This 20-story office building changed hands last year and most of the apartments are already finished and all units are expected to be ready this summer Half of the building has already been turned into apartments but the declining office market drove the owner of the other half to consider a similar move | Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds | 155 units This historic building has had many lives Lubert-Adler deemphasized hotel and office space in favor of apartments.  Construction has not yet started to put apartments in the former Jewish Federation office it shouldn't require a lot of structural redevelopment work | Keystone and Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds | 176 units 2025 on the Alterra Property Group’s apartment conversion project turning a former office building into luxury residences The former Morgan Lewis headquarters was a smooth transition because the building was in good shape, it has a small floorplate This historic building has had many lives This small, boxy building should be a relative easy conversion because it doesn't have a lot of dark, interior space, like the historic Wanamaker building By: 8:00 am on May 2 wedge-shaped lot sited by the Schuylkill River waterfront and will contain 334,201 square feet of interior space The development will feature 287 residential units as well as office space and parking for 44 cars and 96 bicycles The development rises from an complicated lot The site’s primary access point sits at its east side at North 23rd Street which also happens to sit at its the narrowest point Although the west side is considerably wider and faces the river it also does not offer street access and faces the railroad tracks To the north and south the site is hemmed in by the viaducts of the JFK Boulevard and the regional rail Since YIMBY’s last visit to the site in April 2023 foundation work has been completed and the tower is now rising into the skyline The concrete frame currently stands three stories tall and the building’s signature curvy shape is already discernible The building is easily among the most dramatic additions to the Philadelphia skyline in recent years The building makes a particular impact on the skyline from the Schuylkill River where it fills a glaring gap between Center City West and the recently completed similarly-sized Riverwalk towers to the north one of the most sophisticated new skyscraper designs the city has seen in years makes for a prominent appearance both from the Schuylkill River waterfront to the west and from Center City to the east where it flanks the iconic view of the 30th Street Station along JFK Boulevard From a programmatic standpoint, the tower makes for excellent use of a river-facing yet complicated and currently marginal lot, helping bridge the gap between Center City and University City and bringing vibrancy to a currently forlorn section of the boulevard Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews The site is so unusual and they made it work Love the new addition to the Philly skyline. This article was so well written and produced by Vitali Ogorodnikov Anyone who has read my contributions here in Philly Yimby knows that your insults is a display of your stupidity Nowadays there’s ai bot integrated everywhere in every site so sometimes it’s hard to distinguish Still doesn’t prove that smiling isn’t a bot tho lol Studies have shown that people with low intelligence tend to resort to hurling insults in discussion because they lack capacity you expose yourself with your stupidity in believing that I am a bot just came from living and working in NYC & region and they spit out 40+ story mixed-use tower crane projects non-stop seemingly like a baker’s dozen per year at minimum It’s good to see this space developed PERIOD being that I helped do renovation construction work in my home City here of Philly all the way back in mid to late ’90s so this bldg design is more than “impressive” to me I’m glad to get another update on this building finally It is a complicated lot wedge in between JFK Blvd and the Septa train tracks emerging from the tunnel onto the bridge over the river I live in Chicago now but moved here from Philly SBC is a Chicago firm and they are prolific here churning out variations of the same rehash design over and over But I don’t mind seeing this in Philly since there aren’t many of them there and the curves create a visual break from the standard right-angle corners From the design renderings it seems it has actually curving glass but now upon installation the curving sections just consist of flat glass on bevel angle to each other Please stay in Chicago and enjoy your Bears never making the playoffs I could careless about commercial sport teams They’re not getting my money and I’m not going to be a walking advertisement for their over priced apparels But I’m glad the Philly won and there was no more than one reported death from the celebration this year Unless there were robberies and shootings that didn’t make the news during the parade I might want to go back home,but Philly seems to have gotten a lot more expensive now since I left years ago I thought it’s supposed to be a rental The building’s off-kilter angle relative to JFK Blvd Another project across JFK from this build on the Trader Joe’s parking lot is also by SCB That’s design is an exact copy and paste from another Chicago project of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago But it will be unique to Philly city scape aesthetics because of the angular ripple façade The way the current economic uncertainty is that project might not see groundbreaking any time soon ADVERTISEMENT Follow on Instagram © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY LLC The City of Upper Arlington is hosting a one-day-only tag sale on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the former site of the Upper Arlington Senior Center, located at 1945 Ridgeview Road this is a unique chance for community members to take home furniture and other memorable items that once supported countless programs and gatherings Whether you’re a longtime Senior Center visitor Phone: 614-583-5000 In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver BBC "Newshour" covers everything from the growth of democracy to the threat of terrorism with a fresh The majority of workers who commute into the urban core have returned since the COVID-19 pandemic began five years ago according to the annual State of Center City report The heart of Philadelphia commerce in Center City the number of Philadelphians living in poverty has dropped by 6% according to the annual Pew Charitable Trusts report Overall pedestrian foot traffic in Center City returned to 90% of pre-pandemic levels in 2024 That means there were about 378,000 pedestrians each day in 2024 there were 400,000 pedestrians each day on average “Which we think is very strong and much of that was driven by our population growth,” said Prema Katari Gupta weekend evening crowds in Rittenhouse Square and Midtown Village were 25% larger than in 2019 About 200,000 people live in greater Center City which runs along Broad Street between Girard Avenue in North Philly and Tasker Avenue in South Philly The number of people who live in Center City increased by 3% between 2023 and 2024 About 90% of workers who live within two miles of their office have returned to work in person since 2019. That includes city workers who returned to the office five days a week per Mayor Cherelle Parker’s order in June 2024 But proposed deep cuts to SEPTA services would hamstring commuters across the city With a $213 million budget deficit for the new fiscal year the transit authority plans to boost fares by 21.5% and reduce service by 45% SEPTA faces a $214 million budget deficit this year and it’s unclear whether Pennsylvania Senate Republicans will approve more public subsidies for the transit system “We’re a little nervous about this transit funding uncertainty,” Katari Gupta said thoughtful people understand how critical this issue is Our weekly newsletter delivers original reporting on the people WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. provided free air conditioning units and fans the last three summers More than 1.2 million international visitors traveled to Philadelphia last year but far fewer tourists are expected to visit in 2025 Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza is WHYY News' business reporter Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardStephen J passionate Philadelphian and history lover who helped shape Center City Harmelin had a hand in creating the Barnes Foundation When the White House called a Harvard fraternity looking for Stephen J his frat brothers assumed it had to be a practical joke President Lyndon Baines Johnson needed a director of speechwriting then a Harvard Law student in his mid-20s and a Philadelphia native he would help found the White House Fellows program But he would return home to become a towering figure in corporate law and later used his stature as an attorney to leave an imprint on a hometown that he loved dearly A history lover and a passionate Philadelphian Harmelin died at his home in Society Hill on Saturday and after a battle with Parkinson’s disease Nearby were many physical monuments to his life — the Barnes Foundation the National Constitution Center — and other iconic institutions that Mr “He quietly built Philadelphia,” his daughter Alison said “He believed in his heart that Philadelphia was a world-class city.” His daughter Melina said: “His legacy lies both in his astounding achievements as well as within the people he leaves behind who loved him immensely.” Harmelin helped orchestrate the Bicenntenial Celebrations displays of the Magna Carta in Philadelphia and showed off his home to European royalty while rubbing elbows with senators and governors “And he lived 100% of his life here in Philadelphia Harmelin attended Central High School and later the University of Pennsylvania and completion of his degree — with honors — at Harvard the young lawyer went to work straight away at Dilworth Paxson under former Mayor Richardson Dilworth in 1965 he would leave the firm only briefly: In 1970 he went to work under Philadelphia District Attorney Arlen Specter as a special prosecutor To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the U.S Harmelin helped bring an original copy of the Magna Carta to Philadelphia in 1987 “This will be an excellent opportunity to remind people of the great gift that English-speaking people gave to the world: the supremacy of the law,” Mr Harmelin said in a 1987 interview with The Inquirer “We’re talking about two documents that made the most profound change in the lives of people since As a trustee of the Magna Carta Foundation of Philadelphia Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit secured the exhibit of the 13th-century document which ensured English rulers’ power no longer went unchecked The ceremonies were attended by Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Princess Alexandra and the attorneys general of the United States and Britain The same copy returned to Philadelphia in 2001 for a display at the newly formed Independence Visitor Center as a commissioner on the board of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority He went on to become a founding board member of the National Constitution Center Harmelin was a “towering figure,” whose contributions to the history museum and the city of Philadelphia will continue to “endure.” Harmelin helped recover and restore North Carolina’s missing copy of the Bill of Rights which was stolen from a Union soldier in the waning days of the Civil War After a dealer reached out to the Constitution Center Harmelin determined it was a 138-year-old handwritten copy that was swiped from the North Carolina statehouse He arranged a sting operation led by the FBI to retrieve and restore the document “It was an incredible act of detective work and bravery and he was absolutely central to that,” Rosen said Harmelin was instrumental in recognizing Pennsylvania’s original copy of the Bill of Rights was being held at the New York Public Library He arranged a historic agreement with the library allowing the document to be shared with the state of Pennsylvania for the next 100 years The Bill of Rights copy was displayed at the Constitution Center between 2015 and 2017 thanks to Mr “There’s no one else in American history who’s responsible for restoring two original copies of the Bill of Rights to their owners Along with his public service and dedication to American history Harmelin joined The Inquirer’s board of directors after Gerry Lenfest acquired the news organization in 2014 CEO of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism said his same passion for education and community engagement carried over into service journalism Steve Harmelin was a founding father of a new legal structure to ensure the health and independence of a great American newspaper,” Friedlich said in a written statement Sunday and a handful of other Philadelphia visionaries.” “There is no level of pain in his loss that compares to the privilege of having known him,” his daughter Alison said of her father His daughter Melina said: “As a husband and a father he was no less than our knight in shining armor Harmelin is survived by his wife of 30 years A memorial service is tentatively planned at the Barnes Foundation at the end of May A specific date has not yet been confirmed Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardCenter City District is trying to change long-held narratives about Philly’s downtownThe business improvement district’s latest State of Center City report says visitors are returning Five years after the pandemic began, Center City is still grappling with misconceptions about safety These narratives have had “remarkable staying power” despite data to the contrary and are influencing where people live, work, and spend their time and money, said Prema Katari Gupta, president and CEO of Center City District downtown Philadelphia‘s business improvement district “It‘s up to us, with data and with events and with programming and with fun stuff like Open Streets Open Streets is a program that temporarily closes certain streets to vehicles » READ MORE: Center City’s retail occupancy stays steady, and Philadelphians say which stores they want downtown On Thursday, Center City District released its annual report about the health of downtown Philadelphia and the surrounding area and leaned into the organization‘s new vision statement: “Center City is Philadelphia’s heart of commerce generating opportunity and prosperity for the entire city and region.” » READ MORE: Home building reached a record in 2024 for greater Center City pedestrian traffic in core Center City — defined as Vine to Pine Streets and river to river — had reached 90% of what it was in 2019 That‘s more than 400,000 people downtown on an average day “which we think is meaningful and exciting,” said Clint Randall Center City District‘s vice president of economic development Philadelphia ranked seventh among major downtowns for the rate at which it has recovered foot traffic But recovery has been uneven and depends on how close people are to downtown suburban visitors who live five to 25 miles away are returning at a slower pace than visitors who live within five miles of Center City Philadelphia as a whole had more jobs than at any point in the last 45 years The city had more than 791,000 jobs last year Roughly two in five jobs in Philadelphia — about 300,000 positions — were in greater Center City in 2022 the most recent year for which data are available for the smaller geography Slightly more than half of these jobs do not require a bachelor‘s degree Greater Center City is where most Philadelphia residents who are employed in the metropolitan area work Of the 644,000 jobs Philadelphians hold in the metro area 148,000 — almost one in four — are in greater Center City Workers have continued to come back to downtown offices Within the West Market Street office district an average of 52% of the workers who were in offices in 2019 were back in 2023 the number of workers who don‘t live downtown and were back in offices was 74% of 2019 levels That‘s a higher return-to-office rate for nonresidents than in other peer office districts more Philadelphians commute to work by private car About 28% of Philadelphia workers as a whole travel to their jobs without one A much higher share of workers in Center City — almost 50% — have a car-less commute Businesses have been leaving older office buildings for new and improved spaces The best and newest buildings with the most perks represent 20% of the office supply but 43% of new leases Trophy office buildings were more occupied at the end of 2024 than they were at the beginning lower tiers of office buildings were less occupied at the end of last year A quarter of the office space in the tier below the trophy designation — Class A — is vacant There’s too much Center City office space that companies don‘t want and “arguably not enough of the kind of high-quality space” that companies do want Almost half of Center City’s vacant office space is contained in 11 buildings Plans are underway to convert some former Center City office spaces such as Three Parkway and the Public Ledger Building and drove into core Center City on an average weekday in 2023 Both walking and driving trips were up 24% And rideshare trips doubled to about 16,000 on an average weekday trips by private car were the most popular way people traveled to Center City Center City District said in its report that “overreliance” on this mode of transportation “will add to congestion and ultimately degrade the public environment and quality of life.” “As Greater Center City’s population continues to rise,” the report said “investment in multimodal transportation infrastructure is necessary to ensure economic vitality and the efficient movement of people through the city.” Center City has added 54 nightlife destinations Gains in nighttime visitors and international tourists drove growth in occupancy and income for Center City hotels which brought in almost $700 million in revenue in 2024 Earlier this month, it looked as though there might be trouble in Microsoft’s AI-fueled paradise as reports surfaced that the company had slowed down or paused data center projects in several locations During Microsoft’s fiscal Q3 earnings call this week Nadella noted the tech giant actually opened data centers in 10 countries on four continents in the most recent quarter And asked explicitly about the reports of a pullback Nadella said the shifts were all just part of its effort to put the right resources in the right places There is the shape of the workload part to it And there is a location part to it,” he explained “You don’t want to be upside-down on having one big data center in one region when you have a global demand footprint," Nadella continued "You don’t want to be upside-down when the shape of demand changes.” MicrosoftCFO Amy Hood said that rather than pulling back on its data center growth Microsoft is actually hustling to pull forward delivery of new capacity in certain areas And even with that effort it expects to come up a bit short in terms of the compute needed to field demand for its cloud and AI services that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it indicates continued demand despite widespread economic uncertainty a little tight as we exit the year [in June] Microsoft impressed investors with an earnings beat Here are the numbers you need to know from the company’s fiscal Q3 2025 ';case"arrow-right-regular":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.1.0 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2022 Fonticons --\x3e';case"caret-right-solid":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.0.0 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2022 Fonticons --\x3e';case"caret-up-solid":return'\x3c!-- Font Awesome Pro 6.1.1 by @fontawesome - https://fontawesome.com License - https://fontawesome.com/license (Commercial License) Copyright 2022 Fonticons 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Lp=d("passive,once,capture"),Ip=d("stop,prevent,self,ctrl,shift,alt,meta,exact,middle"),Ep=d("left,right"),Ap=d("onkeyup,onkeydown,onkeypress",!0),Tp=function(e,t){return Kc(e)&&"onclick"===e.content.toLowerCase()?Ic(t,!0):4!==e.type?Ec(["(",e,') === "onClick" ")):(0,r.Q3)("",!0),(0,r.Lk)("span",u,(0,r.v_)(e.getFullName()),1)],8,s)})),256))])):!n.node.isSponsored()&&n.showAuthor?((0,r.uX)(!0),(0,r.CE)(r.FK,{key:2},(0,r.pI)(n.node.getAuthors(),(function(e,t){return(0,r.uX)(),(0,r.CE)("a",{href:e.getAlias(),rel:"bookmark"},[0!==t?((0,r.uX)(),(0,r.CE)("span",d," On a day of national May Day protests against President Donald Trump’s administration that ended with the arrest of about 50 protesters a few blocks from City Hall “The American people by the millions are saying no to oligarchy several hundred marched north on Broad Street and some of them sat down at Broad and Vine Streets chanting “we shall not be moved.” After being warned that they would be subject to arrest A police official said they were expected to be charged with obstructing a highway The demonstration came at the end of day-long protest events held in several locations around the region many organized online under the hashtags #buildtheresistance and #50501 The gatherings in Philadelphia and elsewhere took aim at a variety of issues including the administration’s aggressive immigration policies and workers’ rights but the leitmotif was what the protesters viewed as Trump’s threats to democracy Thursday's march in Center City ended with the arrest of about 50 protesters at Broad and Vine police began arresting protesters at Broad and Vine Dozens of protesters remained seated on the road as police issued warnings and formed a barricade around the group Officers picked up protesters one by and and handcuffed them Those arrested would be taken to the 22nd District but it was not immediately clear if citations would be issued Those detained would likely be charged with obstruction of a highway a retired member of American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees sat on a mesh lawn chair in front of U.S Rep Brian Fitzpatrick's office Thursday evening in solidarity with May Day which is historically about support for unions McNelis was born in America but spent a few years of her childhood in the Dominican Republic for her parents' jobs and remembers what it was like residing under a dictatorship \"We should not be so negative against people coming to this country We were built on being free and having freedom and we need to keep our freedom and keep our democracy and believe in our Constitution would see the weekly Friday protests in front of Fitzpatrick's office on her way to school and asked her parents to bring her to the next one Olivia's wish became a reality Thursday and she stood with her parent in front of the congressman's office said the six-year-old's political involvement isn't intentional — though the family does listen to the news a lot in the car — but rather \"her desire to be a part of something bigger than herself.\" As marchers continued their demonstration in Center City police blocked the street at Broad and Vine prompting some protesters to sit down in the road at the intersection \"We shall not be moved,\" demonstrators chanted.  The crowd of marchers stood at about 1,500 people One officer told a reporter that if protesters remained in the roadway \"for an extended period of time,\" police would have to make arrests \"We don't want to detain anyone,\" the officer said Demonstrators gathered at City Hall late Thursday afternoon as 83-year-old Sen. Bernie Sanders delivered a firebrand speech railing against “tax breaks for billionaires” and issuing a warning to Pennsylvania lawmakers On a day of national May Day protests against President Donald Trump’s administration the Vermont independent and former presidential candidate shouted Sanders’ speech came near the end of day-long demonstrations held in several locations around the region The demonstrations in Philadelphia and elsewhere took aim at a variety of causes The mass demonstrations are unlikely to make any immediate impression on Trump a Villanova associate professor who specializes in the “rhetoric of protest.” But that may well come later demonstrators held signs reading “Trump: hands off our unions.” which organized Thursday’s May Day protest in front of U.S Rep Brian Fitzpatrick’s office is planning to decorate the front door of his office with photos of immigrants currently held on a table at the Summit Square Shopping Center whose deportation has prompted nationwide controversy and legal action Sadness and frustration are just some of the words that come to mind for Lisa DeVicaris who has become a weekly staple of a local group of Democrats who routinely protest in front of Fitzpatrick’s office on Fridays DeVicaris has more companions than usual as Bucks Countians gather on the Langhorne sidewalk to protest Fitzpatrick and the Trump administration’s immigration policies for May Day DeVicaris set up a spread on the grassy hill near the Newtown Bypass Thursday markers and cardboard in case anyone wants to make their own sign and set up a litany of American flags in effort to reclaim the patriotic symbols for Democrats “I feel like that was being taken away from the Democrats periodically shaking a red metallic tambourine in her right hand She said she feels that Democrats are “slow on the uptake” when it comes to their messaging “I think that a lot of times they’re still playing what politics were years ago,” DeVicaris said As the crowd heads for a lap around City Hall and onto Broad Street drumming sounds mix with Dilworth Park's spray fountains. Carrying Palestinian flags with “Free Palestine” slogans Protesters lined the sidewalk in front of the office of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick in Langhorne to protest the policies of the Trump administration has represented Bucks County — one of Pennsylvania’s most notable swing districts — for years but some Democrats in the purple county often grow frustrated with the multiterm congressman for what they believe to be Fitzpatrick not standing up to Trump enough and occasionally rattled musical instruments as cars at the busy Newtown Bypass intersection drove by (and frequently gave approving honks) Anti-Fitzpatrick signage lines the grassy hill where some protesters gather flanked by American flags and signs like “Stop Coup No King” or “We Won’t Back Down.” the biggest problem facing Philly workers is a simple one: “We’re worth more than we’re getting,” he said lamented how difficult it is for average Philadelphians to pay for basic necessities like rent and healthcare He said the minimum wage ought to be raised and said factors like a person’s race or age shouldn’t affect their ability to live comfortably John Haak came to the City Hall protest out of “an abiding need to turn the tide” against President Donald Trump's administration said he wanted to see Democratic leaders standing up to Trump and fighting back He recently retired from municipal work with the city and wasn’t allowed to demonstrate in events like today A couple members of the crowd held up giant Palestinian flags in front of the stage that Sen Sanders did not directly speak about those flags in the crowd but he criticized Congress for the amount of military aid it sends to Israel and spoke out against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s role in the war in Gaza “We can cut military spending and build 5 million units of low-income and affordable housing,” he said Bernie!” But others decked out in pro-Palestinian gear instead shouted out “Free free Palestine!” When Philadelphia AFL-CIO president Daniel Bauder took to the stage after Sanders’ speech he tried to facilitate a call and response in which he shouts “What do we do?” and the crowd shouts back “We fight back!” but a portion of the crowd instead shouted “Free Palestine!” he is fighting for other workers to have better rights Holding a “Trump is stealing our future” sign the Philadelphian can't help but feel like workers' rights and democracy are at stake “All the good things that our democracy has brought us are in jeopardy because we have a president that disobeys the Supreme Court at the expense of workers,” Maxwell said Maxwell shifted focus and beamed with excitement “He is one of the best speakers we have in the country Bernie Sanders said there are millions of workers who want to join unions but can’t because of illegal behavior of corporations He said that Congress should pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act to allow more workers to unionize “If we are going to build the movement that we need to take power in this country we need to grow the trade movement in this country,” he said Bernie Sanders made a personal appeal to Pennsylvania lawmakers saying that if any of them vote for tax breaks for billionaires or vote to cut Medicaid no to Trump’s kleptocracy and no to tax breaks for billionaires,” he shouted Bernie Sanders was greeted with enthusiasm as supporters crowded the concrete area in front of City Hall He credited workers' rights in the country to trade union movement activism over the years Sanders said that under the Trump administration the United States has an \"oligarchic form of society.” “Never before in our history have so few had so much wealth while so many Americans are struggling,” he said “Never before have so few had so much political power.” The audience booed when he mentioned billionaires like Jeff Bezos The crowd spoke along with him when he said government should be “of the people Marchers nearby could be heard chanting “Free Palestine” outside the rally and one disruptor sat on top of a statue shouting into a megaphone as Sanders spoke thousands of protesters are rallying on the north side of City Hall holding \"Trump: hands off our unions\" signs As a speaker called for a “moral revolution in love and justice,” people cheered on a way to show President Donald Trump how workers feel about his administration's policies “There’s power in numbers and this is for our unions we have decent wages for unionized workers and healthcare; we owe this to organized labor,” Back said “We have to do this until everyone is demanding the end of the autocracy that is the Trump administration.” as folks attempted to see more of the independent from Vermont Some older attendees said they were already planning to attend the rally to support workers on Thursday when they learned Sen works for a national organization called Elders Action Network to encourage elders to stand up for future generations She said she believes the country’s democracy is in peril but she’s encouraged by the turnout at the City Hall rally from both younger and older people said Sanders is the perfect person to rally at the event because he speaks to issues people care about in an eloquent way “I think he's just the kind of person to inject a lot of spirit into what we're all trying to do ‘by and for the people,’ and I think he's one of the best speakers to rally around for that purpose,” she said a Philly resident who works as a data analyst at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia stood outside City Hall dressed in a red cloak and white bonnet depicting women in the Handmaid’s Tale before the rally began Activists have embraced this look to protest for abortion rights Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s rallying efforts and heard about the rally through news coverage of Sanders coming to Philly “It's really an honor that of all the cities that he could have chosen he decided to be in Philadelphia for May Day,” she said considering this is where Independence Hall is and a lot of revolutionary history comes from here live up to the Founding Fathers and reclaim our freedoms from the corrupt government.” Parisano said she wishes more Democrats were speaking out in the way Sanders is Al Green yelled out during President Donald Trump’s speech in front of a joint session of Congress and Sen Cory Booker’s record-breaking speech on the Senate floor “The Democrats and the various other political institutions have shown their inaction and that it is up to the people to try and rally and demand change because the government is supposed to serve the people,” she said She said she’s disappointed in Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s leadership for the party and that she would have gone to protest his book tour if he didn’t cancel it “And that's not a good sign if the fascist president is saying thank you.” Dozens of seniors peppered the intersection of Shannondell Boulevard and Egypt Road in Norristown united by one belief: They don't like the direction the country is going in and they place the blame on President Donald Trump's administration “I hate Trump and what he's doing to our country,” said Jeannette Bower is taking to this sort of protesting for about the second time in her life It would be like living in a communist country.” the seniors listed off a wide range of reasons for why they were angry at the administration Bower said she wanted her great- grandchildren to have clean air and water said he didn't like that the administration was “intimidating colleges,” by threatening their federal funding Ceci Haynsworth came dressed in a red robe and white bonnet hoping to call attention to the restrictions of women's reproductive rights; attacks on the LGBTQ community; and the dismantling of diversity “I'm a 72-year-old handmaid,” said the lifelong women's reproductive rights activist with an exasperated eye roll popped into the protest after a four-mile run and reveled in the turnout explaining the protests weren't just about people his age though that demographic is experiencing anxiety because of cuts to staffing at the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs He worried about the version of the country he'd be hanging off to his great-grandkids “It's good that we're waking up some senior citizens it's too easy to sit and rock in your wheelchair,” he said adding maybe the great-grandparents could inspire their loved ones to attend a protest of their own Occupying all four corners of an intersection near Suburban Square in Ardmore, around 200 protesters brandished signs criticizing the Trump administration and calling for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March said she learned about May Day protests being organized across the country and wanted to plan a demonstration in her hometown of Ardmore “This is gorgeous,” she said of the protest turnout demonstrators said they showed up to defend the Constitution and protest attacks on immigrants’ and workers’ rights “If we don’t stand up for the most vulnerable that jeopardizes all of us,” said Alyce Callison One counterprotester briefly sparred with demonstrators but the protest has remained otherwise peaceful and has seen little pushback As demonstrators in Ardmore began to clear out around 1 p.m. people in other counties were being rounded up and arrested without due process citizens” facing deportation now reminds her of those earlier years Standing next to Bates with a “Save Ukraine” sign Phil Burg of Blue Bell said he felt like he “had to do something” about the Trump administration’s actions He attended his first protest a few weeks ago Tristan Robinson of Ardmore said there “were too many reasons to mention.” “It looks like we’re gonna be in it for the long haul,” she said City Hall and other municipal office buildings in Center City will close at 2 p.m Thursday due to expected congestion from the Bernie Sanders rally Office buildings closing early include the Municipal Services Building A crowd of protesters chanted “bring them home” as the marched down 6th Street towards the Independence Visitors Center Thursday People inside their cars and on a tourist bus pulled out their phones to record the crowd stared at the crowd with a big smile on his face “These are American people doing what Americans do protesting for their rights,” Benzing said knew he was eligible for a monthly payment of $250 after his wife died in March He understood the process to be relatively straightforward Yet staff cuts to the Social Security Administration made the process all the more challenging. Employees never explicitly blamed President Donald Trump's administration or the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency but Lebofsky said they seemed just as frustrated by what felt like long hours-long waits on the phone and changing processes He said a telephone interview turned into an in-person interview before he was told the in-person directive had been rescinded.  it seems like the rules keep changing in the middle of the game,” he said adding that people his age need predictability It’s why he and dozens of other residents from Shannondell at Valley Forge are gathering in front of their local Giant to protest the administration The seniors say they don’t represent any one party or organization but they want to speak on behalf of peers who are worried about a volatile stock market which many of them rely on to live their golden years as well as the staff cuts to Social Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs “The main issue is our anxiety and fear related to what is occurring in Washington right now both by the proactive stuff that the president is peddling as well as the inaction in Congress to protect things that are dear to us like veterans rights and Medicare and Medicaid,” said Lebofsky It’s been a year since Jenny Garcia’s family ceased to be complete her Honduran born cousin left home to never return They later learned he had been detained by immigration officers and was on his way to being deported he was bounced around to six different immigration facilities “What really broke him was having to spend his 25th birthday in detention,” she said she is fighting for the Elizabeth detention center to be shut down “New Jersey has decided we don’t want this Our attorney general is here fighting … this is a blatant federal over reach on something we want to protect,” she said Garcia reminded people there are immigrants detained all over the country that might start their journey in New Jersey but are transported far away from home “At least seven people have died while in immigration custody “These are people who are loved and miss by people.” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told the crowd outside the federal courthouse he cannot stop ICE from conducting lawful actions in the city would be met with a pair of handcuffs and a jail cell “We don’t work for the president of the United States,” Krasner said Philly DA Larry Krasner speaks to immigration protesters outside the federal courthouse. ⁦@PhillyInquirer⁩ pic.twitter.com/COQtUE3ikK Organizers said many people who wanted to attend the rally opted to stay away fearing ICE officers might seek to arrest undocumented people at the gathering That’s made the crowd smaller than at previous May Day events The crowd is continuing to grow outside the federal courthouse in Philadelphia with more than a hundred people on the sidewalk to demand that a New Jersey ban on detention contacts be upheld Organizers are keeping a sidewalk lane open for pedestrians we are here to fight” and “the streets are for the people We are here in the streets asking for our dignity.” “CoreCivic,” the private prison company that runs New Jersey’s sole detention center in Elizabeth walk all over immigrants,” said Viri Martinez manager of member empowerment at the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice “Our state has a long history of fighting back … New Jersey is home to immigrants Dozens are gathered outside the federal courthouse in Philly, as an appeals court considers a NJ ban on immigrant-detention contracts. ⁦@PhillyInquirer⁩ pic.twitter.com/K4NanErCfX President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the University of Alabama as part of the school's spring commencement Former Vice President Kamala Harris used a high-profile speech to sharply criticize President Donald Trump amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor In her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January following her defeat to Trump Harris said Wednesday she’s inspired by Americans fighting Trump’s agenda despite threats to their freedom or livelihood “Instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals,” Harris said a day after Trump reached 100 days in office Harris had barely mentioned Trump by name since she conceded defeat to him in November she spoke to the anxiety and confusion that have gripped many of her supporters since Trump took office but discouraged despair “They are counting on the notion that if they can make some people afraid But what they have overlooked is that fear is not the only thing that’s contagious,” Harris said Harris cautioned Americans against viewing Trump’s administration as merely chaotic casting it instead as a “high-velocity event,” the culmination of extensive work on the right to remake government “A vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making,” Harris said An agenda to shrink government and then privatize its services All while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us.” Bernie Sanders will headline a May Day rally in Philadelphia Thursday as he brings his nationwide fight against President Donald Trump’s agenda to Pennsylvania a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats is expected to speak at a “For the Workers Not the Billionaires” event being hosted by Philadelphia’s AFL-CIO chapter which is scheduled to get underway around 4 p.m Thursday outside the north side of City Hall Even Bernie Sanders is joining us,” said Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO spokesperson Maggie Mullooly “We’re fighting for a future that works for the workers and not the billionaires.” Thursday’s rally and march comes amid economic uncertainty created by Trump’s on and off again approach to tariffs — taxes on imported goods — which has rattled world markets and sapped economic confidence the Commerce Department released data that showed the U.S economy shrank at a 0.3% rate in the first quarter of 2025 a dramatic drop from a 2.4% increase in the fourth quarter of 2024 when President Joe Biden was still in office has drawn large crowds in Republican strongholds as he criticizes Trump’s agenda and a system he claims benefits the wealthy at the expense of the working class “All over this country, people are struggling, every single day, just to survive,” Sanders told supporters in Folsom, Calif. last month. “Brothers and sisters in the richest country in the history of the world we can do a hell of a lot better than that!” City officials said several streets will close beginning late Thursday afternoon ahead of a May Day rally headlined by Vermont Sen The following streets are expected to close from 3:15 p.m Streets will also close along the march route from about 5 p.m More than 40 pro-immigration groups from three states will rally in Philadelphia on Thursday as a federal appeals court considers the legality of a New Jersey ban on migrant-detention contracts which houses the Third Circuit Court of Appeals It’s to be led by the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice and its partners from New Jersey All want the appeals court to fully restore a state law that was partially struck down by a lower court “The impact on Thursday isn’t to influence any single justice but to call the rest of us to action,” said Amy Torres executive director of the New Jersey Alliance The Third Circuit in Philadelphia hears cases from Pennsylvania Phil Murphy signed a law that barred private and public entities from entering into contracts with ICE to detain immigrants Activists hailed the law as a victory for immigrant rights and credited it with prompting the closure of three county-run detention centers and in 2023 a federal judge partly sided with the company calling the law “a dagger aimed at the heart of the federal government’s immigration enforcement mission and operations.” The judge ruled that the state could bar public bodies from contracting with ICE to confine immigrants but could not ban private companies from doing the same Today CoreCivic continues to operate the ICE center in Elizabeth the state’s only immigration-detention facility It holds about 285 migrants on a typical day Attorneys representing New Jersey appealed the 2023 decision resulting in the court proceedings that start Thursday morning in Philadelphia ICE confines about 48,000 immigrants who are awaiting hearings or deportation part of what’s become an expanding federal effort to detain more immigrants in the Garden State And that push hasn’t occurred solely under President Donald Trump including at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst the sprawling installation in South Jersey The Union County Board of Commissioners has begun the process of selling the county jail to a private prison company leading many to believe that the property ultimately will be used as an ICE detention center ICE plans to locate what would be the state’s second detention center in Newark citing concerns about a lack of proper permitting and the potential health and social impacts on the community announced in February that it had been awarded a 15-year $1 billion ICE contract to establish and run the center at its Delaney Hall facility That as Trump pushed forward on what he has pledged will be the largest deportation campaign in American history driving the removal of millions of immigrants “We are continuing to prepare for what we believe is an unprecedented opportunity to help the federal government meet its expanded immigration enforcement priorities,” said George Zoley first to “mass warehousing thousands of people,” and also because the billion-dollar contract isn’t “about making New Jerseyans safer or fixing our broken immigration system” but instead focused on “this administration’s driving motive to enrich its favored corporations while wasting taxpayer dollars.” Please enable JS and 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Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience The City of Philadelphia is holding a public hearing about Amendments to the Parking Regulations for the Center City Area next Friday May 2nd at 8:00 AM with both in person and virtual options to attend For more information, please visit the Department of Records webpage and look for the Amendments to the Parking Regulations for the Center City Area – March 2025 document Where: Please register through Zoom in advance for this meeting you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboard‘The Women of Delancey Street’ have made their block feel like a friendly small town amid Center CityThey have become more than just people who live near each other so she decided to host a gathering for the women on her block she went to a ceramic pottery place and painted the words “The Women of Delancey Street,” on about 25 cream-colored Neighbors who had been hibernating inside their rowhomes in the 500 block of Delancey showed up in force Everyone had such a good time that Sena suggested they make it an annual event hosted in a different home on the block each year She presented each attendee with a souvenir plate and told them but with that one small but significant gesture she helped create a sense of membership — and of collective identity — for the block’s female residents Owning one of those plates has become something of a badge of honor residents fill them with treats — something from an old family recipe or maybe something that’s a distinctive part of their ethnic heritage — and take them with them to the home of that year’s host That was the whole plan,” said Joan Rollins Tropp the plate stays so the next owners get it.” “But I’d say half the people take the plates because it’s a memory,” she said adding that additional plates had to be made over the years to welcome newcomers the women have become more than just people who live near each other Theirs is a community that watches each other’s children grow up including a recent one for residents who had turned 80 their narrow block — nestled between Fifth and Sixth Streets and lined with replica Victorian streetlamps — has the feel of a small town even though it’s located in the heart of Center City the Women of Delancey Street celebrated their 25th anniversary with a brunch at Sena’s residence which she decorated with several balloons and a 25th anniversary sign ladies wandered throughout her well-appointed first level Some ventured into her backyard where they enjoyed the bright sunshine and the light tinkling of wind chimes “It was really nice to get to know the new ladies and to have everybody collectively together — that’s what’s special For Melinda Champion, a Haddonfield resident who bought a house on the block in December but hasn’t moved in yet “When we were looking in Philadelphia for our next home my primary goal was to join a neighborhood As I listened to the women talk about their annual gathering I thought about how valuable these meetings have been as a way to help forge the bonds of sisterhood and community It wasn’t like that when I was growing up in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington our neighbors dropped by all the time to sit on the porch or play basketball in our backyard A woman a few doors down from us used to be our babysitter They’re what give urban areas a sense of community and make inner-city streets safer places to live “It’s a cultural shift that has happened,” said David Burton a scholar at the University of Missouri who has studied neighborhood dynamics “We see that even in some of the research from the 1950s Neighbors were people that they had dinner with and who they played cards with and they did all of these things that were social interaction.” researchers have found the top two attributes people consider key to being a good neighbor are: “someone who is quiet” and someone who “respects my privacy.” The emergence of homes with no front porches and more home entertainment options are factors that keep us more disconnected from each other than we used to be During a time of so much politically infused divisiveness there’s a real need to bring people together That’s why I think that what the female residents do on this close-knit stretch is so special Even when they‘re not having their annual get-together They maintain a list of who is in what house But they really do it up for their annual get-together about 25 women attended the brunch at Sena’s Tropp brought curried egg salad tartlets topped with bacon bits Notice is hereby given that a number of Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners will be attending the 2025 Center City Vision Awards which could potentially constitute a quorum The members of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners will take no official vote or other action at this event NCCCCClerk to the Board of County CommissionersApril 17 Sign up When Margie Keller was a child in the mid to late 1960s her mom would take her shopping in downtown Altoona and they’d stop to eat at the lunch counter in McCrory’s 5 & 10 Keller opened an outlet store for her Ashville winery in the same spot as that old lunch counter occupied in the former McCrory’s building — which has been transformed by builder Christopher Cook into a mixed-use development with his multi-tenant Center City Market at ground level and eight apartments on the upper floors Tuesday was the market’s grand opening Keller’s Woody Lodge Winery outlet is in the “exact spot” where the lunch counter stood Doing business there satisfied her nostalgia for those old experiences Kolak’s Garage on Route 36 in Ashville downtown was full of “hustle and bustle,” she said The recent and ongoing addition of businesses like the new market pleases her “I’d like to see the city come back to what it was,” she said but Tuesday was the first day for four of the seven businesses co-owner of the building with fellow developer Jeff Long All the apartments are occupied — eight families and a total of approximately 25 people The opening of the market triggered memories also for customer John Basciani Basciani recalled buying his first Beatles album in a corner of the 5 & 10 the day after the group’s famous appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February 1964 “Right by the window,” said Basciani It was about 10 feet away from where he sat Tuesday You could buy 45s then for less than a dollar There was also penny candy; his mother worked at Gables nearby Parents at that time didn’t worry so much about letting their kids roam around “Mom knew where I was,” he said he and his mother would watch the parade from Gables’ windows The memories are “nothing but” good Customer Martina McGough of Saint Agustine stopped in Tuesday after a doctor’s appointment She expects to bring some of her friends to eat at the market Tuesday’s experience reminded her of the 1970s “I’m a little girl from up the mountain,” she said Also from “up the mountain” was John Palko of Gallitzin he sent a picture of himself at a neighboring restaurant and asked his friends to guess where he was “Word is getting out” about downtown things are “getting better every day,” since the restaurant opened April 7 was working at her other business in the market It’s “extremely positive,” Jackson said of the experience at the market Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038 Pennsylvania health officials are facing down a potential $500 million loss of federal funding CLEARFIELD — A Morrisdale man was sentenced in Clearfield County court Monday for assaulting two state troopers .. The city may apply to the International City and County Management Association for inclusion in a program that .. A Carrolltown woman is facing nearly 1,500 felony counts after embezzling about $198,500 from her employer over a .. WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve will likely keep its key short-term interest rate unchanged on Wednesday Copyright © 2025 Central Pennsylvania Newspapers LLC | https://www.altoonamirror.com | 301 Cayuga Ave. Center City’s postpandemic recovery is well underway and its economic engine is nearing full force on some fronts according to a newly released report on the district's health But concerns about safety in the neighborhood remain a blemish on its public image even as crime rates fall Part I crimes — a designation covering offenses like rape, homicide and aggravated assault — fell 10% there year-over-year in March, Center City District Vice President of Economic Development Clint Randall told Bisnow Wednesday Last year’s totals for the metric were also down 7% from 2019 “This says that on a risk-adjusted basis, my children are safe in Center City,” CCD CEO Prema Katari Gupta said But just 61% of the 5,000 people who responded to CCD’s new customer satisfaction survey last year felt safe in the neighborhood according to the group’s latest State of Center City report That has an impact on willingness to frequent businesses and spend time in the vicinity “Right after the lockdowns went into effect there were a lot of experts who developed crisis narratives,” Gupta said “The disruption turned into these narratives that we argue have calcified and remained despite data showing otherwise.” foot traffic in Center City returned to 90% of 2019 levels last quarter CCD counted nearly 300,000 jobs in the neighborhood Greater Center City is the fastest-growing residential neighborhood in the city with 50,000 new units and 70,000 new residents added since 1990 That’s partly due to an influx of transplants from pricier nearby markets like New York City and Washington But those who can’t afford housing loomed large in CCD’s analysis and in perceptions of safety though Gupta said the city had “grown a bit of a tolerance around our fellow citizens suffering on the street.”  Center City was home to 347 of Philadelphia’s 976 homeless people in January 2024, up from 281 a year earlier, according to a point-in-time study conducted by the municipal government CCD’s homeless outreach teams helped 136 people living on the street gain access to resources through its partner organizations, including Project HOME The city won’t be releasing updated statistics until later this year but Gupta has an idea of what direction they are moving in “There has been a bit of an uptick,” she said “That number doesn’t correlate with safety.” The presence of people without homes is nothing new in Center City but the well-being of the city’s chronically homeless population has degraded in recent years with the rise of fentanyl “That drug is just really dangerous,” Bethesda Project Development and Communications Manager Alison Houghton said of the latter substance Those sorts of health issues can be disturbing to commuters and tourists said the spokesperson for the organization which provides housing and other resources to Philadelphians in need But the public’s aversion to that demographic sometimes comes from a place of insecurity “We probably just fear someone that maybe is different than us,” Houghton said maybe there’s fear that we’re closer to losing our homes losing our paychecks than we are to becoming that millionaire or billionaire everyone aspires to be.” There is no easy way to quickly house Philly’s chronically homeless people especially since many are skeptical of the government and philanthropic programs in place to help them ethical or good way to do that just for the sake of visitors’ comfort,” Houghton said Yet the discomfort some commuters and visitors feel in the neighborhood still carries real weight even as serious crime statistics in Center City are down “Your experience on the street and what your friends are talking about downtown needs to match the positive data,” Gupta said You are subscribed to the Bisnow Philadelphia Newsletter or click here to copy link to clipboard We will email you a link to reset your password Upcoming regulations in the European Union require us to show this pop-up and ask you to agree to keep using Bisnow.com We want to take 15 seconds to tell you what's going on: PHL17.com (WPHL) — 70 people have been arrested following the May Day protest in Center City on Thursday evenings This comes after the protesters blocked Broad Street and other city streets during rush hours causing significant traffic delays and safety concerns for protesters and drivers The protestors gathered on the North side of City Hall with Senator of Vermont to fight against President Trump’s tariffs The arrests were made after police issued multiple warnings telling protesters to clear the roadways it is not known what charges the arrested people face This is a developing story; stay with PHL17.com as more information becomes available Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" these are the actual most popular baby names so far in 2025 Whether it’s a short vacation or they’re jetting off to begin their career show the future traveler you care with a meaningful graduation gift National Teacher Appreciation Week begins May 5 take advantage of these freebies and deals The Burlington City Council has unanimously approved the creation of an overdose prevention center The hope is that a safe injection site will prevent drug related deaths and be able to connect people with resources that will help them Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak first announced plans for bringing a prevention center to the city in June Phil Scott's veto of a bill to create a pilot facility in Burlington The National Institute on Drug Abuse classifies an overdose prevention center as a "harm reduction strategy to address the complex drug overdose crisis people use illicit substances obtained elsewhere in a controlled setting Staff at such centers are trained to detect and respond to drug overdoses and may connect people to health and support services including substance use and mental health treatment." more than 100 people die every year from opiate overdoses Hundreds of people in Chittenden County suffer non-fatal opiate overdoses every year Public consumption of drugs has continued to make members of the community feel unsafe and Burlington leaders have been working to combat this issue with this center being the next step of that As the plan gained momentum and support in the last few months, Mulvaney-Stanak hired Theresa Vezina as a special assistant on Overdose Prevention Center Implementation The unanimous vote was backed with support from residents during the public forum during the April 28 meeting The councilors agreed that a center will help more than harm and is worth trying as Vermont's drug problem has continued to grow Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform was recently selected as the center’s service provider The location of the center has not yet been determined The proposal needs to be presented to the Vermont Department of Health to secure the opioid settlement money to fund the center Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com Find sanctuary city resources from the City of Portland's Immigrant & Refugee Program including free legal services and state resources for reporting hate crimes This upcoming project in the Central City will make strategic updates to the Central City 2035 Plan.  Subscribe to Central City Planning or Monthly Long-range Planning Project Updates to receive emails about this project Post-pandemic trends continue to show higher retail and office vacancy rates in downtown and other parts of the Central City Portland has an urgent need to increase the supply of housing The Central City Amendments Project will address these key issues by exploring ways to foster more housing and support business activity in the city core This project will make strategic updates to the Central City 2035 Plan The vision is to lay the foundations for a vibrant Central City where people want to live The Central City covers only 3% of the land base in Portland and is planned to accommodate about 25% of the City’s total residential and employment growth through 2045. The existing plan for this area, known as the Central City 2035 Plan allows for some of the densest development in the region The plan accommodates a wide range of uses that co-exist to create a vibrant and active center Since Central City 2035 was adopted in 2018, the downtown area has experienced unprecedented trends in retail and office vacancy. Guided by the Housing Production Strategy the Central City Code Amendment Project will make strategic updates to the Central City 2035 Plan to remove barriers to housing production as well as facilitate economic revitalization in the downtown area Key zoning concepts being created will consider:   Staff continues to conduct research and analysis to support draft zoning code concepts for this project View a preliminary analysis of Central City height and FAR utilization: schedule and engagement strategy are under development and will be released in spring 2025 The intention is to release a discussion draft package of amendments for public review in the summer of 2025 and a BPS proposed draft with Planning Commission review and public hearings in fall 2025 hold hearings and vote on the amendments in early 2026 Portland’s Central City is Oregon’s urban center with the densest population of people and jobs in the state People from across the country are drawn to the Central City’s mix of urban vitality signature cultural amenities — and its connection to the Willamette River The Central City 2035 Plan (CC2035) replaced the 1988 Central City Plan as the primary guiding policy document for the Central City policies and tools designed to make Portland’s urban core more vibrant sustainable and resilient — a place that every Portlander can be proud to call their own The Plan builds upon the city’s traditions honoring the history of the place while boldly moving forward in new directions The Plan is the first amendment to the City’s updated Comprehensive Plan, implementing the Portland Plan as it applies to the Central City The plan also includes an update to the 1987 Willamette Greenway Plan for the Central Reach incorporating elements of the 2001 River Renaissance Vision into an exciting vision that will create a more vibrant multi-purpose and habitat-rich Willamette riverfront See something we could improve on this page? Give website feedback The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. Request an ADA accommodation or call 503-823-4000, Relay Service: 711 503-823-4000  Traducción e Interpretación | Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch | 口笔译服务 | Устный и письменный перевод | Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad | Письмовий і усний переклад | Traducere și interpretariat | Chiaku me Awewen Kapas | अनुवादन तथा व्याख्या 2025Police say the body was pulled out of the water around 7 a.m near Locust Street in Center City.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- First responders recovered a man's body from the Schuylkill River Friday morning Police say the body was pulled out of the water around 7 a.m The man's cause of death remains under investigation Put your comments in “Describe the issue in more detail” More plan information is available on this one-pager 1500 Walnut St # 1107 | Philadelphia, PA 19102 | 215-BICYCLEThe Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization Join Us: Become a Member! Right: Tiffany Miller (Storey County Sheriff's Office) A court hearing for the Miller family, involved in a racial incident captured on video last summer in Virginia City The Virginia City Township Justice Court confirmed to News 4-Fox 11 Thursday that the hearing, originally scheduled for May 1 has been delayed due to a "stay of proceedings" filed in the case This legal measure temporarily halts the case Gary Miller faces charges of breach of the peace and an unlawful act because of actual or perceived race and their daughter Tiffany is charged with delaying a peace officer "The first thing that this guy said was 'Get the f*** out of my face with the N-word.' I said 'What the f*** did you say?' He replied back to me 'I have a hanging tree in my backyard for n****** like (you).'" which has garnered more than a million views on TikTok Johnson asks Gary Miller to repeat his statement about the hanging tree to which Miller responds that it is in Johnson's backyard Janis Miller is seen in the video touching Johnson's arm and attempting to usher him away That's the justice I want — them charged And I want it put out that this is not going to be accepted in Virginia City It's not going to be accepted nowhere," Johnson said Hot August Nights permanently banned the Millers from the annual event The incident also drew condemnation from Nevada's top leaders including Governor Joe Lombardo and Attorney General Aaron Ford News 4-Fox 11 has reached out to the court for future dates but has not yet received a response The Oklahoma City Civic Center welcomes the hit Broadway musical & Juliet telling a story of growth and self-discovery The spectacle makes a stop in downtown Oklahoma City for a 6-night run during its national tour The Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Porch joined by Addie Crawford caught up with Dance Captain Francisco Thurston and got a sneak peek into the show and what to expect I've had a really great time here last time The story is a reimagined take on the classic Romeo & Juliet Shakespeare tale of love and loss but sees Juliet make a different choice in the end The musical takes creative license in using Record Producer and Songwriter Max Martin's catalog within the set pieces of the production Martin is a legendary hit maker who has worked with the likes of Britney Spears "It's all those pop hits that you know and love that you're going to recognize," Thurston said "This show is like the jukebox of my childhood." Thurston shares his excitement about the moves he's helped create for the musical as he explains how much goes into the care and effort of the musical itself To take care of this show and to take care of this choreography means a lot to me Just as much care and attention was put into the costuming of the production Thurston gave a shoutout to Costume Designer Paloma Young who intertwined early 2000s and Shakespearean aesthetics for the actors to dance and sing in "There's just a lot of beautiful material and fabric So Paloma did a really good job in designing the costumes," Thurston said is the caliber of talent on display for the show is probably one of the best vocalists I think I've ever encountered in my life," he said You're going to love the people in this show." Get tickets and more information on the official OKC Broadway site. More things to do in OKC Things to do in OKC this weekend Addie has a passion for storytelling and loves to meet new people in the Oklahoma City community She joined the News 9 morning team in January of 2023 after interning and reporting part-time while studying at the University of Oklahoma \"It's all those pop hits that you know and love that you're going to recognize,\" Thurston said \"This show is like the jukebox of my childhood.\" \"There's just a lot of beautiful material and fabric So Paloma did a really good job in designing the costumes,\" Thurston said is probably one of the best vocalists I think I've ever encountered in my life,\" he said You're going to love the people in this show.\" Get tickets and more information on the official OKC Broadway site. More things to do in OKC Things to do in OKC this weekend and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox The increase is partially tied to a building boom that researchers expect to abate this year as supply catches up with demand The initiative will be informed by industry experts with the Philadelphia Housing Authority playing a large role A report from the Center City District says city living remained attractive during the pandemic with continued robust construction and rapid home sales Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardHappy hour Center City Sips now comes with dinner discountsSips turns 21 this summer with $7 cocktails and — new for 2025 — 15% off dinner after 7 p.m at select Center City bars and restaurants The summer-long happy hour series is celebrating its 21st season in 2025 with a nostalgic throwback party and new bars added to its lineup To toast the milestone, Center City District is throwing a 21st birthday bash on May 21 at Dilworth Park. The free event, hosted in partnership with Wooder Ice promises early-2000s nostalgia with themed décor and giveaways — plus Sips pricing and Hornitos Tequila activations Think of it as a grown-up version of the Y2K-era basement party New bars joining the Sips lineup include buzzy spots like F1 Arcade alongside returning favorites like Attico Rooftop The full list of participants spans upscale lounges to laid-back beer joints giving you more options than ever to plot your summer Wednesdays Sips was launched in 2005 to bring post-work energy to Center City and it’s since grown into a citywide ritual — loved by some Whether you’re a weekly regular or Sips-skeptic this year’s lineup has something worth checking out (and not just for the cheap drinks) | 📍 Center City Philadelphia💵 $7 cocktails | $6 wine | $5 beer | 🧀 Half-priced apps | 🍽 15% off dinner at select spots after 7 p.m Balcony Bar at Curtain Call – 300 S Broad St Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse – 1921 Sansom Street City Tap House Logan Square – 2 Logan Square Con Murphy’s Irish Pub – 1700 Ben Franklin Pkwy Darling Jack’s Tavern – 104 South 13th Street Di Bruno’s - The Franklin – 834 Chestnut Street Dim Sum House by Jane G’s – 1930 Chestnut St Finn McCools Ale House – 118 S 12th Street Flambo Caribbean Restaurant – 205 S 13th St Flight Club Social Darts – 1417 Walnut Street Franky Bradley’s | B.West – 1320 Chancellor St Independence Beer Garden – 100 S Independence Mall W Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant – 1150 Market Street Midnight & The Wicked – 1500 Sansom St Misconduct Tavern (JFK) – 1801 John F Kennedy Blvd Misconduct Tavern (Locust) – 1511 Locust St Miss Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant and Lounge – 1316 Walnut St Nabrasa Brazilian Steakhouse – 1901 John F Kennedy Blvd Taste Cheesesteak Bar – 1809 John F Kennedy Blvd Tir Na Nog Irish Bar & Grill – 1600 Arch St Top Tomato Bar & Pizza – 116 S 11th St Uptown Beer Garden – 1735 John F Kennedy Blvd Veda - Modern Indian Bistro – 1920 Chestnut St Heads up if you’ll be in or around Center City in Philadelphia tonight officials are warning locals and commuters to consider avoiding Center City or taking mass transit the avoid the chaos this evening (Thursday and last for much of the evening rush hour in Philly A May Day rally and March are planned in Center City Philadelphia this evening (May 1) It’ll be led by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who will be speaking at Philadelphia’s City Hall starting at 4:00 p.m a march has been planned in the area of JFK Blvd It's all been planned by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, NBC Philadelphia reports.  City officials have just released a list of the road closures that we can expect in Philly this evening READ MORE: Once Again, Philly Is One of the Worst Cities to Drive In By the way, they're warning us that this list may grow in the coming hours depending on how the crowd evolves. Even more streets will close at approximately 5:00 p.m These are expected to last until about 7:00 p.m Here's a look at the street closures that will start at 5:00 p.m.: pack a lot of extra patience if you’re driving around Center City tonight Gallery Credit: Joe, 94.5 PST The delays are expected to start as early as 3:00 p.m. with dozens of streets closing.\nRead More Heads up if you’ll be in or around Center City in Philadelphia tonight It's all been planned by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, NBC Philadelphia reports.  READ MORE: Once Again, Philly Is One of the Worst Cities to Drive In By the way, they're warning us that this list may grow in the coming hours depending on how the crowd evolves. Anthony’s impact and legacy can still be felt across the city — and you can see it This “Drexel in Philly” series explores some of the historic buildings public art and other places that Drexel’s founder — and his large family — built and supported.  was born in Old City and primarily lived in West Philadelphia He and his family lived on Rittenhouse Square as depicted in a 1960s Disney movie; you might have shopped or attended concerts inside their former homes as well as the religious beliefs of his family members helped create some of the area’s notable institutions There are several places you can visit today that bear some trace of Anthony and/or his family members: An 1893 lithograph from the Library of Congress that had been created for the Reading Terminal’s opening clearly showing the train shed designed by Wilson Brothers & Company Anthony negotiated a $24 million loan for the company (worth more than $797 million in 2025) the same year that Anthony founded the then-Drexel Institute of Art he negotiated an $8.5 million loan (worth $294 million today) for the construction of the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia.  Reading Terminal officially opened in January 1893, but Anthony worked on the company’s reorganization for months afterwards. Four days before dying of a heart attack that June he received notice that his most recent financial proposal had been rejected Reading Railroad left Reading Terminal in the 1980s after bankruptcies The complex later became the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which now occupies the Wilson Brothers-designed train shed and is managed by a private company, and the Reading Terminal Market Both areas are popular destinations not just in the neighborhood but in the entire city; Reading Terminal Market currently has over 75 vendors and the Convention Center hosts major events every year The exterior of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul including the copper on the roof supposedly donated by the founder’s older brother While Anthony became Episcopalian after marriage, his older brother Francis Anthony “Frank” Drexel was a prominent, socially conscious Catholic. Frank helped fund the construction of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul which was founded in 1864; he reportedly donated the roof’s copper Frank also bought an organ used in the cathedral and occasionally filled in for the organist when needed After Emma died in 1883 and Frank died in 1885 their daughters donated an altar memorializing their parents that was installed at the church including then-Mother Katharine Drexel in the top right using her inheritance to provide care and fund schools for the poor and the oppressed mostly in Black and Native American communities becoming the second American-born saint and fourth overall American saint After Anthony died (two years after Ellen) George and Mary moved to the southeast corner of the fashionable Rittenhouse Square for more than $2 million (worth about $73 million in 2025) who built a new Public Ledger Building on the former building’s location — in 1924 The Blashfield mural is still a part of the Curtis Institute to the Philadelphia Museum of Art after Mary died in 1948 four years after George; Mary bequeathed most of her $2 million estate to the University The museum both installed the piano in the Grand Stair Hall and held it in storage for years; when it donated the piano to the Curtis Institute in the late '90s the piano is undergoing extensive repair but is still owned by Curtis Sallie opened it up for recreational use by the Drexel community for about a decade starting in 1910.  The photograph on the right shows the same dome as seen today through the lowest level of the Anthropologie looking up though the spiral staircase The property was sold to the Penn Athletic Club in 1942 and became a clubhouse for the next couple of decades Drexels had first moved “off Rittenhouse Square” a century before that song was written. However, George and Sallie’s mansions remain as two of its few surviving Gilded Age mansions.  Media Relations Submission Guidelines Temple University is planning to vacate 130K SF in a Center City office tower wading through special servicing, according to Morningstar Credit The school occupies 26% of the 502K SF building owned by Florida-based Accesso Partners The property was 72% occupied as of last month meaning occupancy in the building could dip into the mid-40th percentile with Temple's departure Temple’s lease doesn’t expire until January 2027, but it appears set to move out before then, according to Morningstar The move would follow the university spending $18M on Terra Hall, the largest piece of the former University of the Arts campus along Broad Street The property is set to become Temple's new Center City campus It isn’t clear when Temple will move out of 1515 Market or into Terra Hall The university didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment “Accesso is working closely with the special servicer on 1515 Market on a potential loan modification that considers the remaining two years on the Temple lease,” a spokesperson for the company told Bisnow “We will be envisioning our plan for the property in the coming months as we take this time to market the future availability.” Accesso secured a short-term loan extension on the property in September, ahead of the UArts disposition process, which wrapped up in a Delaware bankruptcy court last month “The modification extended the maturity date to 7/1/25 in exchange for a principal pay down of the Loan and new cash equity to reserves,” Morningstar's April report says “New modification discussions about the upcoming maturity have commenced.” The roughly $63M loan originated in 2014 and now has a balance of about $57M It entered special servicing in December 2023 after 1515 Market’s occupancy began to fall in the wake of the pandemic Temple “was evaluating [whether] or not they would renew at the subject property,” according to servicer commentary 1515 Market was constructed in 1960 and renovated in 2017 It doesn’t have any parking spaces but does have a direct underground connection to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority The building only faces one other lease expiration among its top five tenants before 2031 The lease for HDR Engineering Inc.’s 12K SF at 1515 Market is up next February but that tenant only accounts for about 2.4% of the building’s gross leasable area It's almost Mother's Day, so we wanted to check out some of the gifts available at City Creek Center Morgan Saxton stopped by Kendra Scott From vintage-look pendant necklaces to their delicate chain collection the Color Bar is always a great go-to for Mother's Day because you can select your own birth stone options. Morgan also talked with City Creek Marketing & Sponsorship Director Natalie Watson, who had some other gift ideas including Coach bags There are even charms that you can put on them to personalize them Don't forget about the comfy Coach sneakers Lush is inviting you to gift to mom a a whole other level with their scented bath products. You can customize your gift or select a pre-made gift basket so she can pamper herself Geometry is a popular brand in Utah They have tea towels in birth month florals These make the perfect custom gift for mom with her birth flower on it You can also 'treat' mom to breakfast in bed with sweet treats from Eclair French Pastry at City Creek Center They're offering all kinds of flavors in a beautiful gift box Remember to shop for mom before Mother's Day because stores are closed on Sundays The Cheesecake Factory IS open on Mother's Day Sunday And they have a promotion going on if you want to buy mom a gift certificate you get a $10 gift card that's redeemable starting May 12 There are 30 flavors of cheesecake from traditional to unique and a menu that's pages and pages long You can learn more at ShopCityCreekCenter.com Broadway Off-Broadway Off-Off Broadway Cabaret Dance Opera Classical Music Nashville Minneapolis / St. Paul Connecticut Atlanta Chicago Los Angeles WEST END UK Regional Canada Australia / New Zealand Europe Asia Latin America Africa / Middle East TV/Movies Music production of Wonderful Town is now playing through May 11 Check out all new footage from the production Featuring memorable tunes like “Ohio” and “One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man,” Wonderful Town is a celebration of what makes New York the greatest city in the world—welcoming people from all over who come to fulfill their dreams move from Ohio to Greenwich Village to pursue their artistic ambitions encounter an assortment of colorful characters Dead Outlaw is the darkly hilarious and wildly inventive musical about the bizarre true story of outlaw-turned-corpse-turned-celebrity Elmer McCurdy As Elmer’s body finds even more outlandish adventures in death than it could have ever hoped for in life Dying is no reason to stop living life to its fullest Now onstage at New York City Center is Wonderful Town Watch in this video as we take you inside rehearsals with the cast The critics stopped by the production and the reviews are in Next up in the New York City Center Encores Music Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell will take audiences inside Leonard Bernstein’s score that captures the sounds and heart of New York City and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows © 2025 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. Privacy Policy which closed down Broad Street to cars from City Hall to Germantown Avenue for the morning and afternoon of August 11 We rounded up the coolest spots in Delaware Philadelphia and the suburbs for food and drink attractions worth the cost and free things to do The city reports more people are walking and biking along the route but says it’s too soon to know whether the project has reduced crashes the NoDa community of Charlotte is the city's historic arts and entertainments district with North Davidson Street and East 36th Street as its main throughways The NoDa neighborhood is served by the LYNX Blue Line light rail and is also easily walkable and bikeable Included within NoDa is a unique art gallery/restaurant/bar called Artisan's Palate The Neighborhood Theatre and The Evening Muse both present entertainment and live performances NoDa hosts community festivals such as the NoDaWeen Festival and the NoDa Eclectic Marketplace Atrium Health University City and Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Just 20 miles north of Charlotte, the small town of Davidson is adjacent to Lake Norman and home to Davidson College. The town and the college were both founded in 1837 and named after famed Brigadier General William Lee Davidson of the Revolutionary War This Charlotte suburb is a lively college town with a quaint main street and housing averaging $658,000 The North Meck Village Rider inter-town public transportation service connects Davidson with the towns of Cornelius and Huntersville The Davidson Shuttle also takes riders around town and connects with the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) to reach parts of Charlotte Davidson's picturesque downtown area boasts shops including Birkdale Village and Oak Street Mill and restaurants like Flatiron Kitchen & Taphouse and Brickhouse Tavern Davidson was awarded a Tree City USA designation making it one of only 72 communities in the state and 3,000 in the nation so recognized for planting and caring for healthy urban forests Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital is just five miles away from Davidson for medical needs Matthews is a suburb just 20 minutes southeast of Charlotte's uptown area a director of the Central Carolina Railroad Matthews was once a sleepy rail town but has since become an active town with families and businesses along with the renowned Matthews Farmers Market Public transportation in Matthews includes CATS with bus service throughout Matthews and connecting to Charlotte Fifteen parks and ballfields are available throughout the town of Matthews for outdoor recreation The Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts offers acting classes and plays for all ages One of the most popular hangouts in downtown Matthews is the Jekyll & Hyde Taphouse and Grill Novant Health Matthews Medical Center on Matthews Township Parkway is available for hospital care Ballantyne is 25 minutes south of Charlotte, bordering the South Carolina state line and bordered by Pineville to the west and Matthews to the east The town's location just off I-485 draws many who want proximity to the city and its amenities This unique neighborhood includes green space CATS serves the Ballantyne area with buses providing easy public transportation options to Charlotte and other areas provides 100 acres of green space for walking and Fire Festival and the Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular are held here annually Eateries in Ballantyne range from Southern cooking at Gallery Restaurant to Indian cuisine at Tabla Indian Restaurant Shoppers will appreciate the bargains and styles found at Blakeney Town Center Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center on Providence Road is a convenient option when health care is needed Charlotte's South End is a popular neighborhood for those who can afford the higher home prices Just south of the uptown area of Charlotte It is easy to get to other parts of Charlotte through the LYNX Blue Line light rail system with one highlight being the Confetti Hearts Wall mural on the Design Center of the Carolinas The Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art showcases local and national artwork Thirsty South Enders know to visit the Charlotte Beer Garden voted Best Beer Garden in the US by USA Today The Sedgefield Park neighborhood is also found within the South End and features smaller homes from the 1940s Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center on Blythe Boulevard is the nearest hospital to serve the medical needs of South End residents the Elizabeth neighborhood is bordered by Randolph Road/Fourth Street to the southeast Independence Boulevard to the west and north Central Piedmont Community College is also found in Elizabeth The Gold Line Streetcar connects Elizabeth to the rest of Charlotte Restaurants in downtown Elizabeth include Lupie's Cafe one of the first city parks in the country named as an historic landmark Historical landmarks include the Adams House from the early 1900s Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center on Blythe Boulevard is conveniently located for Elizabeth residents Named after the Cotswold region in England the neighborhood of Cotswold is at the intersection of Randolph and Sharon Amity Roads less than 15 minutes from downtown Charlotte It is one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Charlotte Proximity to the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies like Lowe's and Honeywell and restaurants all add up to make Cotswold a great choice for those moving to Charlotte The CATS system provides public transportation to other areas of the city The shops of Cotswold Village include specialty items and gifts with 150 stores including Gucci and Louis Vuitton Restaurants in Cotswold include Eddie's Place The Mint Museum in Cotswold holds international art exhibitions Novant Health has several top-notch medical facilities in Cotswold including Presbyterian Medical Center and Cotswold Medical Clinic the Uptown neighborhood of Charlotte is becoming recognized as a great place to live Uptown is bounded by Trade and Tryon Streets as well as Interstate 277 and Interstate 77 including LYNX Blue Line Light Rail and buses serves the uptown area with connections to other parts of the Charlotte metro area Whether you're looking for arts and culture The Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center hosts the Charlotte Symphony Parks in Uptown include Romare Bearden Park The Uptown Farmers Market in the center of the city offers produce and goods from local vendors Discovery Place Science and the NASCAR Hall of Fame entertain visitors of all ages Many great hospitals are in the Uptown neighborhood including Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and Atrium Health University City North Carolina is filled with diverse and welcoming neighborhoods Those who move there will find that they are just a few hours' drive to both the Appalachian Mountains and the beach Whether you prefer to live among the livelier Uptown vibe or the more laid-back suburban feel of Ballantyne choosing to relocate to any of these Charlotte neighborhoods may inspire you to lead a more fulfilling way of life photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com “This will be the last day we hear the instrument in the space that it was designed for,” one visitor said Hundreds gathered for a daylong organ concert on Saturday one day before the Center City's Macy's will close Officials believe the mixed-use redevelopment will be ready before the Sixers arena opens down the street in 2031 The building at 13th and Market streets has been a department store for 149 years The legacy of Philly’s proud retail history is scattered around the city the turnout Saturday was a testament to the millions of dollars and decades of time that ensured the organ’s sonorous melodies were heard for decades at two daily concerts Macy’s has invested millions of dollars in the organ,” he said and it’s just wonderful to see the dividends that that investment is making and the place it has in the hearts of the people here and the common shared experience of so many to enjoy the grandeur of this pipe organ in Philadelphia’s living room.” fans traveled from beyond the Greater Philadelphia region to revisit memories and make new ones John Libertine came down from the Boston area He first heard the organ in 2008 and has been bringing his family to Philadelphia nearly every summer since then for Wanamaker Organ day — even in 2015 the year that the concert fell just six days after his wife gave birth to their son “My wife graciously allowed me to bring the family down here,” he said “It was probably not a comfortable day for her but she tolerated it and forgave me sometime later And so he was here in my arms in 2015 mostly with his eyes closed for his first organ concert.” Libertine said no matter what the future holds for the instrument the concert Saturday was significant for him and many other devotees “This will be the last day we hear the instrument in the space that it was designed for,” he said “Whatever changes come the way for the building everybody hopes the organ will be a huge part of it but it will always be different than it is today.” Steffa said although Macy’s nearly two-decade tenure in the space is ending the iconic department store played a key role in the organ’s continued significance absolutely wonderful in their regard and their stewardship of it and paying the salaries that they paid forever grateful for what they did and have done.” and it’s got to be preserved and continued and continue to be played for the public,” he said The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox Three retail buildings were destroyed during social unrest after George Floyd was killed A new beer garden now fills that commercial hole the African American Children’s Book Fair has expanded into the Pennsylvania Convention Center The largest pipe organ in the world is 100% operational Emily Neil is a WHYY News reporter covering Bucks and Montgomery counties The City of Upper Arlington proudly celebrated the grand opening of the Bob Crane Community Center state-of-the-art facility designed to serve as a hub for wellness Hundreds of residents attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on April 6 where they explored the expansive amenities “This is a milestone moment for Upper Arlington—one that has been more than 40 years in the making,” said Mayor Ukeme Awakessien Jeter “The Bob Crane Community Center is more than just a building; it’s a space where residents of all ages can learn and it will be a place where connections will be made for generations to come.” The building features a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces and dedicated areas for youth and senior programming Designed with the community’s needs in mind the Bob Crane Community Center brings together Upper Arlington Parks & Recreation programs to one location “This facility represents a milestone for our community bringing together Parks & Recreation programs and services under one roof for the first time,” said Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation Director Debbie McLaughlin and recreation—ensuring that people of all ages have opportunities to connect Hundreds of community members gather in the Event Center to celebrate the grand opening of the Bob Crane Community Center Mayor Ukeme Awakessien Jeter delivers remarks during the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony and special guests cut the ceremonial ribbon during the grand opening celebration of the Bob Crane Community Center A key feature of the Bob Crane Community Center is the partnership with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center which occupies 34,000 square feet to offer a range of health and wellness services and The James Cancer Supportive Care program providing Upper Arlington residents with convenient access to exceptional healthcare resources close to home “We are honored to have been selected as the city’s health and wellness partner,” said Dan Like chief administrative officer of Ambulatory Services at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center “Many of our alumni and employees call Upper Arlington their home and have received healthcare services at our Outpatient Care Upper Arlington we look forward to strengthening these connections through our Center for Integrative Health Exercise is Medicine and physical therapy offered at the Bob Crane Community Center These services and programs focus on prevention which are all in alignment with our collective goal to create a healthier community.” The Bob Crane Community Center was named in honor of Bob Crane whose legacy of leadership and community service continues to inspire those throughout central Ohio The project would not have been possible without the generosity of the Upper Arlington community and private donors with the late Loann Crane making a $2 million lead donation in honor of her husband who was instrumental in growing Crane Plastics into a globally recognized leader in plastics innovation This contribution was part of the Upper Arlington Community Foundation’s capital campaign which successfully raised $8 million to support the project The decision is rooted in a deal struck with Comcast Spectacor which hopes to transform the South Philly sports complex over the next decade home of the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team and the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team The controversial development is now on track to open in Center City in 2031 City Council members fume while activists celebrate the news The mayor is set to speak Monday at 11 a.m Residents and business owners in Chinatown strongly opposed the arena calling it an existential threat to the 150-year-old neighborhood Over the last two years, the Save Chinatown Coalition, an umbrella group representing more than 245 organizations, urged the Sixers, Parker and lawmakers to stop the project. Activists argued it would choke the neighborhood with traffic on game days hurting hundreds of small businesses in the process one of the coalition’s most vocal organizations declaring the team’s decision to stay in South Philly a victory of the “multiracial “The people of Philadelphia deserve a city that serves ALL communities Our work continues and remains cautious to protect precious neighborhoods from exploitative development but for now let’s celebrate together,” said the group in a statement posted online The march comes as Philadelphia City Council is expected to debate legislation on the proposal this fall The city’s building trades, meanwhile, strongly supported building an arena in Center City. The project was slated to create hundreds of jobs. The unions also echoed sentiments that it would be a much-needed economic engine for Market East business manager for Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers calling it in a statement a “significant win for the 76ers our members and the entire City of Philadelphia.” “The Stadium District in South Philadelphia will be dramatically enhanced and expanded providing the 76ers with the new state-of-the-art arena the team needs and deserves Comcast has also pledged to commit the financial resources needed to revive the dormant Market East corridor which is critically important to the entire city,” Lynch said He said Comcast has pledged “financial resources” to help revive the Market East corridor The results come as the team seeks the necessary legislation to move forward with demolition and construction The Sixers’ decision effectively ends speculation that the team might still be considering a move to New Jersey During its negotiations with the Parker administration and lawmakers, the team continued to entertain Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposal to build the arena along Camden’s waterfront. The state was prepared to award the Sixers up to $800 million in tax credits to incentivize the move The team is headquartered in New Jersey and its practice facility is located in Camden In 2020, the Sixers’ bid to build a new arena along the Delaware River in Philadelphia was upended by a competing proposal. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation instead selected the Durst Organization to redevelop the parcels the team had wanted to use for the facility. City Council is finally changing the space back to its former zoning The Philadelphia 76ers are no longer building an arena in Center City But reviving the area is still on the table The Sixers successfully pushed to build a new arena in Center City Now the controversial project is in the rearview after an about-face no one saw coming Macy’s reported the shoplifting of merchandise worth at least $200 to Philadelphia police 37 times 2025 that it would close its store in the historic Wanamaker Building at 1300 Market St stores report more crime simply because they hired more asset protection staff and security “Stores don’t want to advertise their losses because it looks bad to competitors,” Ratcliffe said “Sometimes their asset protection people worry it sends a signal to offenders that they are a very vulnerable store with the potential for huge amounts of losses.” retailers may tell employees like security guards to not stop shoplifters for their own safety “Retailers are always concerned about liability and reputation but mostly the safety of their employees,” said Read Hayes criminologist at the University of Florida and director of the Loss Prevention Research Council “They don’t really want them to get involved or engage with somebody that’s carrying merchandise out in garbage bags or being otherwise aggressive.” That’s because it puts both workers and shoppers at risk Critics of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner claim his guidance to prosecutors back in 2018 — to charge summary offenses in retail theft cases if the merchandise is worth less than $500 — caused more retail theft in the city Krasner’s internal policy has since been reversed Macy’s expects to close 150 underperforming stores nationwide over the next two years; the first round of closures were announced last month That included Pennsylvania stores in Wilkes-Barre plus two New Jersey stores in Orange and New Hyde Park 128 workers in Philadelphia will lose their jobs by the end of March according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter by Macy’s The Center City Macy’s store spans 316,000 square feet on the ground floor of the Wanamaker property that was built more than 120 years ago department stores anchored Market Street in Philadelphia and consumer shopping habits were very different a retail historian and visiting fellow at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom “They were known as lavish palaces of consumption and they became these anchors to the central business districts,” Howard said They were also these social institutions in which people flocked to them not just to shop just to socialize in various traditions that emerged like the organ productions in the Wanamaker department store.” But after World War II, the creation of suburban communities and indoor shopping malls deteriorated the market share urban department stores held which has been on the decline for decades since “Department stores have been under siege for many decades it’s been hastened by the pandemic but also by the rise of e-commerce,” Howard said “They have this major investment in real estate and the cost that entails of maintaining these large older buildings so they’re not really poised in the same way as a purely e-commerce business.” Such retailers have also struggled to keep up with trends and over the years have stripped down to “become more generic where they basically just offer apparel and some housewares,” Howard said “So the difference between types of retailers has shrunk.” there are plans to renovate the Wanamaker Building by its new owner which acquired the first third floors of the 12-story building in 2019 Then TF Cornerstone purchased the debt for roughly 954,000 square feet of office space above the department store in 2024 TF Cornerstone expects to renovate the building for mixed-use commercial space below and apartments above Buffett ends six-decade run and warns of global risks from Trump’s tariffs and taps Greg Abel to take over Macy's will furlough a majority of its 130,000 workers with its stores dark Macy’s hasn’t released a list of the stores it intends to close though a partial list published by the Wall Street Journal doesn’t yet include any in the Philadelphia region Arena opponents gather at 10th and Arch streets in Chinatown for a press conference celebrating the change of plans that will put a new 76ers arena in South Philadelphia rather than adjacent to Chinatown Representatives from 76 Devcorp drew Ben Simmons levels of boos from the crowd The four analyses are expected to help stakeholders weigh the value of building a privately funded basketball arena in Center City In the end, it took more than a year for the impact studies to be released the city released a community impact assessment The community impact study was unequivocal The analysis echoed concerns about traffic congestion and displacement with consultants writing that the controversial development “could potentially result in the loss of Chinatown’s core identity and regional significance.” “Although the project will not lead to direct housing displacement there is evidence for increased displacement of small businesses and low- and fixed-income individuals through gentrification and loss of cultural identity in Chinatown if the 76 Place were built,” researchers concluded The economic impact analysis found that the Philadelphia metro could support “multiple professional arenas” and that both arenas would ultimately be “financially viable.” The Wells Fargo Center would likely be negatively impacted by the construction of a new arena naming rights and the loss of Sixers games The traffic report concluded that the Sixers’ hopes of having 40% of fans travel to the arena via public transportation was “attainable” and that there was “sufficient garage parking” in the vicinity of the arena to meet the expected demand from drivers Arena opponents panned the studies while renewing their concerns about the project being a destructive force for Chinatown As lawmakers prepared to return from summer recess Squilla told reporters he wanted to introduce enabling legislation “as soon as possible” to give residents ample time to review them He had vowed to share copies of the proposed measures with constituents at least 30 days before introduction He said he would consult and coordinate with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration before getting the ball rolling toward a final decision Parker had not taken a public stance on the arena but many expected she would back the project in part because of her strong political ties to the city’s building trades And yet the arena’s future was far from secured “Is the project an opportunity or is it a killer I think we have to look at those things through the studies,” said Squilla the Sixers were still negotiating with the city over the team’s arena proposal they had spent millions on public outreach and lobbying That September, it came to light that New Jersey was making a play to build an arena for the team in Camden The team already had its headquarters and practice facility across the river Phil Murphy and sent to the Sixers from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority officials stated they were “committed to bringing the 76ers to Camden.” privately-led comprehensive mixed-use development north of the Ben Franklin Bridge that would serve as a transformative catalyst for Camden and New Jersey,” the letter said As negotiations over a Center City arena continue to stall Sixers owners say they “must take all potential options seriously.” To entice the team the state offered up to $800 million in tax credits who insisted they needed legislative approval by the end of the year said in a statement that while their priority was building in Center City they had to “take all potential options seriously Two weeks later, Parker broke her silence in a pre-recorded video posted to social media From her desk on the second floor of City Hall the mayor announced she was backing the arena and that the city and the team had reached a “historic” agreement that would keep the Sixers in Philly “This is an historic agreement,” Parker said “It is the best financial deal ever entered into by a Philadelphia mayor for a local sports arena And I wholeheartedly believe it is the right deal for the people of Philadelphia.” The video came a week after Parker presided over a lively community meeting packed with opponents and supporters of the arena proposal While she did not take a stance that night political observers expected her to throw her weight behind the arena given her strong ties to the city’s building trades the first group to endorse her run for mayor and a major contributor to her campaign A week later, Parker held another community meeting to detail the city’s agreement with the Sixers Inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, she said the team would stay in the city until at least 2061. Under the deal, the team would contribute $50 million for a community benefits agreement and about $6 million a year in PILOTS — payments in lieu of taxes — to the city and its school district The agreement also included an economic opportunity plan designed to ensure a diverse workforce If there were any question about where Parker stood on the project before the meeting “Anyone who has any challenges with what is contained in this agreement you no longer have the Philadelphia 76ers as the villain here I am the 100th mayor of the city of Philadelphia I am proud of and take full responsibility for what is included in this agreement,” said Parker Parker told the room her administration would transmit enabling legislation for introduction during City Council’s stated meeting on Oct During a raucous meeting marked by boos and loud chants for and against the arena Councilmember Squilla introduced a package of bills on behalf of the administration that included 11 ordinances and two resolutions Part of the package contained zoning and planning approvals. Other measures were related to an existing neighborhood improvement district and financing arrangements tied to the Fashion District mall Squilla also introduced two arena-related bills of his own including two ordinances designed to help protect Chinatown during construction and beyond “It’s gonna be a robust dialogue to make sure that the end product is one that represents what the city of Philadelphia looks like demographically and addressing the district councilperson’s issues and concerns,” said Council President Kenyatta Johnson after the meeting lawmakers would host a string of full-day hearings devoted to the Sixers’ arena proposal and the agreement the team reached with the city The hearings would also give the public the opportunity to voice their support or opposition for the project Most lawmakers had yet to take a stance on the arena but it appeared Parker and the Sixers had a good chance of getting what they both wanted: the green light for a new arena in Center City City Council began hearing testimony from a range of stakeholders Lawmakers grilled team officials over the course of two hearings largely focusing on the value of the community benefits agreement and the lack of funding for SEPTA to expand its rail service to accommodate fans before and after games Several lawmakers told the team that $50 million was insufficient for a CBA in part because it did not provide enough funding for safeguards for Chinatown the closest community to the proposed site Council members also chided representatives after they learned the team was still negotiating with SEPTA over the cost of providing additional trains for fans who opted to use the authority’s Regional Rail lines to get home from games Amid a financial crisis, SEPTA had announced plans to increase fare prices and make severe service cuts Officials would later testify the authority could in no way afford to expand service we’re ready to figure out what we’re gonna do here and some of these things really should have been nailed down,” Councilmember Cindy Bass said Both issues emerged as sticking points as lawmakers continued to probe the proposal while listening to testimony from proponents and opponents who each got another chance to make their case “We can’t be NIMBYs — not in my backyard people And the future always benefits those that are bold,” said Ryan Boyer business manager for the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council executive director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation an influential organization in the city’s Chinese community told council members that neither the enabling legislation nor the city’s broader deal with the Sixers contained nearly enough protections for the neighborhood the neighborhood needed a combination of strong cultural and economic development plans As the hearings unfolded, lawmakers continued to negotiate with the Sixers behind closed doors over various issues, including the value of the community benefits agreement team officials changed course and told council members they’d be willing to add funding Time was running out to move the project forward before the end of the year and it appeared both sides were struggling to reach an agreement which Johnson wanted to have in hand before calling for a vote An initial vote was delayed twice as negotiations stretched on for hours “We’re still going through the process of addressing issues and concerns of members and hopefully we’ll wrap this up tomorrow,” Johnson told reporters a day before City Council’s final meeting of 2024 By the following day, the deal was done The full City Council body is expected to take a second and final vote on the bills on Dec The community benefits agreement would now be $60 million instead of $50 million Anthony Phillips and Isaiah Thomas voted in favor of the arena legislation Nicolas O’Rourke and Jeffery Young voted against the project Johnson said the city would have been “fools” to turn down a proposal with so much potential to provide so much good for Center City our council members who voted for this think this is a billionaire playground — that this is a city for the wealthy,” said Mohan Seshadri executive director of the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance “This is a bad deal for working-class Philadelphians,” he added A week later, on Dec. 19, City Council took a second and final vote on the arena, passing the legislation by a 12-5 vote which came after dozens of arena opponents were forcibly removed from council chambers which is composed of all 17 members of City Council making it very unlikely that lawmakers would change their minds and derail the project a week later Parker signed the bills into law just before Christmas On Sunday, Jan. 12, as the city prepared to watch the Philadelphia Eagles begin their postseason it came to light that the Sixers had abandoned their plans to build an arena in Center City A news conference the next day offered little insight into what happened co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment told reporters the Sixers and Comcast had started discussing the new arena in early December after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver helped bring everyone together and that “we got the mayor involved as soon as we could.” We were really committed to Market East … but our North Star was to do the right thing by Philly,” Harris said “We felt we could build a better arena and also revitalize Market East … so we pivoted.” The sudden turn of events comes after Philly City Council recently approved a controversial plan to build an arena in Center City near Chinatown Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said Monday that NBC becoming a media partner of the NBA was “fortuitous” for the new arena deal For now, there are few details about the joint venture in South Philadelphia, which arena opponents celebrated The city will have to wait to see if there’s another plot twist The City of Minneapolis is moving forward with a plan to create the Minneapolis Democracy Center at 3000 Minnehaha Ave. The Minneapolis Democracy Center (MDC) will house Elections and Voter Services as well as a large flexible space for election-related equipment and supplies and 8,000 square feet space available for lease to a community partner.  The review process will include community engagement with the hope that a tenant will be selected by May 2025.   Crews from Property Services and Public Works have been working on cleanup and maintenance of the site the City allocated $1.5 million to do additional cleanup and stabilization work as well as to make the building safe for workers and repairs This work resulted in moving fencing off the sidewalk and the removal of razor wire.  The City is currently working on the interior of the building performing selective demolition and clean-up in advance of the complete building renovation  Additional work to be performed includes building systems updates replacing windows and doors and rebuilding the front entry at Lake and Minnehaha  Work will continue through the summer of 2025.  Plans for the Minneapolis Democracy Center were developed following months of community engagement. curated conversations and shared online surveys The results of the engagement showed support for the democracy center proposal outweighed opposition more than threefold with 63% in support and 17% opposed.    residents showed interest in several uses for the community space and a variety of business or commercial uses.   The City is also moving forward with the design process for the Minneapolis Democracy Center The City intends to include the selected tenant in the planning design and build-out of the available community space  The City is currently working through the process to select a design consultant for the project and anticipates design activities to extend through 2025 with full building reconstruction occurring in 2026.   To learn more, visit the City’s project website and sign up for Minneapolis Democracy Center updates.  Ask 311 about City services or report non-emergency issues I’ve been a fan of all things geeky since the 1970s Growing up in an era when geeks weren’t socially accepted I briefly let mainstream culture suppress my fandom stopping purchases of comic books and avid reading and watching of science fiction and fantasy Downtown Knoxville brought me back into the fold after seeing a campus flyer for a Star Trek convention I hiked to the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall to see George Takei I came home to a fan community I didn’t know existed through fan conventions and an incredibly strong community throughout There’s a good chance you could find a place here as well I’ve attended 90 cons across the U.S since 1992 and introduced over 150 students to the fan community through my high school comic book club I’d like to be the geek who invites you to explore this world and the many conventions in Knoxville’s center city ranging from weekend-long reunions to a few hours of fun cons are often the most concentrated gathering of creatives I experience each year fans weave a collective fiction that mirrors the stories we love they’re a glimpse of a better world and a chance to embrace the identity we cherish Part of that identity is experienced through cosplay Their costumes and poses transport you to other worlds Here’s a look at a few from the Fanboy Expo Anime artists and voiceover professionals are the focus for others and Knoxville has hosted a dizzying variety of them Panels and walks of fame allow you to meet and interact with these guests Vendor halls offer a wide variety of goods Cosplayers and cosplay contests offer a visual appeal (ask permission before taking a picture; it’s protocol) fan discussions and more fill the day at a con Bill Langford of the Comics Exchange on Chapman Highway has been in the business for 26 years He is a vendor at conventions and his store sees a significant bump on con weekends “the main thing I want people to know is don’t be afraid to come to a comic convention There’s all kinds of people; there’s no prerequisites.”  The large tent in downtown Knoxville continues to evolve in unique ways It was touching to see Dee Snider of Twisted Sister meet Caroll Spinney Little House on the Prairie fans connected with Knoxville’s cosplay community while Gene Simmons of KISS had a lively debate with one of Langford’s booth employees about the artist for a Marvel comic Professional wrestlers have joined the ranks of celebrities and fandoms ranging from Star Wars and Star Trek to lesser-known properties are increasingly represented Each convention held in the center city has a unique purpose and feel Mag Comics Expo started out as a grant to the Pellissippi State Magnolia Campus library professor of Biology and organizer of the con With a large population of English Language Learners the head librarian loaded the library with graphic novels Sequential art paired with text formed a bridge for learning English the librarian secured a grant to host a 2022 comic themed convention Mincey told me that the library is “like walking into a comic shop.” The cosplay contest is the most popular event at Mag and the 2025 con is adding an all-day viewing room for classic sci-fi movies Over 50 vendors will be present throughout the building and a kids track offers events for younger attendees The first Knoxville Book Festival is happening this year and we’ll have full coverage next week Right Brain Productions is hosting 80 authors over two days at the Knoxville Convention Center This year’s headliners include Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse series) and James Dashner (The Maze Runner) Organizers aim to attract around 2,000 fans with plans to grow the event in the future Fanboy Expo is currently the largest con in downtown Knoxville David Heynen started selling autographs at another Knoxville con called AdventureCon around 2006 Heynen told me that he “absolutely got kicked in the teeth I needed like 2,600 to show and thought for sure my wife was going to leave me because I’d lost all the money the summer con grew in attendance to 25,000 to 35,000 fans (using passes through the door accounting) He’s been told that attendance at KCC is only surpassed by Fantasy of Trees Heynen noted that “These are small metropolitan areas in comparison to other places But there is so little of what we would call…nerd culture coming to them that when something does come like a Fanboy Expo…they just latch onto it and it becomes the cornerstone of their nerd culture for the rest of the year.” Toy and Gaming con in the spring that mainly appeals to younger fans Attendance at that show grew 20% from last year’s first con to 4,100 passes sold Heynen called the summer show a beast and a “true pop culture show so we try to hit as many of the franchises and different genres as we possibly can.” The summer con will host a Superman reunion with four Supermen two Supergirls and a Lois Lane actress on the same weekend as the new Superman movie crime drama Bones and the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be in attendance William Shatner and Billy Dee Williams will headline Gene Simmons from KISS is making a return this year as well Fanboy is one of three cons in America that specializes in classic television and is the Southern hub “it’s kind of a thing now that if you are an old TV star you’re going to eventually do Fanboy Expo in Knoxville.” For classic TV fans Everyone in the family can find a fandom they enjoy. Announcements are still ongoing, so check their website for more information CreepyCon launched in 2017 by Right Brain Productions who bring 40 years of experience with Halloween-themed attractions like FrightWorks What began as a Friday night event at the KCC with 2,000 attendees has since grown into a three-day convention drawing over 7,000 people CreepyCon returned to the convention center for the past three years Johnsey told me that “we needed more space And then we were adding a bigger stage and more entertainment Entertainment has always been more important to us than guests and things like that.” For CreepyCon the focus is horror-themed events throughout the weekend rather than celebrities Waldeck told me that for CreepyCon “literally every time you turn panels…we want people to be able to buy their ticket and be able to stay as long as they want and feel like they got their money’s worth.” This year’s theme is supernatural and paranormal along with adult and kids’ costume contests will also be offered President of Visit Knoxville said the following about the economic impact of Fanboy Expo: “The Fanboy Expo Knoxville Convention is a great addition to the lineup of Knoxville’s annual festivals and events bringing in celebrity guests like Elijah Wood and William Shatner offering visitors the chance to meet iconic stars with an estimated economic impact of over $10 million It’s known as ‘Tennessee’s largest pop culture event’ for a reason!” CreepyCon organizers also emphasize the importance of “heads in beds” and collaborate with Visit Knoxville to offer a lodging code for discounted downtown hotel stays 90% of Fanboy’s attendees are local or regional; however they regularly pull attendees from Europe and around the United States The Book Festival has sold passes mostly regionally with an early attendee from Puerto Rico let me be the fan that invites you to come see what fandoms in center city cons hold for you Check out the list below for links to the websites for each con I love seeing the attendees for all the conventions milling around downtown in full costume Dogwood Arts’ Chalk Walk and the Book Fair these events and the people they bring in are a big part of what makes Knoxville such a great city to live in and to visit Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a8d84042d3fa53a815797d822b3e86f3" );document.getElementById("j765652687").setAttribute( "id" Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive Philadelphia union organizers say the vote is about more than just higher wages and better benefits The store is on track to become the first in the U.S File - A Whole Foods grocery in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood Resident doctors from several major health care institutions in the region voted to form unions in the past two weeks “Since going public, we have been met with a relentless onslaught of union-busting tactics,” Leeya Girmey, a Whole Foods Market worker in Philadelphia, said in a video shared to Instagram from a union rally this month The UFCW Local 1776 has collected more than 30 complaints from unionizing store workers about intimidation and coercion so far Young said the Center City Whole Foods Market has fired some unionizing employees, intimidated rank-and-file workers and held captive audience meetings at the store organizers said Amazon told workers they weren’t allowed to give them raises to $17 an hour like other Philadelphia-area stores “The company says it’s because of the [union] push that they’re not allowed to give an increase and that’s not true They used it to intimate people,” Young said there’s no standardized starting pay at the store If you’re going to commit to working full-time it means you’re not going to be able to do other work on the side so you deserve to make a lot more than $17 an hour,” Young said with minimal premiums that require little out-of-pocket costs There’s another Whole Foods Market near the corner of 9th and South streets in Philadelphia The company also accused The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union of intimidating employees who supported Whole Foods A slowdown in online shopping prompts Amazon to rethink the space it has including a facility it’s closing in South Jersey The 3.8 million-square-foot building on Boxwood Road has been vacant since 2009 An electric car maker planned to take it over when she was followed by a black Nissan on I-76 and I-676 East Suspect sought after woman shot in the head in Center CityPHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly followed a 23-year-old woman from King of Prussia to Center City she told police the driver exited the vehicle on the 400 block of North 5th Street She is currently in stable condition at the hospital Close