Photo: K. Ciappa, for GPTMC, via the Daily News
- Anti-billboard advocates are resisting the Franklin Institute’s plans to install a digital sign on its Parkway-facing façade, reports the Daily News, warning of a slippery slope of the Parkway becoming a little less Parisian and a bit more akin to Las Vegas. The Zoning Board of Adjustments has already approved a variance for the signage, but the mayor’s office is supposedly backing an appeal for that variance from Scenic Philadelphia and a group of Logan Square residents.
- With Franklin Square Park transformation from dreaded “needle park” to a tourist and residential attraction, Plan Philly reached out to the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) to see if they could now financially justify reopening the park’s PATCO station. No, says Communications Director Timothy Ireland. The DRPA has limited funds as is, and more pressing matters. Yet tourism officials contend that compensating for a complete lack of parking around the park is an imperative, one that would further encourage development towards the riverfront.
- A new report suggests that some progress has been made as of late on the anti-blight front, reports NewsWorks. The state’s Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act of 2010, and the Department of Licenses and Inspections’ crackdown on property maintenance are both credited for the 31% increase in homes’ sale prices within targeted neighborhoods.
- Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will be at 30th Street Station tomorrow at 11AM to publicly discuss the importance of federal investment in transportation.
About the author
Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.
