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Festival Pier project will help transform Philly waterfront
The redevelopment of Festival Pier begins in earnest this morning with a groundbreaking on the Delaware River waterfront.
- Decades in the works, the project will transform the site — which once hosted an incinerator and is most recently known for concerts, including the Roots Picnic — into a massive mixed-use development.
Plans call for 470 multi-family housing units, 50k square feet of commercial space, and a public plaza and park. Check out renderings of what’s coming.
‘Elf on the Shelf,’ but make it Philadelphia
You’ve heard of the Elf on the Shelf. Or maybe you haven’t?
- The toy is a holiday tradition in some homes (not those where parents find it a creepy representation of the surveillance state) but on the internet it’s become a popular rhyming meme.
Billy Penn decided to get in on the game with nine rhymes featuring Philly places and personalities. Check out the photoshopped memes here.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Philadelphia shelled out nearly $21 million last year to settle police civil rights misconduct claims, matching the high mark in 2018/19. [Axios]
- Vape manufacturer Juul will pay $38 million toward anti-tobacco programs in Pa. and stop marketing to young folks. The settlement comes three years after a surge of lawsuits filed on behalf of Philly teens. [KYW/BP 2019]
- Someone cut out and stole pieces of the antique brass railing outside City Hall. Officials say the segments could be worth $15k-$20k. [6ABC]
- Sen.-elect John Fetterman and wife Giselle have a cameo in Christian Bale’s “Pale Blue Eye,” a Netflix period drama out in theaters Dec. 23 and streaming Jan. 26. [@giselefetterman/Collider]
- The accolades for “Abbott Elementary” keep coming: Quinta Brunson’s Philly-set mockumentary snagged 5 Golden Globe noms, the most of any TV show. [PhillyVoice]
Weekly brief on gun violence prevention (with PCGVR)
We publish this report each week in partnership with the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting.
- As part of a program called Bout Mine I Matter, which offers training, resources, and counseling, a group of Philly teens made a documentary series about how gun violence has shaped their lives. [Trace/YouTube]
- A little healing can go a long way toward breaking the cycle of violence, says Will Little, a formerly incarcerated Philadelphian who’s advocating for therapy in city schools. [Inquirer$]
- Temple University professors share key takeaways on the evolution of America’s relationship with firearms and thoughts on how to solve the country’s shooting epidemic. [Temple x 2]
- The ACLU of Pa. is running an ambassador pilot program in Philly’s 14th police district to make sure community members know their rights if stopped by an officer. [WHYY]
- Mayor Kenney hasn’t yet signed into law the teen curfew passed by Council. Evidence shows curfews are not effective in reducing shootings. [Billy Penn/Rutgers]
By the numbers in Philadelphia
- 33: Shooting victims recorded last week, vs. 25 the week prior. [City Controller via @PCGVR]
- 2,209: Shooting victims this year, even with last year’s pace. [PCGVR]
- 488: Year-to-date homicides, 8% down from last year’s pace; up 63% vs. five years ago [Philly Police]
MAYOR WATCH: Dec. 14, 2022
Mayor Kenney joins officials and developers at the groundbreaking for Festival Pier (11:30 a.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
? Tomorrow: BP Quizzo! Join us at Padelphia, just over City Line Avenue across from Manayunk. We’ll have three rounds of local trivia, free drinks, snacks, prizes — and a chance to find out more about the racket sport called Padel. Free RSVP here. (7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15)
? Part dance, part improv, part fabric exhibition, Adam Kerbel’s show called “Motion Sickness” at the Christ Church Neighborhood Theater invites audience participation via movement and music. Tickets are $5. (Friday-Sunday, Dec. 16-18)
? Find clothing, records, crafts, art, and “old punk junk” at the holiday edition of the Punk Rock Flea Market at the 23rd Street Armory. $10 tix are good for entry both days. (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 17-18)
