City Hall tower reopened, Ridge Ave shelter stays til spring, how the taxman assesses, Uptown revitalization

The crack in City Hall’s tower has been fixed and the tower has reopened, reports Heard in the Hall. A crack in the tower was discovered in September, possibly caused by the earthquake in August. Tours are open again.

The Ridge Avenue homeless shelter will remain open until spring, the Inquirer reports, as replacement shelters are finalized. The city has worked to find permanent housing for many individuals at the Ridge Avenue shelter, but resources are tight. And as Dainette Mintz, director of the City’s Office of Supportive Housing, told the Inquirer, “There’s only a finite number of men at Ridge with a source of income and a shot at being able to live independently once the program there ends.”

Philadelphia’s 577,000 properties are being reassessed to determine each one’s full market value by teams of assessors pounding the pavement. NewsWorks followed an assessor on his rounds in Roxborough to understand how the job is done. With a short-staffed office, the city’s assessors hope to finish the job by next fall. So, come 2013 Philly’s property tax system could change significantly.

North Broad Street’s Uptown Theater complex is being renovated into an education/entertainment space as well as a venue. Flying Kite checks in with the Uptown Entertainment Development Corporation on their progress and big plans for the Uptown.

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest.