As promised, this year’s 215 Festival (Nov.1-4, 2012) will be hosting its first-ever YA Saturday! — its first-ever Young Adult Lit full day event — alongside the ever-popular Lovingly Bound Book & Record Fair. For the YA Lit fan, this is a big deal, with a truly stellar lineup, but there’s also plenty for everyone to check out on the Book & Record Fair side. We’re gonna have a LOT of new 215 info this week, so stay tuned and follow the 215 Fest on Facebook and Twitter.

(Full lineup info and bios at: The 215 Festival » This Just In: Full Lineup Of YA Lit Authors For 215 Fest!)

Developer Bart Blatstein, who turned to Italy for inspiration when he built the Piazza at Schmidt’s in Northern Liberties, now is channeling France for a $700-million casino and entertainment complex, proposed for North Broad Street.

Blatstein, founder of Tower Investments, wants to convert the former headquarters of The Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com into the city’s second casino – The Provence.

The casino would be managed by Hard Rock International, which has 16 hotel and casino properties in the United States and abroad.

Tower Investment is best known for revitalizing Northern Liberties and recently has turned its attention to North Broad Street, having purchased the newspaper offices in 2011.

(Story continues at Philadelphia’s second casino – France on North Broad Street? – Philly.com)

But what if we had had the power to take people inside threatened Furness buildings? Urban exploration is an act of seduction, and slowly, slowly, we might have built love for what were considered the city’s relics. Would we still have the wonderful Furness Provident Bank at Fourth and Chestnut instead of the 1980s lump of an Omni Hotel? Maybe not, but you never know until you help people become alive to the possibilities. 

(via “Ruin Porn” Leaves Us Forlorn | Hidden City Philadelphia)

A lawyer for a new coalition said many people believe that North Broad Street already is developing, “just sprouting up in a really interesting way.”

Kevin Greenberg, who represents the coalition, cited Eric Blumenfeld’s projects at Loft 640 and the Divine Lorraine; the opening of Osteria, Vie and Alla Spina restaurants; as well as Blatstein’s own plans for luxury apartments at the former State Office Building at Broad and Spring Garden streets.

The coalition “is deeply concerned about the impact a casino will have on that community, whether it’s traffic, parking, crime and safety, or consistent development for North Broad,” Greenberg said.

He said on Tuesday that he couldn’t yet name the organizations that make up the coalition but that they include civic groups and religious and educational institutions.

Greenberg also noted that the coalition has neither a pro-casino nor anti-casino focus.

(Full story at Developer to unveil plans for N. Broad site, but some don’t want casino)