Blaik, to come up with alternative building plans and present them to the community.

The proposals unveiled on Tuesday included a residential and commercial structure divided into two sections. The first, closer to Clark Park near the southeast corner of 43rd and Baltimore would sit on an angle, opening the entrance to the park and allowing many of the existing trees on the property to be saved. This section would include some 8,000 square feet of retail on the first floor that would front both Baltimore Avenue and 43rd Street. Under one plan, this section would be five stories. Under another plan, just two stories.  Continue Reading

The development team for the 92-unit residential development project at 4224 Baltimore Ave has scheduled a second community meeting for Tuesday, June 18, at International House (37th and Chestnut), in the South American Room (2nd floor), from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The proposed design plan has drawn criticism from the community and the project developers are seeking residents’ input to help work out alternative designs. About 40 residents attended the first community meeting last month where they were broken into groups to discuss such issues as building design, retail spaces, unit types, and parking/transit.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the team will be presenting two or three design schemes for discussion and comment, according to an email message by Barry Grossbach, chair of the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee. “Undoubtedly, what comes out of this meeting will play a major role in shaping any final submission,” the message reads.

We’ll let you know about the third and final community meeting on this project as soon as we obtain more information.

The future site of Dunkin’ Donuts on 41st and Chester (Photo: Annamarya Scaccia/West Philly Local)

A sixth Dunkin’ Donuts will call West Philly home this fall when the franchise opens its doors at 4116 Chester Avenue, just a block north of fellow coffee chain Starbucks.

The new location, which was proposed in February, is taking over the vacant warehouse space on the ground floor of 4100 Chester Avenue, a multi-tenant building housing offices for the University of the Sciences and Veteran Affairs. Once open, Dunkin’ Donuts will operate on the relatively quiet residential block Sunday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“We feel that this stable use will provide a great amenity to the office staff and students in the building, as well as to our neighbors and the community,” said David Hess, vice president of acquisitions for Posel Management Company, which owns and manages the property on 41^st Street and Chester Avenue. “More importantly, it will add ‘eyes on the street’ and pedestrian activity to a block that can be lonely at night.”

The Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee approved the Dunkin’ Donuts site after the franchisee and their associates met with immediate neighbors on Apr. 9 to hear concerns, per SHCA’s request. According to Zoning Committee Chair Barry Grossbach, those concerns were then turned into a proviso, attached to the approval agreement, that the owner and property management must adhere to once Dunkin’ Donuts is operating. Among the issues to address: trash removal and pick up, exterior accessory signs, litter maintenance, security, and hours of operation.

Zoning-wise, the space, which has been empty for at least 10 years, was already zoned for a coffee shop, said Grossbach. The only matter the Zoning Board of Adjustment had to tackle was whether it would grant a special exception for a takeout restaurant, which the ZBA did on April 17.

Although the construction of the new Dunkin’ Donuts location has been met with little fanfare, some West Philly residents have taken to the UCNeighbors forum to express their opinions. One poster, Valerie, wrote “from an environmental and traffic point of view, as well as how it affects the residential quality of our neighborhood, Dunkin’ Donuts is not a good idea,” while another, Jon, counters: “Having been in this neighborhood when there was actual blight, such as abandoned housing on many blocks, I think we can handle a Dunkin’ Donuts. Baltimore Avenue seems to have survived the introduction of a Subway, for its part.”

-Annamarya Scaccia

Proposed draft drawing of Babylon Bistro’s storefront.

Although West Philly’s home to several excellent ethnic restaurant spots, there’s still a void of one menu offering plates that satisfy a broad range of palates. And that’s a gap Aksum Cafe and Seeds Gallery owner Saba Tedla plans to close when she opens her second eatery, Babylon Bistro at 5021-5023 Baltimore Avenue in Spring 2014.

According to Tedla, Babylon Bistro will cater to neighborhood folk who like ethnic fare but also want their “basic American food” (think specialty sandwiches). The contemporary menu as envisioned will offer small and large plate portions much like Aksum, but will cover an eclectic variety of regions and concepts that serve a diverse community.

While a lack of a “range of selection of menu” was a common complaint Tedla heard in two community discussion forums she held in developing the bistro’s concept, another was the lack of brunch and breakfast options. To that end, she plans to open Babylon Bistro for breakfast daily, as well as offer brunch on the weekends. As for serving alcohol, Tedla said the idea is to operate a BYOB spot on the onset, and that pursing a liquor license is “a long-term objective.”

“As a resident of the neighborhood, I am focused on the business void of the community and the advantage is having a better understanding of the neighborhood business needs,” she said.

But Babylon Bistro won’t only check off the food boxes. The combined lower area of 5021 and 5023 Baltimore Aves will come to a sprawling 2,000 square feet, making the bistro the second largest restaurant in the immediate neighborhood and the first largest on the Baltimore corridor, said Tedla. She plans to implement an open floor plan in Babylon’s scheme with floor-to-ceiling bi-fold doors that’ll serve as windows—a chic décor that “completely opens the space” and can comfortably sit 75-100 patrons without much of a wait.

Although Tedla has a strong vision in mind for Babylon Bistro, she does note the menu and concept are still in the development stages, and will be fully fleshed out once a chef is identified. She is currently interviewing potential candidates, as well as pursuing other options.

Craig King of Ventures Abby Real Estate also plans to operate a restaurant at 5037 Baltimore Avenue, not far from Babylon’s pending home. While King hasn’t returned interview requests, we do know from Cedar Park Neighbors it will possibly be a 75-seat sit-down restaurant with weekend music entertainment.

–Annamarya Scaccia