MLK Day At Shiloh

In 1945, when the Shiloh Baptist Congregation took over the former Episcopalian Church on the corner of 21st and Church Streets,  it was in the heart of South Philadelphia's black middle class neighborhood.  With two large Baptist congregations, and the black run Philadelphia Tribune paper nearby,  the congregation filled up the massive Frank Furness designed church with various groups and activities.

As the years progressed,  many middle class blacks moved to more suburban areas, and the neighborhood became poorer.  Lately, the congregation's membership has been challenged by the gentrification of the area,  further reducing the congregation.

In its effort to keep the lights on, the church now houses both a dance and theater group in its massive facilities.

The church is led by Rev. Edward Sparkman, who is also a lawyer.  Yesterday,  they celebrated Martin Luther King Day by offering free legal advice to the community.

Shiloh Baptist Church is my second exploration of Philadelphia's historic middle class black neighborhood.  An assistant pastor kindly explained their current outreach mission.

Protest In Fountain Park

Long time Readers of this blog know that I have been an advocate for the WPA structures for over a decade, with some modest results.  Recently, my research discovered an old newspaper article from 1935, which adds another dimension to my understanding of that period.

Lehigh Parkway, Union Terrace and Fountain Park are the WPA masterpieces in Allentown.  In Fountain Park, there is the stairway which leads up to Junction Street, and then continues through a tunnel in the massive wall on Junction Street,  up to Spring Garden Street.  After the steps were completed, hundreds of workers would use these stairs every day,  to go from their center city row houses to the Mack and Traylor factories on S. 10th Street.

On September 11th, 1935 there was a protest involving the 400 WPA workers assigned to the stairwell and wall construction.  The rally took place by the creek, and was led by the Lehigh County Unemployed League, Keystone Workers Association and the Citizens Welfare League.  Although there was no violence, tools were tossed into the creek.  The protest centered on the $55 monthly wage, and the 35 hour work week.

The concept of workers during the Depression being upset with conditions frankly never occurred to me.  I just assumed that they were grateful for the job, and whistled while they worked.  Next time I walk those steps,  my thoughts will be somewhat more informed.

Jordan Heights

In 1903, the 600 block of 2nd Street housed one Russian Jewish family after another. They built a small synagogue there, which was kept open until about twenty years ago. My grandfather, who then worked at a cigar factory, had just saved enough to bring his parents over from the old country. They lived in an old house at 617 N. 2nd. The current house at that location was built in 1920. By the time my father was born in 1917, the youngest of five children, they had moved to the suburbs just across the Jordan Creek.

My grandfather lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets. He butchered in a barn behind the house. The house is still there, 301 Jordan, the barn is gone. He would deliver the meat with a horse and wagon. On the weekends, when the family wanted to visit friends, the horse insisted on doing the meat market route first. Only after he stopped in front of the last market on the route, would he permit my grandfather to direct him. excerpt from My grandfather's Horse, May 13, 2008

Allentown has just designated the neighborhood west of the Jordan to 7th Street, and between Linden and Tilghman Streets, as Jordan Heights. The area encompasses the Old Fairgrounds Historic District. Allentown's old fairground, in the years between 1852-1888, was in the vicinity of 6th and Liberty. It was an open space, as is the current fairground at 17th and Chew Streets. When my grandparents moved to Jordan Street it was a modern house, just built in 1895. Many of the Jewish families moved to the suburbs between Jordan and 7th. The Jewish Community Center was built on the corner of 6th and Chew, today known as Alliance Hall.
I wish the Jordan Heights initiative well. There's a lot of history in those 24 square blocks, and hopefully much future.

reprinted and retitled from previous years

photo: Opening of Jewish Community Center, 1928, 6th and Chew Streets.  Now Alliance Hall

The Jersey Shore Sand Wall

This past fall I made a number of trips to the New Jersey barrier islands to observe the dune construction project (Shore Protection Project), which grew out of the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.  The dune project was controversial, with both private citizen and municipal objectors.  This isn't your grandmother's seagrass dunes, which were staggered and collected sand over the years.  This is a straight, massive sand fortification being constructed by the Army Corp of Engineers, assisted by private contractors. The wall is twenty two feet high, and twice as wide at the base... It completely blocks the view of the ocean.  The construction is ongoing, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Large dredge ships, a mile off shore, pump the sand through pipes onto the beach, where large bulldozers shape it into the wall.

As someone who doesn't sit on the beach per se, but enjoys seeing the ocean,  I consider this new dune wall a gross overreaction to a 100 year storm.  I believe that thousands of shore-goers this coming summer will be shocked and disappointed by the restricted ocean view.  However, I must report that every shore property owner I met in the Seaside Park area, without exception,  was in favor of the new dunes.

sand dredgers, a mile off shore, pipe tons of sand to waiting bulldozers

molovinsky on allentown is published early morning every weekday.  Although mostly Allentown centric,  occasional forays out of town are taken to places of regional interest.

Strata Curiosity Solved

Readers of this blog know that I have been perplexed by the Strata Loft apartments occupancy rates. While Reilly's City Center Realty and The Morning Call maintain that there is a waiting list, dark apartments, empty streets, closing stores and common sense say otherwise. We learned that Reilly provides his commercial tenants with guest apartments, but why the charade between leased and occupied? Recently, my curiosity was put to rest.   From an article about the Moody's  bond ratings.... 

Fully leased residential buildings indicates the area’s desirability continues to improve,   Moody's bond analysis

Revenue bonds are a key ingredient of Reilly's strategy. The bonds finance the construction with a much longer term than conventional commercial loans would allow. If claiming the buildings are fully leased helps sell the bonds, let the proclamations begin. My only question is how the Morning Call staff can work across the street, and write that myth, while staring at the dark Strata windows?

Schlossberg and Hyman

Nat Hyman's offer to purchase the State Hospital parcel was interesting,  but Mike Schlossberg's comments on the offer are more newsworthy.   Schlossberg accuses Hyman of indulging in a publicity stunt to booster his mayoral ambitions,  which may not even exist.

What intrigues me about Schlossberg's comments is the uncharacteristic aggressiveness he displayed,  a trait not normally associated with him.  He was much kinder about Pawlowski, despite the former mayor's conviction on 46 counts of corruption.

The company which currently has an option on the state hospital property appears to be much smaller than Hyman's real estate ventures. I surmise that Schlossberg's attitude might be intended as a political boost for O'Connell, or some other candidate interested in the mayorship.

I did reach out for comment from Schlossberg after office hours last night.  If he does respond and clarify,  I will post an update.

photo screen grab from WFMZ

Reillyville Downgraded

The bonds which financed the construction of Reillyville, aka Allentown's NIZ, have been downgraded for the second time, into the lower b grade.  The bonds only pertain to Reilly's City Center Real Estate Company. Lets face it,  if the NIZ was ever more than a project custom designed for Reilly, is questionable.  Moody's lowered the rating because they believe that the cash flow depends on too few tenants. Reilly contends that with ADP coming aboard, the revenue stream is secure.  All state taxes, including income, generated by the tenants are used for Reilly's debt service.  In addition,  his pot was sweetened by allowing the cigarette taxes to be used from distributors he purchased.  Reilly even owns the Morning Call building.  Critical analysis of the district is pretty much limited to this blog.

The rich diversity of Allentown's former architecture is being replaced by the ugly new towers as shown above. The walls are the windows, and the windows are the walls in these new cookie cutter monstrosities.

Don't worry about the Reillys, they're set for generations to come.  If you're wondering where all the millennials are in the supposedly fully occupied Strata Lofts,  question the Morning Call....They print that occupancy myth as a fact.

photo:Morning Call

Allentown's Involuntary Conversion

In real estate, an involuntary conversion is when your property is taken by no plan of your own. The merchants of Hamilton Street are facing an involuntary conversion.

molovinsky on allentown has learned that the city is buying up the square block between 7th and 8th, Hamilton and Linden Streets, for the hockey arena. The subsidized Farr building, a Pawlowski pet project, will be spared. Although offers they can't refuse are based on the fair market value of the real estate, their livelihood and right of free choice are being violated. These businesses are not only their income, but security for their family's future. Many years ago, the city zoning made me close a photo studio in the area of Raub School. I was told that if I wanted to be insured the right to operate, I should have located in the business district. There once was a covenant between Allentown and merchants. If the merchants invested their time and money, the city would provide a district which secured their investment. Several years ago the merchants were upset that the bus transfer stops were removed; Little did they realize that they would be next. If the Pawlowski Arena for Sports and Culture doesn't work out, we will have lost the business district for naught.

Apparently, some of these offers were made as an option to buy, with an undisclosed buyer. A local prominent realtor, is acting as a straw buyer , for either a speculator or the city. Threats of eventual eminent domain. with a lower price, have supposedly been made to encourage signatures.

reprinted from April 2011

ADDENDUM NOVEMBER 11, 2019: The post above is from 2011. During that period I wrote dozens of posts, and even an op ed for the paper defending the former merchants. I accompanied them to meetings with the city, and spoke on their behalf to city council. Today we have an underused arena, and Hamilton Street is no longer a shopping venue. We have a dozen new privately owned, publicly financed sterile office buildings.  We took a millionaire and turned him into a billionaire, courtesy of our diverted state taxes.