The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) zoning committee will have its monthly meeting on Monday, May 20, where more details will be revealed about the mixed-use complex proposed on the site of the demolished Memorial Christ Church at 43rd and Chestnut. The property was sold to Alterra Property Group for $17 million earlier this year.

The proposed complex will reportedly include 278 residential units, ground-floor retail, below-grade accessory parking for 54 vehicles, and 109 bicycle spots. The property is in a CMX-4 Commercial Mixed-Use Zoning District, so this proposal complies with the existing zoning code and already has conditional approval. However, due to the size of the project, it must go before the City Planning Commission’s “civic design review” process. An early step in that process is a presentation to the appropriate coordinating RCO (Registered Community Organization), which is the SHCA Zoning Committee.  Continue Reading

4224 Baltimore Avenue project rendering (via U3Ventures.com).

After more than six years of planning, building permits were recently issued for the 132-unit residential/commercial complex on the vacant lot across from Clark Park at 4224 Baltimore Avenue.

Permit for the construction of the six-story building was issued on May 7, according to the City’s Department of Licences and Inspections.  Continue Reading

There has been an uptick in thefts from cars in the area, according to police, with the most recent cases reported in the area of 41st and Market and 40th and Ludlow Streets. Thieves got entry inside cars by breaking windows, according to police.

In a recent tweet, Matthew Gillespie, the Commanding Officer of the 18th Police District, which covers West Philadelphia neighborhoods south of Market Street, reminded area residents and visitors who park their cars on the streets to take all their belongings from their vehicle:  Continue Reading

The spring semester has come to an end at the University of Pennsylvania, and its students will be moving out from their dorms this week. Due to the move-out, the university has announced the following street closures:

Spruce Street will be closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles from 34th to 40th Streets, in both directions, on Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Please note that bikes will need to be walked on Spruce Street while it is closed to traffic.

Septa Routes 40 and 42 will be re-routed during the street closure (visit septa.org for information on each bus route).

The national oral history recording project StoryCorps is coming to record at The Porch at 30th Street Station from May 28 through June 26.

The StoryCorps MobileBooth (Photo by Ryan Dorgan).

You can reserve a recording spot (there is a limited number) tomorrow, May 14, beginning at 10 a.m. by calling the project’s 24-hour reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or by visiting WHYY.org/storycorpsPHL.

StoryCorps’ MobileBooth allows two people to record a conversation between them about “who they are, what they’ve learned in life, and how they want to be remembered,” according to the project. A StoryCorps facilitator will help with the interview. Here are some tips for effective interviews.  Continue Reading

On Saturday, May 11, the Streets Department will be holding a special event in West Philly for those who want to get rid of hazardous waste safely. If you have any used or unwanted toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive products (check the label), you may bring them to the 1st District Highway Yard at 4800 Parkside Ave. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday.

Some of the items accepted at this hazardous waste drop-off event are:

– antifreeze
– moth balls
– pesticide
– gasoline
– oil-based paints
– spray paints
– acids
– lithium/NiCad batteries  Continue Reading