April 16: Uneven real estate growth | Mantua’s Promise Zone | PATCO tech improvements | Woodland Ave student rentals | South Philly High dog run | Milton Street candidate

Good morning, Streeters. Hope your dreams of spring aren’t too frozen this morning. At least it will be sunny.

Philly’s real estate market is rebounding unevenly, with the well-off doing best. The Inquirer reports on recent analysis from economist Kevin Gillen, which indicates that 2014’s first few months are on trend: Philly is seeing “improved market conditions in either relatively high-income or gentrifying areas, but continued stagnation or even decline” elsewhere.

What does it mean to be a Promise Zone? That designation was recently bestowed on two square miles of Mantua by the Obama administration, which gives the area priority for federal grants with the hope of stimulating neighborhood improvement. Flying Kite looks at the community planning and organizing partnerships that laid the groundwork for the Promise Zone and what might make this opportunity different than those in the past. One key: Drexel’s buy-in.

PATCO is planning out $7.5 million in station improvements, the Inquirer reports. If  PATCO’s board approves stations will include real-time train information displays, video cameras, and SEPTA crews will maintain PATCO’s temperamental escalators for five years. This construction announcement comes after PATCO riders endured a winter of breakdowns and delays, and face a summer of track closures for construction.

More housing geared toward student renters is being built on Woodland Ave. West Philly Local reports the project being built by HOW Properties at 4619 Woodland will include 16 units, a mix of multi-bedroom apartments, with commercial space on the ground floor.

Will a new dog run become part of South Philly High’s campus? Passyunk Post reports that at Broad and Jackson neighbors hope to create a fenced dog park supported by the contributions of community dog owners.

Milton Street has officially jumped into the mayor’s race, and laid down some zingers to NewsWorks’ Brian Hickey at K&A to explain his plans to mobilize Philadelphians around issues of community safety. Street, brother of former Mayor John Street, who recently served time on a tax conviction is not taken seriously by political powers that be. But he doesn’t “give a fat rat’s hind leg” what they think. 

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest. Have a tip? Send it along.
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