October 31: Nutter OKs plan sell school buildings | Traffic Operations Center | Chestnut Street development | CHOP’s new facility | New Fishtown restaurant

Happy Halloween Eyes on the Street! 

After months of skepticism about the idea, Mayor Nutter agreed Wednesday to the school funding plan that depends on the successful sale of shuttered school buildings. The School District plans to post more than 30 shuttered buildings on its website next week and start seeking bids. Under the plan the district will attempt to sell $61 million worth of buildings by the end of the fiscal year in June. If the district fails to sell enough buildings, the city may transfer up to $50 million in exchange for the buildings that could then be sold overtime to recoup that funding. 

Philadelphia is the only major U.S. city without a traffic operations center, but next fall that will change. Technically Philly takes a look at how the center will work and reports that ideally it will reduce traffic and help SEPTA move faster through the streets. The city has been working on the $3.4 million traffic operations center for five years.

Big changes are headed for the 1100 block of Chestnut Street. PlanPhilly’s Jared Brey reports that an affiliate of Brickstone realty company won zoning approval to develop an 80-unit apartment project that will take up half the south side of Chestnut Street between 11th and 12th. Two buildings will be demolished and one existing seven-story building will be renovated. 

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) raised $75 million for its 700,000-square-foot, 12-floor outpatient-care center now under construction in West Philly. The building will be known as the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care and will have a 14,000-square-foot roof garden for recreational and rehabilitation sessions. The project also includes a 2.6-acre landscaped outdoor plaza. 

A former White Doge Cafe chef and baker will open a new Fishtown restaurant serving “elevated comfort food.” Cook and Shaker, from Laura Veigas, is set to open Nov. 7 at 2301 East Albert Street. 

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