April 16: Boston aftermath | PA tax extension | gentrification relief | envision City Branch Park | SugarHouse settles illegal dumping claim | Fishtown made

Good morning, Streeters.

Our hearts are with Boston this morning after explosions caused carnage at the Boston Marathon yesterday, including the death of three people and injuries to more than 140 others. As the FBI begins its investigation, cities across the country are boosting security. Although there are no specific threats locally, Mayor Nutter said to expect increased police presence around town, at transit hubs, and at the Broad Street Run on May 5, reports the Daily News.

If you were unable to file your PA taxes online because the website was down, don’t worry: You can file your personal taxes with the state until midnight tonight with no penalty. The Inquirer reports that “technical issues” caused 40 state websites to go dark yesterday afternoon. Dan Egan, spokesman for the Office of Administration, said “an aging technology nearing the end of its life” was to blame.

City Council is mulling gentrification relief for longtime residents whose taxes would skyrocket under AVI. The Inquirer reports that “anyone who has owned his or her primary residence for more than 10 years and whose home’s market value has more than tripled would qualify for a tax break.” That relief would last 10 years or until the house was sold. Just how much the gentrification relief will cost partly depends on the size of the Homestead exemption. Council will likely wait to see if the state can enable the city to create a “means test” – enabling the city to only give this tax break to those who really need it.

ViaductGreene has changed its name to Friends of the Rail Park and released new plans for a park along the Reading Viaduct’s City Branch west of Broad Street. Hidden City Daily shares the renderings and the new vision for this submerged park with strong connections to Broad Street and the Communtiy College of Philadelphia. Could an urban rails-to-trails park coexist with the rapid transit that planners envision along this SEPTA-owned right-of-way?

SugarHouse agreed to pay $650,000 to settle a claim that its workers dumped construction debris into the Delaware River, philly.com reports. SugarHouse will donate $625,000 to the Brandywine Conservancy and pay a $25,000 fine.

Flying Kite checks in on several Fishtown makers: Norman Porter jeans, Hammarhead motorbikes, Diversified Metal furniture, Hillmar Rubber Company, and Beekman’s C.O.P.A. Soaps.

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