School of Rock loft conversion, CDAG urges adherence to waterfront plan, Race Street Connector Phase 2, private funding for schools, Sunoco and fuel price spikes

The former Paul Green School of Rock at 15th and Brandywine will become the Brandywine Lofts, reports Flying Kite. Construction on 10 new apartments, designed by JKR Partners, is expected to begin soon.

The Central Delaware Advocacy Group penned an open letter asking the city to resist approving zoning changes or variances that are inconsistent with the Central Delaware Master Plan. PlanPhilly’s Kellie Patrick Gates reports that the letter [pdf] also urges the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation to make sure the waterfront zoning overlay is passed before the new zoning code goes into effect in August.

Phase 2 of the Race Street Connector is being planned, and DRWC is hosting a public meeting at their offices tonight to discuss the project.

The Daily News applauded the infusion of private funds into the city’s public and Catholic education systems in an editorial today, holding out hope that state legislators won’t see this as an excuse to cut deeper or push through a voucher program. The Inquirer editorialized that the reprieve for four Catholic high schools may only be temporary, and the fate of that system is tied to a possible voucher program, which would dilute public school funding.

A report by the U.S. Department of Energy says the closure of Philadelphia’s Sunoco refinery “presents a complex supply challenge” and will likely result in short-term price hikes for fuel, reports the Inquirer.

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