The University of Pennsylvania has acquired the former Hummus Grill property at 3931 Walnut St. for $4 million, according to a report by The Philadelphia Business Journal. The building includes five residential units and a ground-floor restaurant space. The purchase has brought the university one step closer to gaining full real estate control over that specific block of University City.

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Hundreds of local leaders, community partners, and neighborhood stakeholders gathered on Wednesday night for University City District’s (UCD) annual event, which served two purposes: celebrating a major transition in organizational leadership and marking the official release of The State of University City 2026 report.

The gathering was the formal send-off for longtime UCD President Matt Bergheiser, who was widely praised by attendees for his years of stewardship and community impact. The evening also was the official welcome for incoming President and CEO Sarah Steltz.

Steltz laid out a forward-looking vision for the district, emphasizing its position as an economic and civic anchor for West Philadelphia and its importance to the region’s overall economic success.

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Saint Joseph’s University announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell its buildings south of Woodland Avenue to the Belmont Neighborhood Educational Alliance for an undisclosed sum.

“Potential plans for the space include a new affordable teachers college, which may help alleviate Philadelphia’s chronic shortage of well-qualified and experienced teachers, as well as a potential new school emphasizing public service and leadership,” a university statement emailed to university faculty and staff this morning read.

Property developer Michael Karp is the chair of Belmont Neighborhood Educational Alliance’s board of directors. The non-profit runs a charter school network in West Philadelphia and Center City.

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Home prices, rents, commercial construction and salaries in the neighborhoods that comprise the University City District (UCD) continue to outpace the rest of the city, according to the annual “State of University City” report issued late last week amid increased concerns about federal policies that could slow down the growth of “Eds and Meds.”

Median home prices in the neighborhoods (including Cedar Park, Spruce Hill, Powelton Village and Walnut Hill), were down slightly in 2024, settling at about $375,000, but the number of home sales was up slightly. Median home prices in Cedar Park jumped about 35 percent compared to 2023 and Spruce Hill continued to have the highest home value at about $550,000.

The median home sale price in Philadelphia was about $200,000 last year.

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Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) is selling multiple properties on and near its University City campus (formerly University of the Sciences), after an unsuccessful bid to find a single buyer for the entire campus, according to reports.

Earlier this month, SJU put up for sale five properties, including the off-campus student housing building, Osol Hall, located at 510 S. 42nd Street. It has now added seven more campus buildings to this list, according to Philadelphia Business Journal, including the Athletic Recreation Center, the main parking lot and green area (the Quad), the Wilson Student Center, the Joseph England Library, Goodman, Hall and Alumni Hall. These properties have a combined assessed value of $58.45 million, according to Philadelphia tax records.

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City Council is hosting a tax relief workshop this Thursday, Sept. 12, in Southwest Philadelphia to help residents whose taxes have gone up in recent years.

The workshop, presented by Council President Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District) and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), will take place in the Kingsessing neighborhood, which, according to an analysis by the Philadelphia Inquirer, saw the highest increase in property tax bills for single-family homes anywhere in the city.

The workshop will be held at Salt and Light Church (5736 Chester Ave) from 6-8 p.m.. Residents can get in-person assistance with tax relief programs and property assessment appeals.

To keep families in their homes, City Council provided more homeowners with property tax relief than ever before. Council and the Mayor enacted Councilmember Gauthier’s low-income property tax freeze, which keeps property taxes for eligible and enrolled homeowners at their current (pre-2024 assessment) level. Council President Johnson also led the successful expansion of the Homestead Exemption from $80,000 to $100,000.

For more information on these and other real estate tax relief programs, visit: https://www.phila.gov/services/payments-assistance-taxes/taxes/property-and-real-estate-taxes/get-real-estate-tax-relief/