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

Police have arrested two suspects for the violent attack and robbery of a male Penn graduate student on Nov. 5 on the 400 block of South 43rd Street. The 26-year-old victim was beaten with a brick during the robbery and suffered serious head injuries, including a fractured skull, according to police.

Twenty-year-old Lance Ryan was arrested Thursday and charged with robbery and assault. Dajuan Dantzler, 18, was arrested Friday after he turned himself in, according to reports. He was also charged with robbery and assault, according to police.

A second suspect in the shooting death of West Philly community activist Winnie Harris has been arrested, according to a report by Philly.com. Police arrested 31-year-old Isaiah Reels, 31, at a home in Southwest Philadelphia on Thursday.

A well-known community advocate and executive director of UC Green, Winnie Harris was found shot to death at her home in West Powelton on February 3, 2017 in, what police believe, a case of mistaken identity. She was 65.

Another suspect, 39-year-old Nelson Giddings, was arrested last month, and police also named Reels as a second suspect and issued an arrest warrant for him in October. Police believe Giddings and Reels may have targeted a different residence, but broke into Harris’s home on the 300 block of North Holly Street late on Feb. 2 and shot her when she confronted them. Harris was found dead in her home the following day.

Penn’s New College House West will be built near 40th and Walnut (Photo by West Philly Local).

It looks like the green space behind the Walnut Street library near 40th and Walnut will not remain open for too much longer. Penn has announced plans to build a new 250,000-square-foot residential building, New College House West, in the space where 40th Street summer concerts are held. The design for the building was approved last week. The University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees approved the design of the building last week.

View of the New College House West from 40th St and Locust Walk (rendering image by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects)

The new undergraduate college house will occupy a site bounded by Locust Walk, Walnut Street and 40th Street. The new construction will not affect the West Philadelphia branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which will remain open.

The new project will serve as a “new western gateway to campus,” according to Penn President Amy Gutmann.

The project is designed by Philadelphia-based Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects, the company that recently completed the New College House at Hill Field. The 450-bed residence will include a mix of 6- and 5-bedroom two-bath suites and 4-, 3- and 2-bedroom one-bath suites and will house sophomores, juniors and seniors.

The construction of the $163-million project will begin in Spring 2018 and is expected to be completed by Fall 2021. More information can be found here.

        Winnie Harris

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a second suspect in the murder of well-known community advocate Winnie Harris.

Isaiah Reels, 30, is wanted in connection to the February 2017 murder. Earlier this week, police announced the arrest of 39-year-old Nelson Giddings, who was already in police custody in Delaware County on unrelated charges. Giddings has been charged with murder, robbery and weapons offenses.

Police say Giddings and Reels broke into Harris’s home late on Feb. 2 and shot her when she confronted them. Harris, 65, was found in her home on the 300 block of North Holly Street the following day.  Continue Reading