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THE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING WASHINGTON AVENUE
THE FIGHT TO PRESERVE WASHINGTON AVENUE
THE DEVELOPERS ARE COMING
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By: One Step Away staff
In the foreseeable future the corner of 9th Street & Washington Avenue in the historic Italian Market may never look the same. On this corner sits a Philly famous Italian seafood restaurant and market by the name of Anastasi Seafood. Behind this establishment lays a giant vacant lot. Since 2015, Midwood Investment & Development, a company from New York, has been looking to build an apartment complex where the vacant lot and Anastasi’s are located. The development company’s initial proposal planned a five-story, 70-unit apartment complex. However, after Councilman Squilla rezoned the land parcel, to accommodate Midwood’s building, the developer upped the project to an eight-story, 182-unit complex, causing mistrust with longtime residents, according to a 2018 South Philly Review article. Since then, residents, Midwood, and the Passyunk Square Civic Association, have been battling out project details at Civic Design Review (CDR) meetings — the last held in May 2019. After the round of meetings, the project is now a six-story, 157-unit property with a parking garage and retail space. Midwood plans to bulldoze the buildings that house Anastasi Seafood and begin construction later this year. Janet Stechman’s family has operated Anastasi Seafood for more than two decades at its Italian Market location. “We’re lucky to have this food and the ability to broadcast it. We should preserve that for the sake of this community. Many businesses have come and gone but us, we’ve stayed the same in culture and improved through the years with our food,” says Salvatore Stechman, a local and employee at Anastasi Seafood.
THE NEW ITALIAN MARKET
The project is going to change the community as it loses an establishment that has provided high quality seafood and service for years. “The Italian Market has fed thousands,” says Stechmanm. “To change this around for the money is selfish, it’s a waste, they can make a difference, but not in this way.” The Stechmans plan on moving the fish market to a location across the street, but the relocation destination for the restaurant is still unknown. The Italian Market project is just one of Midwood’s 37 properties the company has acquired in
ANASTASI FISH MARKET
Philadelphia since 1998. The company’s website boasts to investors: “Midwood has meticulously repositioned the assets through hands-on leasing, redevelopment and management….Over the past 20 years, rents have increased tenfold.” Midwood’s core markets are New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Pittsburg. The project threatens change for the Italian Market and is adding to the wave of gentrification that is happening in Philadelphia and across most major cities in the U.S. Locals do not believe this development will be beneficial for the Italian Market or the community. “The Italian Market isn’t meant for change like this...”, says Marissa Aversa, a local resident and Anastasi Seafood employee. The market is not a neighborhood with high-rise buildings and condominium complexes. Residents believe that such a structure would change the feel of the neighborhood, characterized by local businesses and restaurants. Along with the potential for a change in culture, the project raises a concern about interrupting the current pedestrian and traffic pattern of the Italian Market, creating congestion. The developer plans to build restaurants and shops on the ground floor which locals believe will create more foot traffic in the already heavily patronized area. Midwood’s plan to construct a parking garage has become a source of debate as well. Community members oppose having the entrance to the building’s underground parking garage on 9th Street, where the fear is that it could stunt the ongoing revitalization in the area, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. One of the oldest public food markets in the United States, the Italian Market has found itself under increasing pressure as the surrounding neighborhoods gentrify, bringing tax increases, complaints about cleanliness and other quality of life concerns, according to WHYY. As the Italian Market project threatens to disrupt communities east of Washington Avenue, further west developers set their sights on the Hoa Binh Plaza.
HOA BINH PLAZA
Hoa Binh Plaza opened in 1990 and became a shopping and community hub for Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants. The beloved Asian food plaza is home to small Vietnamese businesses, restaurants, and bakeries that have been serving the community for over 30 years. Earlier this year, OCF Realty learned the property was under agreement with developers — unbeknown to the plaza’s business owners and neighbors. In Philadelphia, when a developer wants to purchase a building and change the zoning, they
must seek the approval of the area’s Registered Community Organization (RCO) and notify residents who live within 200 square feet of the development at an RCO meeting. According to a WHYY report, when Vietnamese advocacy group VietLead questioned the plaza’s 146 neighbors, only a handful were notified of Streamline Development Group’s June 4 approval meeting to purchase and rezone the area. Additionally, none of the business owners were notified or present at the meeting. Yet the vote still went through approved — essentially evicting all of the plaza’s tenants. Regarding the plaza’s tenants Streamline’s vice president Steve Kosloski told PlanPhilly, “They are all on month-to-month leases not long term leases in place, so it’s going to be up to them to figure out where they are going to locate.” Streamline plans to build 44 new “affordable [housing] units for first time home buyers, young professionals, millennials…our target market.”, Kosloski told WHYY. For 20 percent of the units, the starting price will be $240,000. Most residents in Philadelphia, where the median income is $39,759, will not be able to afford that.
A COMMUNITY EFFORT
On June 25, VietLead organized a meeting with Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, business owners, and community members — attendance was estimated at 75-100 people. Councilman Johnson said that he “was under the impression that everyone was on board.” He followed, “I don’t see how I could be supportive of this, outright evicting all the tenants… so no, I’m not going to be supportive of kicking all of the businesses out, that’s first and foremost, and I’ll say that publicly and for the record.” On July 24, Vietlead organized a rally outside of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) office, the date the ZBA was to review Streamline’s application. Streamline requested a continuance on their request to rezone the area. The ZBA approved the continuance allowing Streamline to meet with Hoa Binh business owners and the community to negotiate a new plan, but it’s been months, according to the nonprofit 18 Million Rising, Streamline finally made contact on November 6. However, it might have been too late. In October, Thomas Sininson closed his Nam Son Bakery on Washington Avenue after he was cited with multiple violations by the health inspector. Sininson is not alone, other plaza business owners do not know what to make of the sudden spike in city inspections. According to Lan Dinh, Farm and Food Sovereignty Director at VietLead, business owners at Hoa Binh Plaza report more frequent city inspections this year than in previous years. Some businesses have been inspected multiple times. Dinh and her colleagues met with representatives of the Health Department and License & Inspections (L&I) recently, and L&I confirmed it has been
receiving more tips of alleged code violations in the area of Hoa Binh Plaza. Dinh told WHYY that Nam Son closing is “really heartbreaking…and it’s a huge loss to the community. This is terrible, that it could have prevented, and was brought in part because of city processes that didn’t make sense.” She continued: “With the continuing business tenants, we want to stay strong and keep working to save the plaza, and keep fighting to make sure no other businesses get closed, feel intimidated, or don’t feel like they have a choice.” VietLead requested that the departments analyze violation reports from the past few years to see if the reports correlate with redevelopment areas. “This is really serious. If there is a correlation that can be made, that in areas where there is gentrification happening there are increases in reporting, then city departments are being weaponized for gentrification,” Dinh told WHYY. 18 Million Rising is hoping to raise $3,000 by November 27 to hire a lawyer to represent Hoa Binh small business owners. According to their website the money will: hire a lawyer to defend the businesses and represent them before Streamline and the ZBA, thus allowing the business owners to focus on keeping their stores open. To help save Hoa Binh Plaza, visit 18 Million Rising at www.action.18mr.org/savehoabinh. Email the ZBA at rcozba@phila.gov. Call Councilman Kenyatta Johnson at 215-686-3412. And spread the word!
THE FUTURE OF PHILADELPHIA
Rezoning of land parcels, lack of government oversight, and the 10-year tax abatement plan are all factors in the ongoing redevelopment Philadelphians have experienced over the last decade or so. As New York and Boston developers continue to gentrify Philadelphia, the question remains for who? What is the future of Philadelphia and who is it being built for? Moving forward local businesses will have to work together if they desire to stop this type of development. Some businesses within the Italian Market want to create a Business Improvement District (BID), an organization who would advocate for establishments when high-end development companies like Midwood or Streamline are coming to develop. As this type of development and gentrification becomes the norm in Philadelphia, the average citizen can play a role, by getting involved with your Registered Community Organization (RCO), and staying informed about what is happening in your neighborhood. Also, remember to vote for City Councilmembers who will put people over profit. Finally, invest locally by supporting local businesses and community establishments. Together, we can keep the Philadelphians in Philly, and our communities intact.
Photos page 8-9 Anastasi Restaurant, anastasiseafood.com. Midwood’s Italian Market Building Plan, midwoodid.com. Photos page 10-11 Nam Son Bakery in Hoa Binh Plaza by Kimberly Paynter/WHYY. Streamline Development’s rendering of the 44 homes planned for the Hoa Bing plaza site Streamline/Harman Deutsch Architects.
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