September 25: City favors two casinos | City Controller’s office calls L&I evasive | More time sought for panel on Pa. building code | University of the Sciences finishing healthcare education building

Hello, Eyes on the Street!

Of the six proposed casinos, the two proposed for Center City – Market8 and The Provence – would make the most money and have the most potential to stimulate economic growth beyond their boundaries, the city told the Gaming Control Board Tuesday. The three casinos proposed for South Philadelphia are less likely to spur further development and less likely to generate new audiences, said Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Alan Greenberger. The city is also concerned that the Wynn Philadelphia proposal could potentially siphon customers from Sugar House Casino, which is less than a mile away. 

The City Controller’s office said the information handed over by the Department of Licenses and Inspections about how the city regulates demolition projects is, at three-pages long, lacking and evasive. “Basically, what they did is evasive, which raises even more question about their inspections and the work of L&I on demolition and other matters,” Harvey Rice, the top deputy to Philadelphia Controller Alan Butkovitz, told the Inquirer

Lawmakers want to give a statewide panel more time to consider updates to the Pennsylvania building code. The panel has been reviewing the code, which became controversial, in part, when a 2011 law made it more difficult to approve changes. A current Senate proposal would give the panel two years to review each proposed building code update. 

Construction of the University of the Sciences’ $26 million healthcare education building is wrapping up, Technically Philly reports. Earlier this month students signed one of the last beams that will be placed inside the 57,000-square-foot building, which will open at 4036 Woodland Avenue in spring 2014 as the Integrated Professional Education Complex. 

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