Have you heard the one about the real estate developer and the vacant lot? Probably. It’s been all over local Philadelphia news and made some national headlines as well.
Ori Feibush of OCF Realty and owner of a coffee shop in the Point Breeze neighborhood took actions into this own hands by transforming an adjacent and long neglected lot—dubbed “Vietnam” by some neighbours—into a viable public space. The city subsequently cited Feibush for trespassing and demanded, to the chagrin of neighbours, that the lot be restored to its original state.
Philadelphia is infamous for its plethora of vacant lots. Many citizens, nonprofits and community groups can attest to the red tape involved buying, cleaning and greening the 40,000 vacant spaces currently in inventory. On a positive note, this process was recently simplified by putting the inventory in one place.
The dispute between Feibush and the city has seemingly taken a turn in favour of Feibush as the city has agreed to lease him the lot. Feibush will now assume full liability for the property until it is sold. Reportedly, he will make his own offer on the parcel in the hopes of permanently establishing a park.
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Bike Sale!
06 June 2011 11:29 AM | No CommentsGot a busted bike? Ready to make the transition from two feet to two wheels? Looking for the perfect gift to give your health and eco-conscious significant other? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re in luck! Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW) has...
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Districts 1-5 Candidates Forum
08 April 2011 11:43 AM | No CommentsCity Council hopefuls in Districts 1-5 spoke on the merit of Next Great City’s five recommendations to be implemented by the Council. The forum was moderated by Denis Devine, producer of WHYY’s Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane. Because there were several other events happening simultaneously,...
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Green2015 Plan Report Released
07 December 2010 9:43 AM | 1 CommentAs part of its Green2015 plan, the Nutter administration will announce today plans to convert 500 acres of vacant lots into green spaces and parkland. The parks discussed in the plan will be smaller and more spread out than the destination parks the city is...
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The Big Number in Philadelphia
17 November 2010 11:56 AM | 1 CommentThe big number in Philadelphia this week is 40,000. No, it’s not the number of yards Michael Vick threw or ran for on Monday night, but rather, the number of vacant and blighted land parcels throughout the city. According to a report by Econsult Corp., of the...
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That was a great article on OCF’s new spot on federal. As a south philly resident its very cool to see people trying to put some money back into the area.
Check out this event Saturday morning at the other OCF on 18th and South. In honor of International Coffee Day and in dishonor of the far reaching impacts of global warming.
http://www.cleanair.org/calendar/global_warming_coffee_klatsch