Philadelphia Fire Department deputy chief Charles Johnson speaks to reporters late Tuesday afternoon about a carbon monoxide leak at an apartment building at 48th and Chester (Photo by West Philly Local).

A man has died after a suspected carbon monoxide leak this afternoon at an apartment building at 48th and Chester.

The building, which includes 40 units, has been evacuated and will likely stay closed overnight. No one else was hospitalized, according to Charles Johnson, a deputy chief with the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Work was being done on the heating system in the building, according to Johnson, before the leak was discovered.

Someone from the building called 911 when the man was found unresponsive. When fire department officials arrived at the scene they discovered high levels of carbon monoxide in the building. The investigation is underway.

An artist’s rendering of the proposed 76-unit apartment building at 48th and Chester.

A proposal for a 76-unit apartment building at 48th and Chester will go back to the city zoning board following a court decision in favor of neighborhood groups who oppose the project.

Court of Common Pleas Judge Anne Marie B. Coyle ruled earlier this week that the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment “had failed to clearly identify any factual evidence” that not granting variances for the building would result in “unnecessary hardship” for the developer. The board can grant variances based on “unnecessary hardship” for a number of reasons, including financial viability.

The project is being proposed on the land owned by an adjacent nursing home – Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center. Renaissance owner Meir Gelley is seeking to combine several land parcels adjacent to the nursing home for the proposed development – 4701-15 Kingsessing Ave., 4720 Chester Ave., 4724 Chester Ave., 1115 S. 48th St., and 1119 S. 48th St. Continue Reading

Rendering of the 76-unit apartment building approved Wednesday for the corner of 48th and Chester.

The city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) yesterday unanimously approved a 76-unit apartment building proposed for the corner of 48th and Chester that has been debated for months.

The owner of the nearby Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is combining several parcels it owns along 48th Street and asked to change the zoning designation to accommodate the building, which includes 34 parking spots and a small courtyard. The two-tiered design includes three stories on edges of the project and four stories in the center. A members-only dog park formerly occupied the land. Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the proposed 76-unit apartment building with 15 units of affordable housing at 48th and Chester.

Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), the neighborhood community association, has released a statement supporting the controversial apartment development project at 48th and Chester, two weeks after Councilmember Jamie Gauthier opposed the proposed development. The project has also prompted some intense discussions and protests among many community members in the recent months.

“Cedar Park Neighbors is proud to support the development of a new apartment building at the corner of 48th Street and Chester Avenue,” the statement reads. Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the proposed apartment building at 48th and Chester, which would be built on the site of a former dog park.

The West Philadelphia nursing home that is proposing to construct an 83-unit apartment building on a former dog park at 48th and Chester introduced its plan to an online community meeting last night.

Owners of the Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center seek to combine several land parcels adjacent to the nursing home and are asking the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) for a blanket zoning designation that would allow them to erect the four-story building. That zoning change requires community input before it goes to the ZBA in a few months.  Continue Reading

An online zoning meeting this Thursday will focus on a proposed 83-unit apartment building on the site of a shuttered dog park and other properties near 48th and Chester, adjacent to the Renaissance Health Care & Rehabilitation Center.

Renaissance seeks to combine several properties it owns – including an empty lot at 4720-24 Chester Ave. (formerly the Chester Avenue Dog Park), and adjacent properties at 1115 and 1119 S. 48th St. The properties are zoned RTA-1, RM1, and Commercial Mixed-Use (CMX-2). The proposal also seeks a single zoning designation for the new lot.  Continue Reading