Filed under: Displacement, Gentrification, Real Estate, University City District | Tags: eviction, Gentrification, university city, upenn, west philly
From something called The Jewish Exponent. Exponent? You people have to get a little better at naming your newsletter…
“David J. Adelman is the president and CEO of Campus Apartments, a company, which provides housing for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and support staff at various colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Under Adelman’s leadership, the company has broadened its focus to include mixed-used projects on campus that incorporate both retail and office space together.
The company has increased its revenues by 300 percent over the last five years.
Adelman’s commitment to his clients extends to initiating and funding other types of projects that enhance the quality of student life on American campuses.
One of them is the University City District, a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and other institutions to improve the safety and cleanliness in communities around Penn’s grounds and immediate area.
Moreover, Campus Apartments is the largest private-sector supporter of the district, contributing more than $500,000 over the past decade.”
That’s really charming. Campus Apartments in Philadelphia is making so much money, they can throw a half-million dollars at a gentrification committee in 10 years. That’s basically like having an employee for ten years who is paid $50,000 a year. Ah, lobbying. I’m sure Adelman’s “commitment to his clients” lies more in their exploitative monetary relationship, rather than “student life.” It’s scum like Adelman who have created the notion in yuppie pea-brains that $1,000 per month for a “studio/1BR” is a good deal in West Philly.
Filed under: 4224 Baltimore Demolition, Displacement, Future Plans, Gentrification, Licenses & Inspection (L&I), Real Estate, Zoning | Tags: eviction, west philly
Pre-Civil War building at 4224 Baltimore Ave destroyed
As anyone who has passed by Clark Park recently knows, developers have destroyed the historic mansion at 4224 Baltimore Ave.
Photos of the demolition:
Flickr gallery from eye-of-thundera
A quick primer article from University City Review here.
Copy of the letter from L&I to nearby residents:
___________________________________________
City of Philadelphia
Department of Licenses & Inspections
January 28, 2009
NOTICE OF PENDING DEMOLITION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT:
04224 BALTIMORE AVE
Pursuant to the requirements of The Philadelphia Code, Title 4, Subcode “A,”
Section A-303-2, you are being notified by this Informational Bulletin that
the structure located at the subject address is scheduled for demolition to
begin on or after July 3, 2008. (Then, that date is crossed out, and this is
handwritten:) Jan. 28, 2009
In accordance with The Philadelphia Code, this notice is provided as an
informational courtesy only and does “not create any actionable right for any
resident or owner of the subject property or any neighboring property.”
For information concerning the demolition, please contact:
CAMPANELLA JAMES & ASSOC INC
1601 S CHRIS COLUMBUS BLV
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19148-1404
Klehr Harrison Harvey Ronald J. Patterson, Esquire
Perry Cocco (this is handwritten in, above the name below which is crossed
out):
Steve Gallagher, Supervisor
West District
43rd and Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2969
215-685-7680
________________________________________
This is the building on the south side of Baltimore which sits high up on a
hill, back from the street, and has the empty lot next to it which used to be a
community garden. The building formerly housed a women’s shelter. It’s
across Baltimore Ave. from the original Green Line, and across 43rd St. from
Clark Park.
>From the UC Historical Society website:
4224-26 Baltimore Ave
John Neil McGarvey, developer
c.1860
E.A. Wilson, architect for renovations
c.1920
Two, three-story, two-bay, brick with stone facade Second Empire, semi-detached houses. Distinguishing features include stone and iron fence around terraced yard, porch, segmentally arched windows, bracketed cornice, convex mansard roof with pedimented dormers and slate shingles, ground floor bay windows.
________________________________________
The site was purchased from developer James Campanella by Thylan Associates, a developer that has fingers in many, many pies, for a cool 3.5 million dollars. Thylan promptly demolished the residence, and one can only assume he wants to build condos overlooking the park. Thylan also owwns 4508 Chestnut, a building which is now rented out handsomely to the UPenn LIFE senior living center, as well as an abandoned warehouse at 13th and Callowhill which is planned to become luxury lofts. He also owns developments all over New York City and Putnam, Westchester, and Dutchess counties. Oh wait, I forgot, he owns 1111 Locust St and a bevy of properties in Connecticut. Lenard Thylan, the head honcho of the development company, had to go and brag about being a rich, soulless gollum to the New York Times a decade ago. What wonders Mr. Thylan must have worked since then in the lucrative field of gentrification, er real estate development.
It’s clear that to buy a property essentially just for the double lot, and tear down a giant building in livable condition worth at least $600,000 in its standing state, must require a pretty elaborate plan. I mean, how many condos do you have to sell to break even on just the land? A lot. Residents of West Philly should expect big, tall, ugly things from Thylan Associates in months to come. RIP 4224-26 Baltimore.
Filed under: Appropriation, Displacement, Gentrification, Race, Real Estate, The Master Plan, UPenn Mortgage | Tags: eviction, expansion, Gentrification, home prices, ucd, university city, upenn, war, west philly
Using the power of the internet, anyone can find this snazzy article about how UPenn is a Zombie Flesh Eating Monster. According to the Philadelphia Business Weekly, the UPenn-subsidized mortgage program was already a smashing success way back in 1998.
“It’s just been overwhelming,” said D-L Wormley, Penn’s managing director of community housing. “It literally is people from every part of the university – professors, the housekeeping department, a vice president, the physical plant. And that’s the thing I’m most thrilled about.”
And what’s good for Penn is good for West Philadelphia’s residents, the banking community there, local construction contractors and neighborhood real estate values.
Part of the new program includes cash for faculty and staff already living in the area bounded by Market Street, 49th Street, Woodland Avenue, University Avenue and the Schuylkill River: Penn is offering up to $7,500 in matching funds toward exterior home improvements.”
Of course by 2004 this program was considered a battle plan against local residents (read: black people.)
“The change in the program is two-fold. First, the geographic boundaries originally set by the program are being extended. The new borders reach out westward to 52nd Street, northward to Haverford Avenue, and eastward and southward to the Schuylkill River. The old boundaries extended only to 49th Street, Market Street and Woodland Avenue in the west, north and south, respectively.
The second alteration of the program consists of a reduction in the maximum size of the loans available to those participating in the program from $15,000 to $7,500.
The forgivable cash loan “can be used for a down payment, to buy down points, or for interior or exterior home improvements,” according to the program’s policy. The loans are forgiven after seven years on the condition that the purchaser remains in residence during that time.”"
Wait, you mean if I own a house for 7 measley years and work for UPenn during that time, I get fifteen thousand dollars for free? That’s right. Doesn’t that mean that there’s some unfair advantage available to UPenn staff?
And of course, there is:
“Penn officials note, however, that it is not their intention to force people from the neighborhood. But, the program gives the Penn-affiliated buyer a clear advantage in the real estate market.
“If two buyers are competing for the same house … the Penn buyer is already $7,500 ahead,” O’Donnell said. “If there is a bidding war, the Penn buyer is going to win.”"
Aye aye, sir! Fire away! Move the negroes out of here! Move in the zombies with cash bonuses that they don’t have to repay!
end the upenn zombie monster parade
