A train carrying crude oil and sand derailed overnight on a bridge across the Schuylkill River near Penn Park, according to various reports. The incident happened around 1 a.m., Philly.com reports. The train was traveling from Chicago to Philadelphia. Seven freight cars derailed. It’s not currently known what caused the derailment. No leaks from the derailed cars have been reported.

West Philly Local reader Algernong Allen sent over this photo he took this morning.

A new voice in support of more and better biking has been added. The University Bike Collective is holding its first information session tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct 23), according to the group’s Facebook page. The info session, “powered by pizza,” will be held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Meyerson Hall, B6 (210 S. 34th St.) beginning at 12:30 p.m. and interested folks outside of the Penn community are also invited.

The University Bike Collective will introduce their plans for the year, including fun social rides to explore the city, research and advocacy efforts, and workshops. Susan Dannenberg of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia will share updates on the latest in Philadelphia bike advocacy.

Come to the session if you:

• Are looking for fun bike-related events, avec free pizza;
• Want to see more bike lanes and bike parking.
• Ever thought about biking in Philly, but you’re not sure how to get started.
• Interested in perfecting the art of layering clothes to avoid over-sweating on your ride to class.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Photo by Michael Persico.

The news has spread like wild fire and we’re also happy to let our readers know – Philly’s homegrown fried chicken and donut shop Federal Donuts has set its eyes west of center and is expected to open a location at 3428 Sansom Street, which is on Penn’s campus. This will be the third location for this popular local chain. The somewhat bad news is that the new shop is not expected to open before early 2014. We’ll keep you posted on the date when we know more.

Th American Red Cross does tons of great work in the city. In our neck of the woods, they run the Red Cross House at 4000 Powelton, which provides families displaced by disaster in the area a well-appointed, private, free place to stay. This Saturday the Red Cross is gathering about a dozen barbecue vendors in the parking lot at 39th and Market streets for a cook-off.

This thing runs from noon to 4 p.m. and will feature a cook-off among some of the area’s leading BBQ restaurants and vendors. Several local bands will provide the music and there will be plenty of activities for kids.

All proceeds will benefit Red Cross House and Red Cross disaster relief efforts.

In the last 24 hours, 34 people needed Red Cross assistance after their homes were destroyed by fire. 32 of those people are now staying at the Red Cross House in West Philly.

Click here for ticket info.

Renderings of Hub II by Platt Associate Architecure

After five years of sitting on the shelf, Philadelphia-based developers Teres Holdings, LLC have resurrected plans to construct Hub II, the Hub’s sister building at 3939-41 Chestnut Street. The long-awaited project, originally approved in 2008 under the old zoning code, will cost $11.5 million to construct, and will see the demolition of Thai Singha House’s old home at 3939 Chestnut Street.

According to the blog Philadelphia Real Estate, Teres Holdings was granted zoning “relief” to proceed with Hub II by the Zoning Board of Adjustment on July 31. Since construction of the project is happening under Philadelphia’s new zoning code, which passed last year, landowners University of Pennsylvania, the developers, and Hub II architects, Platt Associates Architecture, have altered the plans, removing one floor and 14,600 square-feet from original building design. Hub II is now 40,100 square feet with seven floors—the first two floors are held for commercial use, including cafes, salons, health clubs, and office space, with the remaining stories housing 65 residential units, reported the blog. Projected date of completion is unknown.

Platt Associates, the New England-based company behind the original Hub’s design, claim on its website that the new Hub II will help “define a new urban node at the corner of 40th and Chestnut Streets”, with the adorning space between the hubs suggesting “an intimate, winding medieval passage with angling walls and a variety of materials punctuated by narrow tower forms.”

The current plans are relatively similar to original blueprints Spruce Hill Community Association approved back in 2008 (but are an improvement to the overall design), so the community organization decided not to impede on the project’s new zoning process, said SHCA Zoning Committee Chair Barry Grossbach. SHCA did, however, raise issue with the materials to be used for the building’s facade, and since the group and the developers could not come to an agreement before the ZBA hearing occurred, SHCA issued a letter of understanding stating that, if zoning is approved, Teres Holdings and Platt must meet with SHCA in a period of 60 days. That meeting takes place on Monday, Sept. 23, Grossbach told West Philly Local.

As for Thai Singha House, Hub II’s plans called for the restaurant’s relocation and the demolition of its former home from the beginning, Grossbach said. In July, we reported that Thai Singha House is relocating to 3900 Chestnut Street and plans to reopen in September—its website, however, now states that it’ll open at the new location “sometime in late October.” There are also talks of erecting a third “hub”, said Grossbach, to complete a three-building center at 40th and Chestnut Streets, but nothing has been brought to the drawing board for that project yet.

Teres Holdings could not be reached for comment.

–Annamarya Scaccia

Housing prices are bouncing back all over Philadelphia, except in West Philly, according to a recent report.

Second quarter home prices fell 7.8 percent in University City compared to the first quarter and an average of 5.9 percent in other parts of West Philly, the Fels Institute of Government analysis shows.

Photo by Katrine Lvovskaya.

Prices around the city bottomed out about 18 months ago and prices in many neighborhoods have begun to bounce back (as much as 8 percent in parts of North Philly), while prices in this side of the Schuylkill have lagged. Not to worry, said Kevin Gillen, a senior research consultant at Fels and the report author. He believes the down tick in house value is just a short-term phenomenon and can be regarded as more of a “correction” in pricing, particularly for University City, which saw double-digit home price rises for the last 10 to 15 years.

“The prices are still way above where they were 10 years ago. It’s like 100 steps forward and 15 steps back. Think of it as a mean reversion,” said Gillen, who believes the long-term trend for the area is still optimistic. “It’s positive going forward but a more modest positive than you had in the past.”

Average home prices across the city have increased 3.1 percent compared to the second quarter last year.

This over-inflation during the decade’s housing boom, said Gillen, can be attributed to University of Pennsylvania renewed, three-fold investment in the neighborhood: the creation of the University City Business District, which led to better public services; a mortgage program aimed at UPenn faculty and staff to encourage them to invest in the neighborhood; and the opening of the Penn Alexander School at 43^rd and Locust Streets 10 years ago.
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