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Hallwatch News
Philly real estate: fewer sales, higher prices in some areas
Posted by Kevin Gillen & Ed Goppelt
Sunday, 08/17/08
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Philadelphia house values exhibited resistance to further price declines this spring, even as the number of home sales continued its downward slide. According to the latest analysis by Wharton economist Kevin Gillen, the typical Philadelphia home increased in value by an average ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
City housing market: brisk decline continues
Posted by Kevin Gillen & Ed Goppelt
Monday, 05/12/08
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Philadelphia home values and home sales continued to slide briskly downward this past winter. According to the latest analysis by Wharton economist Kevin Gillen, the typical Philadelphia home fell in value last quarter by an average of 2.7% after accounting for quality and season. From the market's peak in Spring 2007, prices h ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Fumo gives up senate bid; will serve out term
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 03/12/08
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| State Senator Vincent Fumo announced today that he would not seek a ninth term in office avoiding a nasty primary battle. Fumo told the crowd of 100 gathered at the PA Convention Center that he would complete his term which expires the end of this year. ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Philadelphia home values down for the year
Posted by Kevin Gillen & Ed Goppelt
Tuesday, 02/05/08
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Philadelphia home values ended the year slightly down, the first year-on-year citywide price decline since 2002. House prices declined citywide by an average of 4.4% in the fourth quarter of 2007 after season and quality are taken into account according to the latest analysis by Wharton economist Kevin Gillen. This is the lar ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
A bad day for casinos
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Thursday, 01/24/08
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Both casinos proposed for Philadelphia suffered setbacks today in a
sign that the days of City officials’ rubber stamping any request from
casino developers are over.
City Councilman Frank DiCicco had legislation introduced this morning that requires the Foxwoods Casino to meet eight conditions befor ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
A new day for Philadelphia?
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Monday, 01/07/08
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| Reform Mayor Michael Nutter and members of City Council were sworn in today at the Academy of Music. View photos of the event. ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Legislators sue City over casino land grab
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 12/26/07
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A group of state legislators sued today to overturn a decision by the City of Philadelphia to give SugarHouse Casino permission to build on 12 acres of state-owned riverfront land. The suit was filed by two state senators and five state representatives representing the Philadelphia neighborhoods adjoining the Delaware River. State Reps. Mike O'Brien, Bill Keller and John Taylor argued t ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Casino-Free to City: follow your conscience on permits
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Friday, 12/07/07
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Three members of Casino-Free Philadelphia called on Governor Ed Rendell and Mayor Elect Nutter to move the two casinos approved for the waterfront. The press conference comes in response to Monday's decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to overrule City Council and greenlight construction of the SugarHouse Casino. Reportedly SugarHouse expects to ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Casino Neighbors: "Street/Rendell Go to Hell"
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Tuesday, 12/04/07
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| Angered by a pair of decisions that greenlight one casino for construction and advance the chances of the other, residents protested at the site of the Foxwoods Casino in South Philadelphia late yesterday evening. Braving the bitter cold, about 75 Philadelphians chanted "Street/Rendell go to Hell", "lame duck deal" and "the people say no" to TV cameras. ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Residents and officials challenge casino land grab
Posted by Caryn Hunt
Friday, 11/16/07
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A contentious three-hour hearing over the fate of land needed by
SugarHouse Casino to build its slots parlor pitted Philadelphia
residents and state and city legislators against officials working for
Mayor John Street.
In a dramatic beginning to the hearing, police removed three
residents from the building for refusing to sit down and shut up.
Members of Casino Free Philadelphia had been at ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Philadelphia Experiences First Citywide Drop in House Values Since 2002
Posted by Kevin Gillen & Ed Goppelt
Friday, 11/09/07
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How well— or poorly —Philadelphia’s housing market is faring these days can depend upon which way you’re looking. If you compared our latest stats to those of just the past few years, the news looks pretty grim:
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Hallwatch News
Residents file federal suit to stop Philly casinos
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Monday, 11/05/07
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In an attempt to halt the construction of 2 Philadelphia casinos, an assortment of community groups and individuals sued the state Gaming Board in federal court on Friday. In the suit 14 plaintiffs, led by Society Hill Civic Association, are asking the federal court in Philadelphia to order the Ga ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
SugarHouse Casino asks Supreme Court for permission to build
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Friday, 10/26/07
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| SugarHouse Casino asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday to issue the building permits it needs to build its casino. In an October 25, 2007 press conference, speakers for SugarHouse argued that they had no choice but to sue the City of Philadelphia, their host community, because City Council thus far has not rezoned the casino's property which lies midway between Northern Liberties and Fi ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Experts: Gaming is No Game
Posted by Caryn Hunt
Saturday, 10/20/07
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Four experts shared their differing perspectives on why gambling is no game at a press conference held by the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling on October 12, 2007. Addressing the National Press Club in Washington DC, MIT Professor Natasha Dow Schull spoke about how modern slot machines are designed to create gambling addicts. In order to understa ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Did Rendell renege on his promise to help move the casinos?
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 10/10/07
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Governor Ed Rendell has given up on a two month long effort to find new locations for the two Philadelphia casinos according to a letter the Governor wrote yesterday. Both Foxwoods and SugarHouse Casinos politely declined Rendell’s offer to consider moving elsewhere about a month ago. |
Hallwatch News
Hallwatch: better casino sites are possible
Posted by Caryn Hunt
Sunday, 09/16/07
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Hallwatch publisher Ed Goppelt told state legislators last Tuesday there was nothing particularly difficult or special about finding suitable alternative locations for the proposed Foxwoods and SugarHouse casinos. Appearing before the House Gaming Oversight Committee, Goppelt asked legislators to protect neighbor ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Philly Real Estate: Mixed Signals Suggests Transition
Posted by Kevin Gillen & Ed Goppelt
Thursday, 08/23/07
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In the real estate market, both prices and volume typically take a nice, robust up-tick in the spring—what realtors refer to as “the spring bounce”. This spring, prices and volume for Philadelphia real estate bounced, but in different directions. While volume rose from winter to spring, it fell sharply from where it was a year ago according to ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Foxwoods Casino gets better deal than SugarHouse
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Monday, 08/06/07
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The state Gaming Control Board took a one-size fits all approach to crafting the conditions the Philadelphia casinos will be expected to follow in exchange for their license. A copy of the SugarHouse Statement of Conditions obtained by Hallwatch today shows that it contains 59 c ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Foxwoods will pay at most $1 million per year to neighbors
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Thursday, 07/26/07
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| Foxwoods Philadelphia Casino will pay at most $1 million to offset harm to affected neighborhoods according to a deal struck with the state Gaming Board. The so-called Statement of Conditions makes it a condition of licensure that Foxwoods pay no more than $1 million to fund a special ...Read entire story |
Hallwatch News
Philadelphians ask Sen. Fumo for his protection from casinos
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 07/11/07
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Fumo asked to introduce legislation requiring a 1500' protective buffer between casinos and neighborhoodsState Sen. Vincent Fumo has received 666 faxes from Philadelphians asking him to introduce legislation that would protect all neighborhoods from the two Las Vegas size casinos planned for Philadelphia. Of the faxes, 564 are from resid ...Read entire story |