Would Sixers arena ruin Jefferson Station?; Street sweeping returns; City’s epic cheesesteak troll | Sunday roundup

RECAP: Looking back on the week that was

• Council overrides veto on new gov’t office 

In just the third veto of his nearly eight years in office, Mayor Kenney sent back legislation to create a new, cabinet-level position overseeing public safety. Good government group Committee of Seventy agreed with many of the mayor’s concerns, including the way the bill was pushed through with last-minute changes, and the power it would give Council over the office. City Council quickly reversed Kenney’s veto, however, so the question will appear on the May primary ballot — and voters almost always approve ballot questions. [WHYY/Seventy/PHL Council]

• Sixers arena gets new backers, new transit concerns

With a pledge to integrate support for Black entrepreneurs into the plan for a Center City arena, the Sixers won the backing of prominent Black religious and business leaders — a move that spurred  some criticism from others in the Black community. A new front of criticism also appeared, with the Inky’s Inga Saffron warning of potential changes the stadium would force at Jefferson Station, removing natural light from the underground transit hub. Developers pushed back, saying her assumptions weren’t true. [Billy Penn/@PastorCarlDay/Inquirer$/@76Place]

•  UC Townhomes nears a deal

Nearly a year after activists set up a protest encampment at University City Townhomes, pushing the fight into the public view, the battle over the 40-year-old housing complex is reportedly near conclusion. Dozens of families had been given vouchers and told to move out as the property’s federal subsidy expired; the owner planned to sell the now-prime real estate to a new developer. Under the not-yet-formalized agreement, part of the land will be set aside for new affordable housing, and a $3.5M fund will be set up to help displaced residents. [BP x 3/Inquirer$/Daily Pennsylvanian]

• City pulls off an epic cheesesteak troll

As National Cheesesteak Day was celebrated around the country (really! Just ask the four Cheltenham High grads who started the whole thing), the City of Philadelphia Twitter account pulled off a master troll. Instead of posting a regular cheesesteak, like the one that actually got Mayor Kenney to smile, it tweeted a mess of a dish — a “loaded steak hoagie,” a spokesperson later clarified — garnering tons of replies from offended Philadelphians. Yes, we take our sandwiches seriously here. [Billy Penn/@PhillyMayor/@PhiladelphiaGov]

VISION: Looking forward to the week ahead

• Harrisburg Dems start flexing their majority

Now that their slim majority is settled, Pa. House Democrats are getting started on policy efforts. This week legislators hold livestreamed hearings on raising the minimum wage (which has been stuck at $7.25/hr since 2009); on the lack of affordable housing; and on expanding access to reproductive health care, an issue that’s been front-of-mind for many Dems since a Supreme Court decision negated protections offered by Roe v. Wade. [Pa. House x 3/BP 2022]

• Street sweeping starts up again

There’s still no citywide program — Philly’s the only major U.S. metro where this is the case — but the street sweeping pilot is about to make its return. If you park in any of the 14 “high litter” areas, get ready to move your cars starting this Saturday. A crowdsourced program to help clean up other blocks is no longer getting Streets Department support, however, after the sanitation workers union filed a complaint. [BP 2018/WHYY/Phila Gov/Billy Penn]

• Southeast Asian Market returns in FDR Park

This coming weekend marks the return of the seasonal Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park, this time with the knowledge that the city supports a permanent home for the dozens of vendors who’ve been coalescing at the South Philly space for decades. If you’ve never been, it’s the place to find some of the best Cambodian and Laotian food in the city, among dishes from several other cultures. [SEA Market/WHYY/Eater]