The new owners of 401 North Broad St. (former North American Publishing and Packard Motor building, also where Philadelphia’s Vietnam War draftees reported, and Civil Affairs cop George Fencl based his surveillance of antiwar demonstrators) will invest $70 million in upgrading the 11-story, 1.3 milllion sq ft, block-long pale-brick Internet and data carrier hotel, says Gerald Marshall, chief executive at New York-based Amerimar Enterprises.

$70M upgrade to telecom hotel at 401 N. Broad.

The North Broad Community Coalition, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, West Poplar Community Development Corp., and Callowhill Neighborhood Association, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints signed the agreement Thursday. It calls for them to not oppose Blatstein’s application for the city’s remaining casino license. The document also states that the community groups would have preferred that the property be developed differently.

Blatstein’s Provence has agreement with community groups – Philly.com.

Another indie and underground favorite, the Starlight Ballroom offers scenesters lots of space, comfortable—but limited—seating, a bar and a big stage to see touring and local bands. 460 N. 9th Street, r5productions.com
Tucked into the city’s burgeoning Eraserhood sits the performance venue Underground Arts, a lower-level space that caters to an artistic and creative crowd. The genres of live music run the spectrum, which is one of Underground Art’s greatest assets. 1200 Callowhill Street, undergroundarts.org
Local and touring indie, punk, hardcore and hip-hop acts take to the acoustically awesome stage at the ultra-spacious Union Transfer, where each concert finishes with a post-show happy hour and where Little Baby’s Ice Cream doles out cupfuls of locally churned flavors. 1026 Spring Garden Street, (215) 232-2100, utphilly.com

PressZoom.com – Global News Service – News and Press Release Distribution.

Bart Blatstein’s Tower Entertainment – which wants to open Provence Casino at Broad and Callowhill streets – has been trying to get an agreement with its neighbors signed, sealed and delivered weeks before the license process is complete.

Community splits over casino cash.

Though plans in many cities have a long way to go before becoming reality, a point in favor of reuse is that it can be cheaper to renovate old rail structures than to tear them down. The Reading Viaduct, an old elevated railway line in Philadelphia, would cost $50 million to demolish versus $36 million to retrofit, according to the Center City District, a business improvement group.

Cities See Another Side to Old Tracks – NYTimes.com.

The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has released its opinion on the case of Church of the Assumption, the vacant church near 11th and Spring Garden Streets, finding that the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas erred in not dismissing the case after the property was sold to a new owner last year.

Assumption Ruling Keeps Legal Wheels Turning | Hidden City Philadelphia.