July 12: New poverty plan | Construction worker falls at Temple Univ. | Innovate in PA could boost Philly | City looking to sell garage beneath LOVE Park | Axis Philly CEO steps down

Good morning Streeters!  Today’s weather could bring some pretty severe rain storms with flash flooding possible throughout the day. 

The city released a stark report on poverty in Philadelphia and announced the Shared Prosperity Philadelphia plan to help curb the “staggering 28 percent” poverty rate. The plan focusses on job creation, expand access to public benefits, housing security and preparing children for school.  It will also help coordinate efforts to help people access federal money. Among the most shocking statistics revealed, 39 percent of Philadelphia’s children are poor, and black and Latino Philadelphians are two times more likely to be poor than white Philadelphians.

A construction worker was injured when a floor of an unfinished Temple University building collapsed yesterday. The worker, who fell from the fifth floor of the new Science Education and Research center, was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was in stable condition. The project was scheduled to open in fall 2014. It has been put on hold pending an investigation by state and federal authorities. 

Thanks to the passage of the trimmed down Innovate in PA program, a total of $100 million in tax credits earmarked as early stage capital for life sciences and technology firms can be auctioned off across the state. “… But by virtue of Philadelphia’s size and its relative share of technology business, this region should see sizable benefit,” reports Technically Philly. 

The city is hoping to sell the underground parking garage at the foot of the Ben Franklin Parkway, beneath LOVE Park. Mayor Nutter called the garage “a total mess” in “desperate need of renovation.” With money from the sale, the city could afford to remake JFK Plaza, better known as LOVE Park. 

“The crumbling eyesore at 267 S. 52nd St.” is being torn down just one day after WHYY/NewsWorks reported on its dangerous, vacant state. A contractor for the city is doing the demo work, but a city official said the demolition and NewsWorks report are unrelated. According to the Department of Licenses and Inspection, it was deemed unsafe in 2008 and declared “imminently dangerous” in April. 

AxisPhilly’s Neal Budde announced yesterday that he will step down from the position. Budde came to Philadelphia in March 2012 to help launch the Philadelphia Public Interest Network, now AxisPhilly. Citing that “the expense of a well-compensated CEO would cost the organization,” Budde decided to step down so that AxisPhilly can afford to continue. At least in the near future, the website will continue to operate as it has since its inception. 

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