Frankford Gazette

I’ll post more information as it trickles in.

Another source shows that on April 19th of this year title was transferred to Frankford Associates LLC. Owners address listed as Wasserman Properties, 550 Pinetown Road suite 440, Fort Washington, PA 19034

Wasserman Properties also lists an address as 3900 G Street Philadelphia, PA 19124.

Finally, the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania lists the address for Frankford Associates LLC as 1528 Gillingham Street, which is owned by Mantis Development Corp. Jim McCarthy is the president of the corporation.

The Northeast Times has a story on the transaction that resulted in the sale of the Third Federal Building to NET (Northeast Treatment Centers). http://www.northeasttimes.com/2007/0802/treatment.html There are varying opinions about the wisdom of having a treatment facility on Main Street Frankford but the real issue in my opinion is that the citizens of Frankford had no say in the matter. That is unfortunate. Now this sale looks like a deal done in a back room in the dark of night. It gives it a bad smell that it may not deserve.

One other curious aspect to this deal is that the sale has still not been properly recorded on the city Bureau of Revision and Taxes web site. What it does show is that the property is still in the hands of the Frankford CDC located at 499 N 05TH ST SUITE A PHILADELPHIA PA 19123 which happens to be the headquarters of NET. No sale date is listed and no sale price. http://brtweb.phila.gov/brt.apps/Search/SearchResults.aspx?id=3496004621#

There is an interesting story in the Northeast Times this week on state Representative Mark Cohen. http://www.northeasttimes.com/2007/0802/cohen.html If you follow Phillyblog at all you may have seen posts by Cohen. the surprising thing about finding him posting there is that it is so atypical for a pol to say what he thinks out there in the public forum knowing that it will be impossible for him to deny it later. Agree with him or not but we need more like him who are willing to say what they think and take part in an exchange of ideas.

And in that same line, my wife often emails our elected officials to ask them to support one issue or another. She has emailed State Representative Tony Payton on such and issue and each time he has emailed back with a response. A few weeks ago, at about dinner time, the phone rang. Representative Payton was calling to further discuss an issue she had emailed him about.

Could this be a trend where politicians actually listen to people. Let’s hope.

An unusual time for the Inquirer to post this video but it is worth a look for as long as they make it available. Those nameless people who you sometimes meet at the Frankford Transportation Center have a story to tell. This video was taken in January in the midst of a code blue. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/multimedia/8831582.html

Councilman Dan Savage introduced a bill to City Council to re-establish the Frankford Special Services District. No hearings on the bill have been scheduled as yet. email me if you would like the entire text of the bill.

City Council Chief Clerk’s Office
402 City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107
BILL NO. 070540
Introduced June 7, 2007

Council member Savage Referred to the Committee on Rules AN ORDINANCE Reestablishing a neighborhood improvement district in an area that generally includes both sides of Frankford Avenue from Torresdale Avenue to Bridge Street and certain side streets including portions of Kensington Avenue, Foulkrod Street, Gillingham Street,Griscom Street, Margaret Street, Meadow Street, Orthodox Street, Paul Street, Pratt Street, Darrah Street, and Unity Street, to be known as the Frankford Special Services District (“District”); designating the Frankford Special Services District of Philadelphia(“the Authority”), an Authority established pursuant to the Municipality Authorities Actof 1945, as the Neighborhood Improvement District Management Association for the District; approving a final plan for the District, including a list of proposed improvements and their estimated cost, and providing for assessment fees to be levied on property owners within the District; authorizing the Director of Commerce, on behalf of the City,to execute an agreement with the Authority relating to the District; and authorizing the Authority to assess property owners within the District a special property assessment feet to be used in accordance with the approved final plan; all in accordance with the provisions of the Community and Economic Improvement Act, and under certain terms and conditions.