Morning roundup

Sixers arena targets bus station; Rec centers as biz incubators; Pa. Supreme Court upholds mail voting | Morning roundup

$25 million in Ida flood relief ๐ŸŒŠ

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Sixers arena plan grows to encompass Greyhound bus station

The Sixers’ย Center Cityย arena proposalย is growing: 76 Devcorp wants to expandย north and take overย the Filbert Streetย spaceย that’s now a bus station.

  • Greyhound had already been lookingย to relocate the station. Construction on an adjacent lotย recentlyย forced it to reconfigureย and temporarilyย prompted NJ Transit to pull bus routes out of Philly.

Addressing concerns, the developer told The Inquirerย the Sixers hope to attractย “authentic businesses from Chinatown to be incorporated” into the new arena.

Using empty Philly rec center rooms to foster small business

A new Parks & Rec programย offers localย entrepreneursย the chance to apply for freeย space in rec centers, in return for mentoring or tutoring children and teens.

  • Prospective biz owners and creatives can apply nowย for up to four spots, which also come with a Knight Foundation grant to outfit the space. Up to 10 finalists will get $1,500 to put toward their idea.

Asha Prihar has details on the new program,ย which is accepting applications through early October.

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

Weekly brief on gun violence preventionย (with PCGVR)

We publishย this reportย eachย week inย partnership with theย Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reportingย at the Community College of Philadelphia.ย 

By the numbers in Philadelphia

  • 34:ย Shootingย victimsย recordedย last weekย so far, vs. 29 the week prior. [@PCGVR via City Controller]
  • 1,393:ย Shooting victimsย this year, up 2% from last yearย [PCGVR]
  • 322:ย Year-to-dateย homicides, same asย last year;ย up 68% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Kenney joins the virtualย biweekly briefing on the city’s gun violence response (1 p.m.).ย You canย listen live on WURD Radio 900 AM/96.1 FM orย watch on Facebook.

ON THE CALENDAR

๐ŸŽฐ BP Quizzo lands in South Phillyย at theย Sports & Social bar, where we’ll swoop into the Live! Casino with fun trivia about all things Philadelphia. Prizes include gift cards and beach chairs,ย all free with RSVP. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17)

๐Ÿชย For National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day,ย Famous 4th Street is offeringย $1 chocolate chip cookiesย at Reading Terminal Market, with proceeds all benefitting the Ronald McDonald House. (All day Thursday, Aug. 4)

๐ŸŽญ Theย Philadelphia Women’sย Theatre Festivalย brings plays, readings, workshops, and a wellness fair to Old City’sย Arden Hamilton Family Arts Center. (Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 4-7)

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