Kimmel Center reno | Philly’s bandit sign crusader | spared Sheppard and Stanton could move | Foxwoods dead | PMN sale announcement | property reassessment scares Council | SEPTA rethinks transfers

The Kimmel Center will remake two of its public spaces with hopes to become more active, welcoming, and profitable, reports the Inquirer. The rooftop garden will be boxed in glass, below the glass dome, to resolve temperature issues making the area more rentable. Jose Garces has signed on to create a new restaurant in the former gift shop and out onto Spruce Street.

Christopher Sawyer uses an ice pick and a website to fight bandit signs in Philly. The Daily News profiles Sawyer, who estimates there are approximately 20,000 bandit signs in the city advertising quick cash for property. City Council and the Nutter administration are considering different approaches to the illegal signs, but Sawyer wants the city to simply enforce the laws on the books by issuing tickets to the people who post the signs. Sawyer told DN, “The city of Philadelphia is a colossal failure in the issue of property, zoning, and taxes. The whole outdoor environment, what you see on the street, is a miserable failure.”

Sheppard and Stanton elementary schools celebrated being spared from closure last week, but the buildings they’re in may not be so lucky. The School Reform Commission wants to keep the strong schools thriving, but could separate each school from their aging and small facilities.

Foxwoods’ final appeal at the State Supreme Court was rejected late Friday, so expect the legislature to open up a bidding process for Philadelphia’s second casino license. Will the three major investors – including Lewis Katz – turn up behind a new casino proposal?

The sale of the Inquirer, Daily News, and philly.com could happen today, the Inquirer reports. The Philadelphia Media Network will be bought for $55-$60 million by an ownership group including businessmen Lewis Katz, George E. Norcross III, Krishna Singh, William Hankowsky, and philanthropist Gerry Lenfest.

The city’s property tax reassessment is a “poison pill” for City Council, writes Patrick Kerkstra explaining the dilemma and importance of the Actual Value Initiative in the Inquirer. While the former tax system was totally inaccurate and unfair, the new system will jack property taxes – especially for property owners in the city’s gentrifying neighborhoods.

When SEPTA gets new smart cards we’ll be paying for transfers differently, PlanPhilly’s Anthony Campisi reports.

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