Happy Friday, South Philly.
Where do you think LeBron James will live? My bet’s on 2 Street.
In this week’s Scoop …
Final touches are being put on the big Washington Avenue bike lane project.
The fight continues over a vacant lot on Queen Street.
A water main break shuts down a Passyunk Square restaurant.
And a Michelin-recommended restaurant by the Singing Fountain is expanding.
But first, our top story this week …
Eagles win state funding for facility upgrades … but why?
We’ll start with the good news: the Eagles are upgrading their practice facility at Broad and Pattison Avenues, a sign of their continued commitment to South Philadelphia and maybe a sign that their eventual new stadium will stay in the Sports Complex.
And now, the bad news: the team — valued at a worth of over $8 billion by Forbes — is using $4 million in state funding to improve it.
The Philadelphia Business Journal reported Thursday that the Eagles won the funding from a state program called the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, and that it will use the funds to renovate locker rooms, training areas for players, and will even add a roof deck to an improved cafeteria. The total project will cost $15.4 million, meaning taxpayers are on the hook for roughly 25 percent of it.
So why is the state awarding funds to an $8 billion organization when schools in the same city are closing and public transit is woefully underfunded?
