While graffiti still covers the front of the old West Philadelphia High School building and it may seem like not much work has yet been done on converting the early 20th century building at 48th and Walnut into loft apartments (the project was first announced in 2012,) a part of the building, now called West Lofts, is ready to welcome its first tenants next month, according to reports.

The first 35 units have been leased for July 1 move-in, and more units are currently for lease for August and September move-ins, according to a report by Philly Curbed.

Upon completion, West Lofts will have 268 studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments, many of them bi-level, ranging from $995 to $2,430. The building will also include a restored gym, a co-working space and a coffee shop, according to Philly Curbed.

If you want to see photos from inside the building (they may surprise you!), go to Philly Curbed.

Proposed Route 49 (Click to enlarge).

On Thursday, the SEPTA Board approved the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Service Plan, which includes the launch of some new bus routes in the city. The widely discussed Route 49 that would connect the city’s Fairmount and Brewerytown neighborhoods with Grays Ferry via University City hasn’t been approved for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2017.

The new bus service, which was part of the initial plan, has been deferred for further study and analysis after a series of open houses and public meetings held since March 2016.

The proposed route made many West Philly residents excited as it would also create a direct transit option between 30th Street Station and the attractions located along the Ben Franklin Parkway.  Continue Reading

More details have emerged about a recent incident at the CVS Pharmacy at 43rd and Locust. Rumors were circulating that the store was robbed on Monday afternoon. Here are some more details from a police report:

Two young males – between 21 and 25 years old – were caught stealing skincare products, and when confronted by staff they pulled knives at them. The incident happened at about 3:40 p.m. on Monday, June 12, according to police. After that both men fled, reportedly with some Aveeno moisturizer stolen from the store. No injuries were reported.

A similar incident happened at the same store last year, but the thief pulled a gun at the store manager after being confronted at the door.

New Indego bike-share station near 40th and Woodland.

Indego, Philadelphia’s bike share program, recently turned two years old and has just announced more docking stations around the city, including several in West Philly/University City.

Here are the new Indego station locations in the area:

• 40th and Woodland
• 38th and Spruce
• 38th and Market
• 30th Street Station East

One of the main criticisms of the Philadelphia bike-share program when it launched in 2015 was its availability in more socially and racially diverse neighborhoods and accessibility to lower-income riders. Last year, the program introduced a new equitable pricing plan and more ways for low-income residents to pay for the service, such as Pennsylvania ACCESS cards.

Over the past year, the program added new docking stations in such neighborhoods as Spruce Hill – at 43rd and Chester, Walnut Hill – at 48th and Spruce and 46th and Market – and West Parkside – at 1575 N. 52nd Street (see Indego station map here).

To read more about Indego and how it works, go here.

We have compiled a few important announcements released by SEPTA in the past week:

SEPTA Fares to Increase July 1, 2017

The SEPTA Board approved fare changes for Fiscal Year 2018, including modest increases across all modes of travel and methods of payment. SEPTA’s Fiscal Year 2018 begins July 1, 2017, and here is a summary of changes to some of the most widely used fare payment methods (full details can be found here):

• Cash Fare/Quick Trip: Increase from $2.25 to $2.50
• Discounted single ride with SEPTA Key Travel Wallet/Token: From $1.80 to $2
• Disabled Fare: From $1 to $1.25
• Paratransit/Shared Ride: $4 to $4.25
• Weekly TransPass: From $24 to $25.50 (up to 56 trips for one customer)  Continue Reading

Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at 46th and Market (archived photo).

The City’s revised plans for new Police Headquarters have been revealed and they no longer include the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at 46th and Market.

The Kenney Administration announced on Wednesday that it wants to relocate the Philadelphia Police Department headquarters to 400 N. Broad St., the former Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News building in Center City. The West Philadelphia site at 46th and Market had been selected by the Nutter Administration and has been undergoing renovations since 2014. The City has already spent about $50 million on purchasing and renovating the 90-year-old Provident building.  Continue Reading