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12-11-2005, 03:51 PM
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Delays in project caused by Universal and Pennrose threaten Community Park
Hawthorne Empowerment Coalition Community Meeting Tue Dec 13th 7:30pm at the Arts Bank, Broad and South. All are invited. Holiday refreshments served.
Learn about our fight for a community park on the NW corner of 12th and Catharine Streets. Get infomation on our rally on Sat. Dec 17th. The HOPE VI plan for the MLK Revitalization Project called for 245 units and a park. On November 8th PHA stated it wanted to build additional units on the park site, recoup losses caused by delays in MLK project caused by UniPenn's (Universal Companies and Pennrose Properties) management. Faced with strong community opposition to building housing instead of a park, PHA now states it wants to sell the property so another developer can build houses on the site. This is quality of life issue for residents. We have worked on the park project for 2 years with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, University of the Arts, Universal Companies, Pennrose Properties, and PHA. We feel as though the rug been pulled out from under us. Like most communities boarding Center City Hawthorne has been over run with development. If there is one square block that does not have a construction project, it soon will. We have no large open green space. We are confident the park will be beautiful, safe, and well maintained. We hope to persuade HUD and PHA that it's in the best interest of the community to build the park. Read about Hawthorne Park Porject in December 7th edition of Philaldelphia Weekly. For more information contact HEC President, Patricia Bullard at 215-735-1225 Last edited by hawthorne : 12-12-2005 at 11:22 PM. 
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12-13-2005, 03:02 PM
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Lack of Greenspace prompts a "Worst Environment" title for Philly
I hope that someone at the meeting points out to PHA, the RDA, and the city powers that be such as DiCicco and Verna the following new "worst environment" title for our city due to its relative lack of greenspace in part, in comparison to other cities.
Posted on Tue, Dec. 13, 2005 Inqlings | Philly recaptures a 'worst environment' title By Michael Klein Inquirer Columnist "Self Magazine is out with its sixth annual America's Healthiest Places for Women list in its December issue, and - as usual - Philly didn't fare so hot. Overall, the city placed 88th out of 100 ranked metro areas. Last year, Philly was 100th out of 200. Self staff evaluates 49 factors, including body-mass index, heart disease and smoking rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, environmental statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency, and crime figures from the FBI. The healthiest area was Long Island, N.Y., followed by San Jose and Orange County, Calif., Burlington, Vt., and San Francisco. Rated worst: Cincinnati, followed by Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Okla., Dayton-Springfield, Ohio, and Memphis, Tenn. Philly did have one distinction this time out: It was dubbed "worst environment," a title it also won in the 2002 and 2003 surveys based on air quality, the number of toxic sites, and the amount of green space. What happened in 2004? "We didn't do 'worst environment' that year," says news director Sara Austin. "We did 'worst air.' " Guess who "won" that one." from www.phillynews.com
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12-13-2005, 11:36 PM
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We're going to distribute copies of the article at the rally. I read in Philadelphia Magazine that Philly's is destined to become the next "most livable city." We have new residents in Hawthorne who moved here just for park. City officials and develpers don't realize their going to ruin the city with too much of a good thing--over development.
Come join us. Date: Saturday, December 17th Time: 12:00pm Place: Park Site at the Corner of 12th and Catharine Hot Drinks will be served. Councilman Frank DiCicco and State Rep. Babbette Josephs will be there. Marcus Mitchell, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum's Director of Community and Economic Development may also attend. Last edited by hawthorne : 12-13-2005 at 11:52 PM.
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12-14-2005, 11:36 AM
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just in case you didn't notice, pennrose reared their ugly heads in east falls. apaprently they are the prime reason retail space on ridge (run by the PHA) sits unused the last coupel of years. I'd be interested in who runs Pennrose and who is affiliated.
__________________
"You down wit OPM?" Fumo: "Yeah, you know me!"
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12-14-2005, 01:15 PM
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I saw that on Fox 29. Here's the deal: Schuylkill Ridge by Pennrose is completed in residentials. People have moved in.
MLK Plaza: Type in 1200 Catharine in Google maps. Click on "satellite" and see what you see. Big brown spot. Large empty hole of unfinished properties. PHA just took from Uni-Penn on deed record as of this year. I wish MLK Plaza's big problem was that there are empty first floor commercial spaces that need tenants. HA!!! Pennrose: finishes what it starts but for renting out commercial space. Commerical space not rented because Pennrose is not the landlord, PHA is, and PHA did not want to pay to build to suit for commericial tenants. But this is a common accepted business practice for commericial tenants. That's why no one wants a commericial tenant. The owner must build to suit, and yes, it is an expensive up front cost. Universal: MLK Plaza -- large tracts of vacant property that attract drugs and more blight. Bankruptcy of partnership. Lawsuits by reputable contractors such as Deluca, who is building Naval Square. Few residents moved in, few units complete. Rest of zip is booming in construction and value. Fully funded park given $200K and $800K to do work and maintain. Where is the money? Park now to be plowed under for housing, but was already paid for with HUD block grant money. Summing up: Pennrose property: people fighting to get in to completed residences. Commericial tenants negotiating move in details. Bank coming in to complex. Neighbors rethinking PHA and happy. MLK Plaza: only a handful of properties complete. Mostly still vacant land, as vacant as the day the towers were demoed. Neighbors pissed. Bainbridge West: only a handful of promised properties complete. The rest in violation of redevelopment agreements for start dates, much less finish dates. Neighbors pissed. My question: Why is PHA still using Universal? Some say it is for housing counseling and non development issues. Why's that when Universal is not what went wrong with Uni-Penn? Pennrose: no PAC Universal: NUR-PAC, or the Neighborhood Urban Renewal Political Action Cttee gives big bucks to local dems. Top John Street contributor. Top contributor to whatever or whoever Doc is raising money for. Not even Bob Brady will bite that hand. We have a responsibility to spend this money wisely, not just to elect the same party over and over. I would be cautious before drawing conclusions presented by Kirk Dorn about who is at fault on Uni-Penn. Dorn is not going to say Universal is a pack of publicly financed Sam Rappaports who give money to the right people at the cost of performing their mandate. Check the Universal website www.universalcompanies.org where you'll see their amazing plans to build hundreds of units of housing in South Philly, and gorgeous commercial integrated plans. Oh, oops, that stuff has been taken off the website. Looks like the whole website is no longer there. No small business support and training. No mini-mart, which was sold. No renderings of proposals for lot at Fitz and Broad. For 19146: Some people have forgotten that padding their resume with stats that don't pan out upon examination is not the ultimate justification for keeping quiet and going along with Universal's poor record. At some point soon, having that you partnered with Universal to grow SOSNA's budget and staff is not going to look smart on the CV. Hello SOSNA! Wakiewakes! Unless you want to work for Greenberg Traurig, which is probably not happy right now either, you will be following all of Street's number one buddies if you don't do your own research. White. Ross. Universal. Everyone who's partnered with them has done really well, wouldn't you say? Last edited by ljlong : 12-14-2005 at 01:26 PM.
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12-14-2005, 04:50 PM
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Universal is building a total of 19 market homes (no subsidy) in Hawthorne on 1300 block of Kater and 1200 block or Kennilworth as part of the MLK Revitalization Project. PHA is building 80 for sale homes from $215,000 to $265,000. All subsidized.
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12-14-2005, 05:19 PM
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Quote:
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12-14-2005, 06:32 PM
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Not trying to be contrary, just trying to keep people from depending on an unreliable tool and being misinformed! Last edited by juice : 12-14-2005 at 06:45 PM.
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12-14-2005, 07:32 PM
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I found them no problem on Google Earth. BUT, the images are older, before any construction was underway.
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