They are proabably tearing down buildings exactly like those in size and design but boarded up and directly across the street from the ones pictured. I remembered that volguus had snapped that shot and it was handy to explain what the architecture, size, potential density as shopping strip was like. Volguus's back would have been to the buildings potentially being taken down when he took that picture.

Notice in the picture the geographic spread of businesses that have opened recently on our block in order in which they have opened - MiaLou, Monrovia Check Cashing, Kulture, and now the Lagos Mini Mart. Interesting pattern, no?

Hi all. Thanks for the info this is my first post...hop it works
Those are wonderful properties and have the potential to expand upon the environment mialou and the kulture shop have begun.
One concern-
These properties are being taken for "institutional and related" uses. So since they have a site for the school on the vacant lot it is scary to think what they have planned for these parcels. Could the related use be parking for the school?? that would be ashame. Or are they relocating the school once again?

Well thats the million dollar question isn't it? I mean in the rendering on the pdf the school is depicted as going up on a currently abandonned corner and it would certainly be plus to the community in balance - something better than the empty field currently. But for some reason at the last public meeting with Jannie Blackwell, the representative from BARC indicated that they were leaning towards the SE corner of Baltimore and 51st. The discrepancy was not really explained. I'm not sure who knows the reason why.

Further more why would it also involve taking around 12 additional properties that could debatebly be rehabbed (or not - some are pretty rough but at least a couple, esp. some of those on Balitimore look possibly structurally repairable)? The Richard Allen School can't simultaneously be located on the SW, SE and NE (700 block of 51st) - this issue hasn't been sufficiantly explained.

That's one question I intend to try find an answer to before June 6.

The other is that the language of the ordinance indicates that the seizure of of those abandonned properties is based on a previous redvelopment zone designation - presumably the one in the map on the pdf. That could conceivablyput MiaLou, Kulture and all of the buildings in volguus's photo still in danger of future redvelopment, though not immediate danger.

BTW- thanks for posting, canyon. Welcome to Phillyblog.

I took a little walk around 51st and Baltimore. Besides the 4 store fronts like the ones in the picture earlier in this thread (but boarded up), the target area actually goes south of Baltimore on 51st further than I thought, leaving the burned out ones on 51st north of Baltimore in place. I guess its only the SE and SW corners of Baltimore and 51st and the barn-shaped ones facing Baltimore.

This guy at 739 S. 51st. will be in for a little bit of a shock, though. He just totally rehabbed this place. New metal staircase, new paint job (can you tell?), new lights, new car lift (he does car repair) I think his kid painted the cute little fishes and such on the one doorway. I don't know the guy except by sight but "Ouch!" He has had guys working there for the last month and seems to have just finished. The brown house behind is going also, but it is boarded up - unlike this guy who was already working on cars last weekend.

I must admit, this all seems really confusing to me. I rarely visit that far west on Baltimore, but Baltimore is most definitely a commercial corridor and already these blocks have shown such a strong potential for growth. How does bringing in a school along Baltimore Ave help improve this commercial corridor? Sean, please keep us posted if you find out any concrete plans as to what will go on these properties.

There are so many worse areas of the city, I just don't understand what good this is doing.

Sean, I'm sure you are relieved that MiaLou isn't targeted, but this will definitely affect your business. What are your initial thoughts? It seems pretty ridiculous to me.

__________________
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It is confusing. BARC, the group behind moving the school, has certain amount of pull because its head is a former head of the Philly Black Clergy and is widely known throughout the Philadelphia regions as a community leader. Their experience and strength lies in doing things like the Health Center, faith-based after-school programs, the charter school (which they already have up and running succesfully in the Parkside) - programs which involve going to the local pols and saying "We need X amount of money to set up this X, Y, or Z social services program". Many of the social services programs do a lot of good for the community but their model and frame of reference has so far not really been geared towards something like fostering small business growth or slowly building a shopping district. In many ways their model is "We've decided we want to do this social services project - we have someone with some amount experience administering this sort of program. We go to the local politician and ask for the money (or in case the land) to do it." Its a very executive chain of command view of "community involvement". I want to emphasize that some of the projects they have been invloved in have been very positive for the area - especially the Health Center, I just am kind of dismayed by the lack communication bothfrom BARC and Councilwoman Blackwell's office so far about the project and what it is for.

As a business owner on the block and as a member of the local neighborhood civic association the lack of information available about this project - even at the public meeting that might have originally been intended to discuss the plan has been politely put problematic. Dr. Barbara Mitchell who spoke at the public meeting in People's Baptist Church representing BARC spoke for less than 5 minutes, was vague, and aparently misspoke on several key points at least according to Dr. Benjamin Smallwood (the other person at BARC overseeing this project at an operational level). This major land acquisition and new building project should probably have been the main thing discussed at the public meeting but instead her presentation involved less than 5% of what was discussed. Dr. Mitchell repeatedly said for example that they would be breaking ground in July, but someone from Cedar Park Neighbors who spoke to Dr. Smallwood was told that the actuall design and construction of the school/community center was till very much in a planning stage and that he could not provide details or renderings at this point.

Also according to the brochure, one of BARC's stated goals is to encourage business development on and around the 5000 block of Baltimore. Mr. Mitchell however was completely unaware of the opening of two retail stores - MiaLou or Kulture on their very small block and a half long redevelopment district.

(Edit. I slightly edited this post to still convey the frustration I had felt at the at the time I posted it about the lack of information available to me or CPN about the project. The edits still convey that frustration but do so in a slightly less conrontational tone. There were also so instances of vague language on my part)

I just chatted with Keith Brown the owner of the auto repair shop at 739 S. 51st St. He had just recently bought the building at sherrif's sale and had since done a ton of improvements on the property. When I told him about the Redevelopment Notice, he was quite perplexed since he just recieved hsi deed from the Sherrif's Sale of the property a month or so ago. He flat out insisted that there is no way they could be planning to take his propery and as politely as possible I suggested he keep tabs on the redevelopment hearing. He joked about meeting them with his deed in one hand and an M-16 in the other and I didn't have the heart to insist that I knew someone who quite recently had had the RDA rescind a sherrif's sale after the fact but promised to keep in touch depending on what I found out.

So far, Councilwoman Blackwell's office has not gotten back to us with to answer our questions to them about the plan but we will continue to call and leave messages when possible (no voicemail for city council?) till they do eventually get back to us. I really want to know what is going on with thtis project.

One bizzare rumor I heard from Keith Brown was that he heard that some of the properties were going to be parking "for the church" not the school - as apparently the wife of a local pastor is a car repair client. If it were true that would be strange indeed. I'm sure there was some misunderstanding because I don't think the city would be taking down distressed but potoentially reparable buildings (maybe?) on a main commercial corridor just to give it away to a church for a parking lot, would it? I suppose a parking lot is better than an empty shell but I would hope that the city would only be acquiring land and knocking down buildings for something a little more substanital than a parking lot.

Here is the Public Notice of the RDA notice to seize and condemn the properties around 51st and Baltimore. Actually that particular notice is page 4 of 15 pages, about RDA seizures all over the city (including Fishtown, Wash West, Brewerytown and West Germantown). The notice for the properties on Sansome near 45th is on page 2.

I have still yet to recieve a call back from Councilwoman Blackwell's office on this matter and we are still currently playing phone tag with Mr. Benjamin Smallwood of BARC/MET, Inc. to get his explanation fo what they intend to do with all these lots (on 3 different corners of 51st and Baltimore).

I will definitely being going to this council session on June 6th at 10 AM.

I spoke with Elisa Sneed from Councilwoman Blackwell's office about the aquisition of properties along Baltimore Ave. She said the BARC community center/school is now proposed to go next to the Mercy Health Center currently the site of their parking and and span to 51st street which would require demolishing four properties. Parking for BARC and Mercy would go on the southwest triangle currently vacant.

The unique barn houses on the north side of baltimore ave will be demolished for interm parking for Hickman Temple (I think thats the one) and will eventually be the site for Expanded program space for the church. I personally cant understand why BARC and the church cant share space? Elisa said the timetable for the demolition is within 60 days. No timetable is set for the churches program space, they still need funding.

As a neighbor Im dissappointed to see the demolition along Baltimore, those few blocks have seen so much commercial promise with Mialou, Kulture, Firehouse, and now relocated UC Pets. The community center and program space is great for the community, but along Baltimore?? im sure space is availiable that woulnt require demo. Im also upset with the lack of info we were given, details were so grey in the april meeting.

Well that's huge. Seriously - we have been calling Elissa on a daily basis and have not recieved a call back yet.

Thank You canyonb124. You don't know what this information means to me.

It seems kind of odd - first off - if the rumors I have heard are correct they aren't planning to take the worse off abandonned barn-shaped ones on 51st north of Baltimore and instead are taking down the ones facing Baltimore Ave, the busy commercial corridor with the trolley line on it, to make parking spaces for a church? Is this really the best use of what was once the densest shopping block on the entire Baltimore Ave. commercial corridor?

Secondly, the original plan for the school included in the pdf of the BARC brochure I posted had it going on the SW corner of Baltimore and 51st with the second empty lot below Malcom St. providing the parking. Why suddenly has the school's footprint and parking needs sudeenly changed so drastically?

Some longer-term residents of the neighborhood mentioned to me that possibly one of the reasons BARC has not reached out much to Cedar Park Neighbors and other groups in the area is possibly due to some lingering bad feelings about Firehouse Farmer's Market dating back to the early 80's.
At one point, apprently, Rev. Patterson and the group that makes up BARC had apprently pursued knocking down the Firehouse Farmer's Market to turn it into parking for Hickman Temple. I am certainly glad in hindsight that that particular plan did not go through considering the great architectural value of the Firehouse building and its current importance as a market for healthy fresh food and produce for the residents of the neighborhood. For recycling and the summer Jazz series the Firehouse is a huge community resource and a major neighborhood meeting location. Our neighborhood would be seriously impoverished if the Farmer's Market had not happened.

Of course hindsight is 20-20 and sometimes folks in a hurry to make an "improvement" on a area with abandonned buildings have a hard time imagining the positive impact creative reuses of a "blighted area".

This school/community center could be an excellent resource for the neighborhood, as well, but I think it is important to always allow in your planning for the fact that a few years down the line a neighborhood can "improve" on its own. I hope that BARC is interested in taking a long view strategy and not just putting up the "neighborhood improvement" that is easiest to put together funding for today.