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Transforming the former oil refinery into the ‘Bellwether District’
Preparations are set to begin this month for construction at the former PES refinery shut down three years ago after an explosion and fire.
- Dubbed the Bellwether District by Hilco Redevelopment Partners, the multibillion-dollar project will comprise a 250-acre life sciences campus and a 750-acre industrial logistics area, Axios reports.
Hazardous waste storage at the South Philly site is still being dismantled, WHYY’s PlanPhilly reported, but could be cleared by end of year.
Iconic Philly bakery making bright green rolls, because Eagles
It’s that time of year: Eagles green will be strewn all over tailgates, bars, and homes to cheer Philadelphia’s top-seeded playoff run.
- So what about the food? The color will be there too, thanks to a pair of family-run local businesses with a combined history of more than 150 years.
Dietz & Watson’s free “Bird Dogs” promo is so popular, Nick Kariuki reports, that Cacia’s Bakery is offering the green buns direct to customers, too.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Boosting education funding, navigating through COVID, and battling with the Republican-led legislature will define Gov. Wolf’s two terms in office. [Spotlight PA]
- Pa. Dept. of Education is adding a new career track to its curriculum: teacher training. Set to launch next year, the program hopes to address the statewide teacher shortage. [WHYY/Capital-Star]
- Philadelphia Register of Wills Tracey Gordon has hired former state Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, who resigned from her post after a bribery conviction. [Inquirer$/BP 2018]
- The Office of DEI published an interactive dashboard showing the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of the municipal workforce. For the first time last year, new hires matched the city’s demographics. [Arcgis/Al Día]
- Big-ticket development in Philly continues to migrate westward. A 34-story apartment building is rising on a surface parking lot at 36th and Chestnut, with some units reserved as affordable, while a 200,000-sq.-ft. live science campus is planned for 23rd and Market. [PhillyVoice/Rebusiness]
- Calling all fans of dirty martinis and helping hungry Philadelphians: Kensington bar Martha teamed up with the famed Chickenman for a one-day special of chicken martinis — today only — with all proceeds going to community fridges. [Wooder Ice/BP/@AlexiconTom/BP]
MAYOR WATCH
Nothing on the public sked for Mayor Kenney, who this week pushed back on naysayers as he outlined priorities for his final year in office, declaring, “I love being mayor.”
ON THE CALENDAR
?️ Red Rum Theater, Philly’s first dedicated murder mystery venue, opens next week in the Curtis Center with a Golden Girls-themed show. Tickets start at $35. (8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17)
? The Citizen is hosting public “job interviews” with each mayoral candidate, and the next free Fitler Club event features Derek Green in the hot seat. (6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17)
? Ellen Yin’s new High Street Hoagies launches at the University of Pennsylvania with a giant hoagie cutting plus free sandwiches, donuts, and swag. (4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19)
