City Hall station work, Council talks jobs and revenue, Nutter promises more resources to fight crime, North Central NID opponents organize, beautifying Holme Circle

SEPTA awarded $7.5 million in contracts to add four elevators and two fare lanes to the City Hall subway station, reports PlanPhilly’s Anthony Campisi. The station improvements will be built as part of Center City District’s planned renovation of Dilworth Plaza. More ambitious plans to renovate the City Hall station, however, remain on hold given limited state funding.

City Council was back in action Thursday with job creation and revenue generation high on this year’s legislative agenda, reports PlanPhilly’s Jared Brey. Councilman Bill Green wants to see jobs created by public projects to be entirely filled by Philadelphians. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown proposed allowing bars to stay open an additional hour in order to raise revenue for the School District. And Council President Clarke had his development district and public property advertising bills reintroduced.

Mayor Nutter asked Philly residents to start snitchin’ yesterday and told criminals, “I just put a $20,000 bounty on your head.” Philadelphia has had more homicides than days of the month already this year, and the Inquirer reports that the administration promises a tougher stance on guns, more rewards, more cops, and more resources for witness protection. The city will offer $500 for information about illegal guns and up to $20,000 for homicide information. District Attorney Seth Williams said the city was “throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this problem.”

Residents are organizing their response to Darrell Clarke’s proposed the North Central Neighborhood Improvement District, Temple News reports. Much like the Callowhill NID, residents do not want to pay additional property taxes imposed to fund the North Central NID’s programs. At the meeting Maria and John Yuen, vocal Callowhill NID opponents, spoke about how they felt the NID structure did not guarantee community-driven control over improvements.

After PennDOT’s speedy reconstruction of the Holme Avenue Bridge, NEast Philly reports that the Holme Circle Civic Association wants to spruce up the Circle itself with new signage and plantings to beautify the important intersection.

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