UPDATE (6/11/25): The fire at the former Admiral Court Apartments has been ruled an arson and the case is currently under investigation, according to reports. The blaze was caused by an unknown incendiary device, according to the results of an earlier investigation by the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office. No arrests have been made as of Wednesday afternoon.

The structure was heavily damaged in the fire and is considered in an imminent danger of collapse, according to the Department of Licenses and Inspections.

Several fire trucks were back on the scene near 48th and Locust on Monday:

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From the Philadelphia Tenants Union Facebook page.

The Philadelphia Tenants Union is hosting a cookout fundraiser this Saturday for residents wrongfully served eviction notices at two West Philly apartment buildings. While a court has put the evictions on hold, the landlord, the Abington-based SBG Management, is now reportedly withholding security deposits, making it difficult for residents to transition out of the buildings.

The fundraiser for residents of Admiral Court and Dorset Court apartment buildings, located near 48th and Locust, is scheduled to run from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on July 21 at Clark Park. All of the money raised will go to the tenants, according to a Philadelphia Tenants Union announcement.

Tenants of both buildings were served with eviction notices in early April ordering them to leave by April 30. Community Legal Services won an injunction to stave off evictions in April. Both buildings, which include affordable and Section 8 housing, are up for sale, according to reports.

The suggested donation is $5 to $10 per plate, but no one will be turned away if they can’t afford to donate.

A group of community organizations are standing with residents of Dorsett Court (4710 Locust St.) and Admiral Court (237 S. 48th St.) apartment buildings who were recently given bogus eviction notices to scare tenants out and make way for the sale of the buildings. A court decision has staved off eviction for at least a few more weeks.

Residents and supporters gathered in front of the buildings, which are adjacent on the corner of 48th and Locust, at a rally yesterday organized by the Philadelphia Tenants Union (PTU), a grassroots organization focused on protecting renters from unfair evictions. Community Legal Services and the Public Interest Law Center are also assisting the roughly 70 residents who received the eviction notices. Some video of the event is available on the PTU Facebook page.  Continue Reading

UPDATE: A Dorset/Admiral Court Mass Eviction Rally, hosted by Philadelphia Tenants Union, will take place Monday, April 30, 4-5:30 p.m. at 4710 Locust St. For more information, visit the event Facebook page.

Residents of two apartment buildings, Admiral Court and Dorsett Court, located at 48th and Locust, were told earlier this month to move out by April 30, according to media and neighbor reports. The reason? The owner is reportedly selling the buildings, which include affordable, Section 8 housing.

According to the eviction letter, received by the tenants on April 9, the doors will be locked and utilities will be shut off April 30, so many residents are currently scrambling to find new places to live. About 70 tenants are working with Community Legal Services to determine their rights in this “unlawful” situation, according to a report by Philly.com.

The two four-story buildings include 105 apartments, about 30 percent of which are vacant, according to the report. The prospective buyer hasn’t yet been identified, but demand for market-rate apartments has ballooned in recent years. The buildings are across the street from the newly developed West Lofts (former West Philadelphia High School).  Continue Reading