What We're Reading: Week of June 19, 2023

Here's what we're reading this week about the projects, people and policies driving local development:

🏚️Starwood Capital Group is reportedly looking to sell 2000 single family homes it acquired in 2021 for rental, representing over half of their portfolio of single family rental properties: Starwood Looks to Sell 2,000 Rental Homes (therealdeal.com)

by TRD Staff, Jun 14, 2023

🏁Part of the team sharing expertise to get I-95 reopened includes NASCAR, with Pocono Raceway sharing their technology to enable repaving to keep moving forward: I-95 rebuild: NASCAR jet dryer will speed reopening despite rain (billypenn.com)

by Fallon Roth, Jun 22, 2023

Inga Saffron celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Market East Development from Market to Chestnut Streets, 11th to 12th, and compares that development favorably to New York’s recent Hudson Yards, while also touting the mixed use, varied building style model for the proposed site of the Sixer’s arena, and even suggests that the arena would be better sited at the Roundhouse block: New apartments, hotel are turning East Market Street into 24/7 neighborhood (inquirer.com)

by Inga Saffron, columnist for The Inquirer, Updated Jun 22, 2023

The City of Philadelphia is committing $1.1 million to buy back privately held liens on community gardens that were part of a citywide tax lien sale in 1997, to preserve these long tended community assets: Philly agrees to $1.1M lien buyback for community gardens - WHYY

by Sophia Schmidt, Jun 21, 2023

City Council held a hearing on the tenant eviction process that exposed many of the hidden roles of private eviction services, and raised questions about both local and state rules around evictions: Philadelphia eviction system subject of City Council hearings after shooting of Angel Davis (inquirer.com)

by Max Marin, Jun 21, 2023

State Representative Joe Hohenstein introduced a bill in Harrisburg to enable counties to raise funds through local taxes to meet match requirements for federal transit funds: Allegheny County supports bill to add local taxes to support transit projects - Pittsburgh Union Progress

by Ed Blazina Jun 21, 2023

WHYY looks at the impact of rising home mortgage interest rates on first time homebuying in Philadelphia: Philly’s weak housing market is serving up a mix of emotions - WHYY

by Aaron Moselle, Updated Jun 15, 2023