36th and Lancaster

The city’s Historical Commission today added a strip of Lancaster Avenue commercial and residential buildings dating to the 1870s to the Registry of Historic Places.

The designation of the south side of the 3600 block of Lancaster Avenue requires Historical Commission approval of building or renovation plans.

An attorney for the property’s owner, AP Construction, vowed to appeal the decision.

The Powelton Village Civic Association began to pursue the designation last spring when it learned of AP Construction’s plans to demolish the block and reportedly sell it for student housing. With street-level storefronts and apartments on upper floors, the block anchors the main commercial strip in the neighborhood.

About 25 residents of Powelton Village were on hand at the meeting and nearly all raised their hands when asked if they agreed with the historic designation proposal.  Continue Reading

The University of Pennsylvania has expanded its home-buying program out to 56th Street, according to the university’s Department of Home Ownership Services. The program is designed to entice full-time staff and faculty to live in West Philly.

The new western boundary will extend from 52nd Street to the east side of 56th from Market Street south to Paschall Avenue (see map below). The eastern boundary is unchanged, running along the Schuylkill River. The northern boundary runs along Haverford Avenue to 44th Street where it switches to Market Street. These are the first changes to the program, which provides a $7,500 forgivable loan toward the purchase or improvement of a home, since 2004.

The loan benefit also applies to employees of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

The area shown in purple reflects the new boundaries of Penn’s housing loan plan.