Feb 14: Philly Valentines | advertising on city property | American-US Airways merger | how not to close 37 schools | community input on Cokie rezoning

Good morning Streeters. It’s Valentine’s Day and we’re asking all of you urbanists to take to twitter to spread some Philly love today. Share why you love the City of Brotherly love by tweeting us little love notes about the city using the hashtag #whyilovephilly. (Yes, Eyes on the Street is on twitter: @EOTSPhilly. Now you know.) Show your love, Philly.

At today’s City Council session, Council President Darrell Clarke will reintroduce a bill making way for digital signs and advertisements to be placed on city-owned property, reports PlanPhilly’s Jared Brey. The signs must be programmable, and the city will be entitled to some of that programming time or able to override an ad in emergency situations. Among the biggest concerns: The municipal advertising program would not be subject to the zoning code, but some separate regulatory standard. Clarke has long been hot on selling municipal ad space: What do you think? Should the Municipal Services Building proclaim YOUR AD HERE?

After months of talk: American Airlines and US Airways will merge in an $11 billion deal creating the world’s largest passenger airline. The Inquirer reports that the combined carrier will keep its Philadelphia hub.

The Public School Notebook has handy roundup of the 38 proposals submitted to the School District as alternatives to closing 37 public schools. Many call for outright reconsideration, while others offer co-location alternatives (University City High, Robeson), creative ideas for full-utilization (Strawberry Mansion High), K-12 expansion (Germantown High), or mergers with other specialized schools (CommTech to School of the Future).

After Councilman Bobby Henon moved to rezone a 67-acre ex-industrial site on Bridesburg’s waterfront from residential mixed-use back to industrial use, neighbors protested. They said they wanted to see something else for Bridesburg’s historically industrial waterfront. On Wednesday night Councilman Henon hosted another community meeting to solicit feedback for future uses of the former Philadelphia Coke Company site. One point of agreement: a park with waterfront access, maybe sports and recreation facilities. 

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest. Have a tip? Send it along.