Tracking the North Broad development boom
Another big project along North Broad Street is coming: a proposed 2 million square feet of commercial and residential projects surrounding the North Philadelphia Amtrak and SEPTA stations. It’s the latest in a series of major developments planned for the corridor, which is undergoing a resurgence.
As change comes to the street, making some residents wary, developers are committing to “equitable community-serving projects,” Jordan Levy reports.
Artists kicked out of Rittenhouse Square for vending
A weekend art gathering in Rittenhouse Square is planned to protest a Monday incident where three artists watched as their artwork was confiscated by city officials. They didn’t have vending licenses, they admit, though advocates pointed out that showing art around the park has long been common.
Some confiscated works were protest art, the artists noted, reading, “No Arena in Chinatown.” Deesarine Ballayan recaps what we know thus far, and what’s coming on Saturday.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Commissioner Outlaw is moving to fire Officer Mark Dial, who shot and killed Eddie Irizarry in Kensington last week. Thanks to union arbitration, fired Philly police officers often get their jobs back. [6ABC/BP 2019]
• The latest in the Sixers arena timeline: the Design Advocacy Group, a respected local volunteer organization of planners and architects, issued a statement in opposition of the plan. [Billy Penn/DAG]
• Philadelphia supposedly has one of the emptiest office districts in the U.S., sparking a debate over what’s keeping workers at home — but the data includes buildings in the suburbs, including as far away as Wilmington, Del. [WSJ unlocked]
• Construction appears to have started on a controversial, much-debated redevelopment project at the former Germantown High School in Northwest Philly, although it’s unclear what’s being built. [Chestnut Hill Local$]
• Elbroch and Olympia, a pair of orphaned puma cubs from Kalama, Washington, have arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo and will become the newest residents of Big Cat Falls. [PhillyVoice]
• WrestleMania 40 in Philly, set for next April, has already topped its all-time gross total record of $21.6M with over $90k in ticket sales. [Billy Penn/AP]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney joins Ukrainian Americans and elected officials from both Philly and Ukraine for a flag-raising on City Hall’s North Apron to honor and celebrate the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence (11 a.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
🏞️ Get tips on how to do plant-based grocery shopping on a budget from experts with the American Vegan Society. Tickets start at $5. (6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25)
🚲 Cyclists take to the road with nothing but the wind at their back during Philly’s Naked Bike Ride in support of cycling and body positivity. (2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26)
💸 Billy Penn is proud to headline the inaugural Philly Story Fest, joining journalists from media outlets around Philadelphia to tell the city’s best stories on stage at the Bok. Tickets are $25. (7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5)
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