Church of the Assumption’s legal fight, Delaware waterfront beer garden planned, Irving Street showdown, Darrell Clarke the accidental politician

The landmark Church of the Assumption still stands tall on Spring Garden Street, as the legal battle to keep it standing marches on. Alan Jaffe has an update for PlanPhilly today, in the legal battle to prevent demolition. Last spring, a Board of License and Inspection Review decision overturned the Historical Commission’s hardship finding for Siloam, the church’s owners, which paved the way for demolition. A Common Pleas Court judge is now reviewing the board’s decision. The L&I Review Board found, “The commission’s decision was both plainly erroneous and inconsistent with the preservation ordinance.” The church complex is still on the market, listed for $1.75 million [pdf].

The folks behind Union Transfer are planning a new seasonal beer garden just north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. One of the partners, Avram Hornik told The Insider that the vision is to create a “backyard” for the city, which they hope to open in May. The waterfront restaurant was most recently Octo Waterfront Grill.

Hidden City Daily visits the strange case of Irving Street, one of the tiny cobblestone treasures in Center City, which neighbors are either trying to privatize or fix depending on your perspective. A Philadelphia City Plan in the 1800s overlooked the street, which leaves the street’s ownership up to interpretation and opens the possibility for private ownership.

Darrell Clarke, told the Inquirer, “I’m telling you, I had no desire to be a Council person,” for a profile in today’s paper. The piece recounts Clarke’s upbringing at 30th and Norris, his first encounter with John Street who represented Clarke and his neighbors fighting a planned salvage yard, and his plans to shake up Council’s schedule and create a technical (as opposed to partisan) staff.

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