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Sixers arena plan grows to encompass Greyhound bus station

The Sixers’ Center City arena proposal is growing: 76 Devcorp wants to expand north and take over the Filbert Street space that’s now a bus station.

• Greyhound had already been looking to relocate the station. Construction on an adjacent lot recently forced it to reconfigure and temporarily prompted NJ Transit to pull bus routes out of Philly.

Addressing concerns, the developer told The Inquirer the Sixers hope to attract “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 program offers local entrepreneurs the chance to apply for free space in rec centers, in return for mentoring or tutoring children and teens.

• Prospective biz owners and creatives can apply now 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, which is accepting applications through early October.

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• No-excuse mail voting will remain legal in Pennsylvania. The Pa. Supreme Court yesterday upheld Act 77, which was passed in 2019 by Harrisburg’s Republican majority, but challenged in court by Trump supporters after the 2020 election. [Spotlight PA/Public Source/BP 2021]
• SEPTA will pay nearly $500k to the three police officers who alleged discrimination and retaliation by a supervisor and former SEPTA police chief Thomas Nestel, both of whom no longer work for the transit agency. [6ABC/Billy Penn]
• City officials found 154 gallon jugs of gasoline on Monday night in an abandoned West Philly house that caught fire back in March. Tuesday morning, after the jugs were removed, the house caught fire again. [6ABC]
• After remnants of Hurricane Ida caused historic levels of flooding in Philadelphia, with several businesses still struggling to recover, the city is getting $25 million in federal aid for flood prevention measures. [BP 2021/Billy Penn/Fox29]
• Most Philly restaurants are required to provide paid sick leave to employees, but a lot of restaurant workers still don’t know this. [Billy Penn/Eater]

Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)

We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting at the Community College of Philadelphia. 

• The PPD canceled seven Playstreets in Kensington this summer, citing violence and safety concerns. Residents are pushing back, saying neighborhood kids still need a safe place to play. [WHYY/Billy Penn]
• A Temple program called Philadelphia CeaseFire is recruiting messengers to help teens and young adults avoid falling in with gun culture. It’s one of many “violence interrupter” initiatives happening around the city. [NBC10/CBS3]
• Unlike Philadelphia, where Mayor Kenney has resisted the declaration, the cities of Portland, Ore., and Rochester, N.Y., last week declared a state of emergency due to gun violence. [BP 2021/Oregonian/Democrat & Chronicle]
• Philly police are getting an award for their response to June’s tragic South Street shooting. The honor, given by the local friends group, confounded some on the corridor. “Award-worthy? … I just haven’t personally seen it,” said one shop manager. [Billy Penn]
• The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting, which just received a $100k grant, has a refreshed website where you can meet six staff members. [Independence Media/PCGVR]

By the numbers in Philadelphia

• 34: Shooting victims recorded last week so far, vs. 29 the week prior. [@PCGVR via City Controller]
• 1,393: Shooting victims this year, up 2% from last year [PCGVR]
• 322: Year-to-date homicides, same as last year; up 68% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]

MAYOR WATCH

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

ON THE CALENDAR