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WEEK AUGUST 17, 2016 VOL. 1 NO. 27
MOVIE REVIEWS Short reviews of movies at the Pearl. 5
DEVELOPMENT NEWS Find out what's being built on your block. 8
ACCU-REGGIE 7-day weather forecast for the region. 3
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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n July, 195th PA District Rep. Donna Bullock hosted a Democratic Policy Committee hearing on Fair Chance Housing legislation. The hearing was co-chaired by House Democratic Policy Chairman Mike Sturla. The issue discussed was whether or not landlords can ask potential tenants about their prior criminal history. This is common practice for many landlords and Bullock says this is a city-wide problem. “It’s not limited to the district; it’s a separate issue we see across Philadelphia,” Bullock said. Bullock’s district covers areas of Brewerytown and Strawberry Mansion. According to Rep. Bullock, changes at the federal level to the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development now prohibit them from
asking about criminal histories for people seeking housing. Rep. Bullock said a major issue is that commercial background checks that many landlords use can find information not only from a person’s conviction record, but also information on that person’s arrest record. She also says summary offenses as well as charges that were later dropped or expunged may be visible to landlords, leaving further potential for discrimination. “Often times those records could come up in a background check for a landlord,” Bullock said. “It really prevents individuals who are returning to our communities, or maybe never left because all they did was get arContinued on Page 2.
Events and happenings in our neighborhoods. 7
SMALL BIZ PROFILES We asked Fairmount businesses what it's like being in the neighborhood. 4
W HOT OFF THE
PRESS
hether you consider the area around the Owls’ campus to be part of “Temple Town” or part of “Temple Takeover,” one’s personal perception of Peter Liacouras must be universally positive. Even though Temple University’s growth has been a divisive occurrence for the residents in North Philadelphia, the effect that Liacouras had on the prestige of the university has been greatly constructive. One aspect of Temple University is in the spotlight as of late. Many notable alumni called Temple University home before Liacouras became its president in 1981. These alumni include JFK’s portrait painter Aaron Shikler, stand-up comedian Bob Saget and civil rights activist Cecil B. Moore. These individuals, along with countless others, gave Temple
University a good name and widespread respect. However, the strides that the university took specifically under the direction of Liacouras between 1981 and 2000 are more far-reaching than any other individual’s impact on the institution to date. Peter James Liacouras was born on April 9th, 1931. His parents were James Peter Liacouras and Stella George Lagakos from Greece. Of James and Stella’s five children, Peter was the only boy. James was the brother to siblings Stathoula (named after her grandmother), Christo, and George. James’s father Panagiotis and uncle Nikolaos both had the same middle name: Athanasios, the name of their grandfather who was born in 1810 Continued on Page 5.
Page 2 Continued from Page 1. rested or [an] arrest record, but not an actual conviction... It’s just another obstacle for people trying to get back on their feet.” According to Rep. Bullock, African Americans and Latinos are faced with a racially biased criminal-justice system. She says this leads individuals to be vulnerable to discriminatory housing practices as they try to rejoin society. “Disproportionately [minorities] are also affected by the aftereffects of that, housing, employment, access benefits or even financial aid,” Bullock said. Unfortunately, housing bias against minorities is nothing new. A Washington Post article from January 2016 discusses a test conducted in 1972, in which two people sought to rent an apartment in a building in New York City that was managed by current Republican Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump’s real estate company. According to the article, two “government-sanctioned testers” were sent to apply to lease apartments at the Shorehaven apartment building in Brooklyn. The testers were women, one white, one African American. According to the article, when the African American woman attempted to lease an apartment, she was told “none were available.” Later, the white tester applied at the same building, and was given the choice of two available apartments. According to the Washington Post, federal investigators discovered Trump employees had marked certain applications with a “C” for “colored.” According to the article, the Justice Department filed a Civil Rights suit against Trump’s organization, accusing him of violating the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Trump retained legal counsel from Roy Cohn, who was a top aide to Sen. Joe McCarthy during his communist witch hunt in the 1950s. The suit was eventually settled, and the Trump organization was forced to take action to ensure that they employed racially fair tactics for all applicants seeking apartments in any Trump-managed building. The Washington Post article does not state whether the two women had criminal records, but it does show that there was racial bias in this instance. If the system already has an implicit racial bias, adding a criminal conviction to the application will most likely make that applicant less likely to receive housing. Rep. Bullock has pointed out that representatives from the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia were initially hesitant about the legislation, but have become supportive after hearing that certain limitations to the legislation will apply. “This will give landlords some comfort in the fact that if it’s a certain felony or a recent felony then the landlord can make the decision,” Bullock said. Rep. Bullock is still seeking co-sponsors from her colleagues in Harrisburg. She says she has the support of other Fair Chance Housing advocates, and according to her the legislation will be introduced in September when the PA House is back in session. Bullock wants to ease the transition for people who have paid their debt to society, and end discriminatory housing practices for everyone who just wants a place to live. “It’s another hurdle for folks who are trying to be contributing members of our community. If someone cannot find housing, someone cannot find employment, their options are limited,” Bullock said. “These folks are our family and friends and our neighbors, and we need to be able to eliminate those obstacles so they can be contributing members of our community.”
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016
It’s easy to compare this housing-application practice with how companies require job applicants to check a box if they’ve ever been convicted of a crime. In some instances, an acknowledgement of past criminal convictions may require further description by the applicant, which some people argue leads to a bias in the hiring practice. A 2009 study of potential bias in hiring practices between equally qualified young African American and white males in New York City was cited in a 2015 NBC News report. The experiment created two teams matched on every possible detail that could make them equal. The report says the subjects were matched on physical attractiveness, eye contact, verbosity and demeanor. Each team had two members with equal resumes; however, one member of each team was instructed to say they had just been released from prison after serving 18 months for a possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The study concluded that applicants who admitted to having a prior drug felony were 50 percent less likely to be hired. According to this study, African Americans were nearly twice as likely to not be hired than white candidates who admitted to having the same felony.
The belief is that even though many job applications state that prior convictions do not immediately rule out the candidate, there is an implicit bias based on the fact that employers would most likely be less apt to hire a person with a criminal record than one without. This led to an initiative in Philadelphia called “Ban the Box,” referring to the box one would check on an application if one had a prior conviction. According to www.phila. gov, the law was implemented in 2011, and prevented employers from asking questions regarding convictions until after the first interview. In 2016, the law was revised, and though some concessions were made to the employers, most of the revisions benefit potential job seekers who had prior arrests. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016 FORECAST FOR PENN’S GARDEN
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his past week took a turn for the worst heat of the summer! Temperatures hung around the middle and upper 90s most of the week as we sweated under the scorching sun. It was just downright nasty heat that makes you irritable and hibernate in A/C. This week will not be as warm, thankfully, but the overall pattern is still ripe for above-average warmth. We won’t hit 98 degrees this week, but the 90-92 degree range is still attainable for a good chunk of the week. A legitimate front comes through on Sunday evening, which will finally bring significant relief from all the heat and humidity. See ya later, excessive heat — no one’s gonna miss you!
The other story has been the dryness: We currently are running about 20 percent of normal rainfall for the month. We have weak shower chances on Wednesday and Friday evenings, but nothing to make a serious dent in our lack of rain. The Sunday front is our best chance at a good rainfall this week. Wednesday kicks off the weather period hot and humid, but not extreme. Temperatures will be around 90 and we could also see a shower in the evening hours. Thursday stays warm but we may actually fall short of 90 for the first time in a while! The heat and humidity surge back on Friday as we get back to the lower 90s. We could see a heat-induced thun-
derstorm in the evening too! Saturday is warm and humid with plenty of sunshine! Go out and enjoy it! Sunday starts off very warm with sunshine. Temperatures begin to climb in advance of a strong cold front that will move through in the evening with thunderstorms. Most places should see a storm and with gusty winds and downpours. This looks to occur after 6PM. A new air mass settles in for Monday and Tuesday as the humidity eases and temperatures retreat back into the 80s. Ah yes, it will feel oh so good! The weather winner of the week is Monday; the weather loser is Sunday. •
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016
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B Y PAT R I C K C L A R K
small biz profiles WE ASKED LOCAL BUSINESSES WHAT IT'S LIKE IN FAIRMOUNT
Frankie Armstrong, Head Book Assistant, Book Corner: “We were originally set up by the Friends of the Free Library about 30 years ago. We take books that have been donated by the public, re-sell them for $3 or less and then they go into small Friends groups all across the city.”
Book Corner is located at 311 N 20th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Book Corner is open Monday - Saturday from 10AM - 6PM.
Cedric Longangan, Shift Supervisor, Rybread: “We offer good food that can be enjoyed on the go. But at the same time we like to make sure that everything is fresh as possible so people will enjoy it and keep coming back. This is a change of pace from all of the sit down restaurants of Fairmount.”
“It’s been really hot. Some days people don’t feel like being outside because of this heat so summer can be a really unpredictable season for us. Sometimes we do very well, but it’s not like spring and fall where we always get customers coming in.”
Rybread is located at 2319 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130. They are open weekdays from 7AM-7PM and weekends from 7AM-3:30PM.
Back to School Collections Spirit News is accepting donations for back-to-school supplies. We are accepting all school materials, such as bookbags, pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, paper, tape, markers, chart paper, bulletin board supplies, and anything else you can think of. We’re collecting through August into early September. Supplies will be donated to local school in need.
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016
WRITTEN BY DAN O’NEIL
Movies at the Pearl S H O R T R E V I E W S O F M O V I E S P L AY I N G A T T H E P E A R L ( 1 6 0 0 N B R O A D S T. ) Pete’s Dragon What makes a movie great not just for kids, but for the whole family? In Disney’s Pete’s Dragon, the answer seems to be more attention to the finer things, like story, characters and emotions. The story is pretty simple – a boy named Pete (Oakes Fegley), lives in the woods with his dragon. They eventually are found out by the real world outside of the woods. Still, there’s heart and feeling to Pete’s Dragon that isn’t so common with other kids movies of this nature. Other kids movies would much rather prefer to move quickly and act as if the smaller details don’t matter, whereas Pete’s Dragon prefers to slow itself down, take its time and give the audience a better understanding of who (or what) they’re dealing with. Even if the summer is winding down, I still remain hopeful that more and more kids movies turn out like Pete’s Dragon. Or, at the very least, attempt to.
Suicide Squad There’s something to be said about a film that’s such a huge and incredible mess, but still remains fun for movie-goers. Such is the case with Suicide Squad, DC’s latest attempt to battle Marvel in the superhero movie world. Unfortunately, the results are more mixed than ever, but because the story is, this time, focusing on the villains and evildoers of what would be a typical superhero flick/story, things are a lot more fun and grittier. Writer-director David Ayer seems to approach Suicide Squad as a feeding-frenzy of everything he wants to do, even if it doesn’t always make sense or play out perfectly on the screen. In some ways, this can make the movie feel uneven, or chaotic. However, while this can be confusing, Suicide Squad still isn’t nearly as drab as Batman v Superman, nor is it as joyful as Civil War. If anything, it’s too crazy, but sometimes being crazy can have its perks. •
Continued from Page 5. and married Stathoula Pasagiotis in Greece about 100 years before the birth of Peter in Philadelphia. Peter’s uncle George was a CPA, and his father James was a proprietor of a retail grocery store. Peter married his wife, Ann Myers, with whom he had four children: Greg, James, Stephen and Lisa. Peter attended numerous colleges where he studied law: William and Mary, Drexel University, UPenn, Tufts and Harvard. He began working at Temple University in 1963 as a Law Professor before becoming dean, president and then chancellor. As a human rights activist, Peter attempted to expand law professions to women and blacks. He changed the process for lawyers to be admitted to the bar, and in two years, “…82 black lawyers were admitted to the bar. In the previous 25 years, just 83 black lawyers had been admitted.” That statement was written in a report by Judge Ricardo Jackson. Wanting to connect the faculty, students and the community, Peter organized an art project for students to design the Temple “T” that is now a recognizable image we see on banners and billboards all throughout the city. Investing close to $1 billion in residential units and other construction projects, residents of Philadelphia began to see Temple’s borders expanding and the population on campus increasing. Peter Liacouras believed that if the athletic teams at Temple University were competitive, the university would become better. He focused a lot of his attention on building the reputation of his Division I sports teams. Great athletics would not only bring money and students to the university, but also prestige. He had great success in improving the college in many ways, but improving the sports programs would prove to be the most challenging. The team that would be the most challenging to redefine as a formidable program was the lackluster football program. The Temple football team began in 1930, and they played in 68 seasons. There was no team from 1952 - 1971. The team’s first coach was Henry Miller, who spent three seasons in charge. According to sports-reference.com, Miller’s overall record was 20-5-3, which is a win percentage of 76.8 percent. This is the best win percentage of any head coach of the Owls for the 65 years following Miller’s tenure. Temple began as an independent team, meaning that they did not belong to an NCAA conference. Temple would remain independent from 1930 through 1999. While this may seem like a long time to play without being in a conference, there were not many conferences that Temple could have joined. Early conferences did not extend as far as to include a Philadelphia team, excluding the Big 10 Conference, but that was founded 34 years before Temple even had a program. Temple missed out on joining the At-
lantic Coast Conference in 1953, the Ivy League in 1954, the American Athletic Conference in 1979, the Northeast Conference in 1981, the Colonial Athletic Association in 1983 and the Patriot League in 1986. The Big East Conference was founded in 1979 but only operated as a basketball conference. In 1991, the Big East started incorporating football into its athletic sponsorship, and Temple University became a member in its inaugural season. By this time, Temple had its eighth coach. Jerry Brandt coached Temple from 1989 to 1992: two seasons without a conference and two seasons in the Big East. Coach Brandt led the Temple Owls to season records of 1-10, 7-4, 2-9, and 1-10. The next coach of Temple’s football team would be Rob Dickerson (14.5 win pct.) for five seasons. Based on win percentage, Rob Dickerson is the worst Temple football coach to date. With a record of 8-47-0, the Owls looked to rebuild their program with a new head coach in 1998 when they hired Bobby Wallace. At this point, Peter Liacouras was nearing the end of his second decade as the president of Temple University. After Wayne Hardin coached the Owls to a victory in the Garden State Bowl in 1979, the team progressively became worse and worse throughout the tenure of Liacouras’s presidency. Unfortunately, his vision of seeing a successful football team at Temple was not coming to fruition. Bobby Wallace coached through the end of Liacouras’s presidency and into the first five years of his time as chancellor. Bobby Wallace (21.1 win pct.) had eight unsuccessful years as head coach. In fact, Temple was kicked out of the Big East after the 2004 season for performing at a consistently uncompetitive level. In Wallace’s last season in 2005, Temple was independent from any conference and had a record of 0-11. It is the only Temple University football team to lose every single game in a season. Finally in 2006, the vision of football success was finally looking promising. Al Golden (44.3 win pct.) took over the team, and in his first season Temple went 1-11, independent from any conference. In Golden’s second season, Temple was a part of the Mid-American Conference and improved their record to 4-8. The team would improve until their loss in the EagleBank Bowl in 2009 after a 9-4 season. It had been 20 years between Bowl appearances for the Owls, and the future was looking bright. Al Golden decided to continue coaching at Temple, despite being
considered by other colleges for a job. In 2010, Al Golden extended his contract through 2014. Temple University finally had some momentum and a foundation to build on for years to come. After a second straight season with an 8-4 record, Golden left to coach the Miami Hurricanes, seven months after he extended his contract with Temple. Golden’s replacement was Steve Addazio, a successful high-school football coach who won multiple championships. Golden would not remain as successful as he was at Temple at his new home in Miami, although he did have two bowl game appearances. Steve Addazio (54.2 win pct.) led the Temple Owls to the New Mexico Bowl in his first season as head coach in 2011. The team had a record of 9-4, and for the first time since 1979, they won a bowl game. It was one of the university’s two bowl wins ever, and it was the third bowl appearance in the team’s 64-season history. The success of Steve Addazio’s first season earned Temple a place back in the Big East Conference in 2012. Facing tougher competition in the Big East, the Owls only went 4-7 in 2012. Steve Addazio decided to leave to coach in Boston at the end of the year. Temple University was about to hire its third coach in four years. Continued on Page 6.
Page 6 Continued from Page 5. Temple had a new coach in Matt Rhule, and they were in a newish conference. College football conferences had major adjustments between 2012 and 2013. Some schools left their former conferences for ones with more money, and others left to join conferences with better competitive opportunities. Temple University’s football team was now a part of the American Athletic Conference. In Matt Rhule’s first season, the Owls went 2-10. After their worst season in seven years, Temple improved to 6-6 in the 2014 season. Even though Matt Rhule’s team did not play in a bowl game that year, the team’s future appeared optimistic for the first time in what felt like longer than it actually was. The football team had a record of 7-4 in 1990, but the next time they would reach that win total was under Al Golden in 2009. When he abruptly moved on to another coaching job, Temple struck gold in Steve Addazio. However, moving into a significantly tougher conference pushed him to pursue better personal opportunities. The Temple football roller coaster was finally ascending again, but under Matt Rhule, the feeling was different and more secure. The 2015 season was the pinnacle of Temple football in a generation. The team went 10-4 and appeared in the Boca Raton Bowl. 10 victories matched the school record for most in a season. The Owls opened the season by handling Penn State in a 17-point victory. Temple won their next game in a conference matchup, and then another two victories accumulated. At 4-0, Temple dismantled their conference opponent Tulane at home, defeating them 49-10. After winning their next game, Temple football was still undefeated at 6-0. Temple was now ranked number 22 in the nation entering their seventh game of the season, in which they defeated their fourth conference opponent of the season. At 7-0, spirits were high, and number 9-ranked Notre Dame came to Philadelphia to give the Owls their first loss of the season: a four-point nail-biter. Temple won three of the next four games and earned their best ranking of the season at number 20 in the country. The season would not have a storybook ending, as Temple lost the final game of the season and then their matchup against Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. Although Temple football has had high hopes in the past that turned out to not live up to the expectations, the 2016 season stands to be a pivotal moment for the Owls. Matt Rhule has loyalty to the team and seems committed to his contract that would keep him the coach through 2021. The biggest difference entering this season is that it will be the first one without Peter Liacouras at the University in over three decades. At the very least, Liacouras was able to see his vision at last. After years of dreaming of a competitive athletic program at Temple University, his final memories are of a great football season followed by an exciting March Madness tournament for the basketball team. The vision of Liacouras may have even grown bigger since his death in May. 17 schools are interviewing for the chance to join the Big 12 Conference. Of the hopefuls, Temple University has a chance to become the newest member. Philly.com explains that Temple is in the number-four television market in the United States. In addition to having strong academic programs, Temple has a large student body, an up-and-coming program, and sits in a metropolitan region with an enormous population. Considering the lack of success and consistency from the Temple football team, do not be shocked if they do not make it into the Big 12 this season. Matt Rhule has only a 47.4 win percentage, but that includes a 2-10 season. He won half of his games in his second season and over 70 percent of his games in 2015. In the last two seasons, the Temple Owls have won 61 percent of their games. Nothing would be sweeter than seeing Temple’s football team grow exponentially in one season by joining an elite conference. Regardless of the outcome of the Big 12 decision, the 2016 season is shaping up to be an important one. Will the Owls continue to succeed, or will they lose momentum again like we have seen in the past? It is not entirely clear which team(s) will be added to the Big 12 Conference. Considering that the Big 12 only has 10 teams, one would imagine that they would add two teams to give their name some relevance. If Temple remains in their current conference, the AAC, they would be in the sixth-best conference in the country according to bleacherreport.com. The Big 12 is considered the third-best conference in the country, behind only the Big 10 (with 14 teams) and the SEC, which has been the conference of 8 of the past 10 National Champions. Although it took a long time, Peter Liacouras was successful in creating a better Temple University, not only in sports but in all aspects. Temple University, along with the community, has a lot of things to look forward to in the upcoming years. While many people still see the growth of Temple as a negative occurrence, there are benefits to the changing community. As many may remember, groups of protesters gathered
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016
All photos by Patrick Clark
in April to fight the construction of a new football stadium for the Owls. Individuals at the protest held signs that questioned the priorities of Temple University. Large banners that read “Down With The Stadium” were carried by marchers. People in favor of a growing university and new football stadium would argue that there will be positive economic effects from the new construction. However, those against the university growth would ask, “Positive economic effects for whom?” Hopefully in the near future, the university and community will learn how to blend together painlessly. The work of Peter Liacouras and the revitalization of the Temple Owls football team are two things that can be seen as success stories to the neighborhood and city as a whole. The Big 12 decision is sure to bring extra excitement to the new football season as well as more controversy about how this ever growing university fits into the neighborhood. •
The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016
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COMMUNITY
calendar N E W S @ S P I R I T N E W S . O R G • 1 4 2 8 E . S U S Q U E H A N N A AV E • 2 1 5 . 4 2 3 . 6 2 4 6 Wednesday, August 17, 10-11AM Spirit Distribution Notice DIABETES INFO SESSION Free community event at Stephen Klein Wellness Center As much as we wish we could print Spirit News MORE often, we are human beings (surprising, right?) and need a (2144 Cecil B. Moore Ave.) little vacation time off to reenergize and recharge ourselves. In order to do so, Spirit News will be closed on Labor Day Are you at risk of getting diabetes, have diabetes, know a week and will not print a new issue on Wednesday, September 7, 2016. We will still be updating our social media and loved one or care for someone with diabetes? Come to the checking our emails over course of our break. Feel free to call our office (215-423-6246) or email us at info@spiritWellness Center every Wednesday for diabetes diet and news.org with any questions. Enjoy the rest of your summer! lifestyle tips. Wednesday, August 17, 6-7PM GAMBA U: MAKING THE MOST OF YELP Michelle Cassidy of Yelp Philadelphia will be at the SOUTH Patio for a GAMBA Happy Hour. The Art Museum Area peers are holding an evening with a free first drink for visitors who want to socialize and learn. Saturday, September 10 FLEA MARKET Philly Flea Markets will host a market in front of the Eastern State Penitentary from 8AM-5PM, with over 100 vendors. Parking is available in the adjacent lot at the NW corner of 22nd and Fairmount. For more information visit philafleamarkets.org Wednesday, September 21 6:00-7:30PM GAMBA U: SECURITY BEST PRACTICES FOR A SAFER CORRIDOR Join Art Museum Area businesses for a discussion on security best practices to prevent loss while helping make the entire corridor safer. Security experts will be on hand to discuss products/solutions as well as incentives and programs offered by the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. NETWORKING EVENTS 1st Tuesday of the Month, 6:30-8:30 PM DIG - Philadelphia Commercial Sub Group Diversified Investors Group Meetup for London Grill 2301 Fairmount Avenue For more info, contact Joe Scorese 215-290-5108 jscorese@ firstrust.com Tuesdays 7:00-8:30PM SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS OF ADOLESCENT & ADULT CHILDREN LIVING WITH ADDICTION AND BRAIN DISEASE Learn about substance use and mental health disorders every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Rodeph Shalom (615 N Broad St) Those affected can share experiences and resources as well as how to support their children anonymously. For further information contact Caron at 800-854-6023 or Rabbi Jill Maderer at (215)-627-6747 x216 or rabbimaderer@rodephshalom.org. Tuesdays, 7-9PM OPEN MIC NIGHT Mugshots Coffeehouse (1925 Fairmount Ave.) hosts an open mic night every Tuesday. For more information visit Mugshots Coffeehouse on Facebook. Wednesdays 5:00-8:00PM WEDNESDAY NIGHTS GAMEPLAY Every week there are different games to play in the galleries of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Play with friends or with fellow visitors in friendly competition provided by the Museum. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100 Wednesdays 5:30-7:30PM MAKE STUFF A drop-in program to craft handmade objects or create art being surrounded by the art of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Activities include sketching, knitting, Lego fun or even creating a puzzle. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100 Wednesdays at 6PM YOGA AT THE ART MUSEUM Practice your poses with Dhyana yoga outdoors in the Museum’s sculpture garden. Class size varies. Weather Dependent and cancelled above 90 degrees. For further information contact Philadelphia Museum of Art at (215)-763-8100
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The Spirit of Penn’s Garden – August 17, 2016
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WRITTEN BY THOMAS BECK
development news FIND OUT WHAT’S BEING BUILT ON YOUR BLOCK Brewerytown Two new triplexes are under construction at 2536 - 2538 West Girard Avenue. An unnamed developer, purportedly affiliated with Streamline Solutions, bought the corner property (2536 West Girard) approximately a year ago. Two of the units had been put on the market for $365,000 each, though they are currently not for sale. The third is up for grabs at $325,000. Callahan Ward has purchased the property next door, the framework of which is now going up. Poplar In 2014, Zain Development LLC purchased what was formerly the Althea Gibson Community Education and Tennis Center at 1000 West Girard Avenue for approximately $1.5 million. (It had closed a year prior due to insufficient funds.) The signs that had been posted on the side of the building advertising the property’s availability for lease are now gone. Which begs the question: what is to become of the community center? Sharswood A Save-A-Lot grocery store will soon be constructed at the intersection of Ridge Avenue and Jefferson Street in the Sharswood section of North Philadelphia. It is the latest development in the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s (PHA) $500 million plan to rehabilitate Sharswood. The grocery store will cost $4.5 million to build. Construction will supposedly begin early next year. The new headquarters of the PHA will be built across the street from the Save-A-Lot. Many more projects are soon to pop up in Sharswood in the relatively near future. •