North Broad groups form casino coalition | Pier 53 park planning | Visions of Washington Avenue | $100m student housing breaks ground | Frankford Arsenal needs cleanup

Along North Broad Street 13 groups have joined forces to make sure their interests are protected should the state choose Bart Blatstein’s casino/entertainment complex for the city’s second casino license, reports the Inquirer’s Jennifer Lin. “We want to have a voice, a seat at the table,” said Sarah McEneaney, of the Callowhill Neighborhood Association, which is part of the coalition. Other members include Congregation Rodeph Shalom, Greater Exodus Baptist Church, Arch Street United Methodist Church, Friends Select School, and restaurants owned by Marc Vetri.

At Washington Avenue’s eastern edge Washington Avenue Green, on the uplands portion of Pier 53, was one of the early-action Delaware Waterfront projects to come out of the Master Plan. Now the Delaware River Waterfont Corporation is starting to plan what should be done with Pier 53 itself, reports PlanPhilly’s Kellie Patrick Gates.

Next American City takes a walk down Washington Avenue in a three part series that examines the street’s identity as a future “Little Saigon”-meets-industrial design district-meets contested neighborhood.

Construction is starting on a $100 million student rental housing for Temple students, reports the Inquirer. The 14-story building is being constructed on the site of the former John Wanamaker Middle School, on the 1100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue.

Plans to turn part of the Frankford Arsenal site into a $90 million shopping mall are being held back by environmental pollution left behind from the site’s days producing ammunition, NewsWorks reports. Mark Harkin’s development group bought the site believing cleanup was complete and now they’re asking the federal government to finish the job.

 

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