Construction has begun on the vacant lot on the southwest corner of 40th and Pine Streets (400 S. 40th St) where a 19th century Italianate mansion, designed by architect Samuel Sloan, once stood.

A developer, Equinox Management & Construction, is redeveloping the site into a market-rate apartment complex called The Azalea, which will be targeted at graduate students. The first construction permit – for the building’s foundation – was issued last month.  Continue Reading

The first electric trolley debuted 125 years ago today on the Catharine and Bainbridge Street Line. Photo from the The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia.

On December 15, 1892, the first electric trolley began running on the Catharine and Bainbridge Streets Line, making public transportation a little more affordable for the masses.

SEPTA is marking the anniversary today with a ceremony and a “wrapped” trolley (pictured below) commemorating those early days that will run on the 11, 13, 34 and 36 lines for the next year.  Continue Reading

UPDATED (7:12 p.m.): A 23-year-old West Philly resident has been charged in the murder of a teenager whose body was found in an alley on the 200 block of South 49th Street earlier this week.

Police say Cole Herring led them to the body of 15-year-old Sabriyah McLean on Tuesday morning. Herring’s parents convinced him to turn himself in to police after he told them about the alleged murder. McLean, who turned 15 in October, was from Delaware, and her parents had reported her missing, according to police.

Herring, who lives in an apartment building near where McLean’s body was found, reportedly met her online.  Continue Reading

A woman’s body was found late Tuesday morning on the 200 block of S. 49th Street, according to police. A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder.

Police told 6ABC Action News that the suspect told his parents that he had killed the unidentified woman. He reportedly directed police to an alley where the body was found. The suspect, who is reportedly the victim’s boyfriend, lives in the apartment building near where the body was found. A police source said that the victim’s body was set on fire after she was killed.

The motive is currently unknown and the names of neither the victim nor the suspect have been released. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Former Apple Storage facility at 780 S. 52nd St (Google Street View image).

The real estate development firm Post Brothers has bought the long vacant Apple Storage facility on South 52nd Street and plans to build a 153-unit residential building.

Philly.com reported that the Post Brothers, which has acquired several buildings in recent years including The Netherlands at 4300 Chestnut, Hamilton Court at 3800 Chestnut, and Garden Court Plaza, paid $2.4 million for the hulking shell at 780 S. 52nd St., a couple blocks south of Baltimore Avenue. That price reflects the fact that the zoning approval had already been granted in 2012 for “Apple Lofts,” a residential housing proposal that drew mostly praise but prompted discussions about gentrification.

A zoning permit approved last week expanded the proposed project from 112 to 153 units and commercial space. The original zoning permit also includes 92 “accessory” parking spaces.  Continue Reading

Mayor Jim Kenney told the audience gathered for the Spruce Hill Community Association annual meeting last night that the city would likely to have a handful of serious proposals for the old Provident Mutual Insurance building at 4601 Market St. by early January.

His administration cancelled plans in May to move the police headquarters to the building, opting instead for the old Philadelphia Inquirer building at 400 N. Broad St. Those plans were devised during the administration of Michael Nutter.

The city has received several requests for quotation (RFQ) on the property. These are narrative proposals of what would be done with the property. Those proposals range from commercial and retail to medical and educational. All propose a mix of uses for the property. Kenney said the RFQs are private and he could not provide specific details on any of them.  Continue Reading