St. Peters Episcopal Church in Germantown (Photo by Bas Slabbers for NewsWorks)
Are escalating union protests one sign that a neighborhood is on the upswing?
Developer Ken Weinstein, who’s company Philly Office Retail is a fixture in Northwest Philadelphia, recently sent out the appeal below to neighborhood residents, in response to a protest by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union.
Weinstein did not hire IBEW members for his Waldorf School campus development, which is now underway at the long vacant St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, located on the 6000 block of Wayne Avenue in Germantown. Instead of protesting in Germantown however, IBEW is targeting Weinstein’s customers at The Trolley Car Diner in Mt. Airy, hoping to disrupt business at the friendly neighborhood restaurant.
The historic St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was designed by noted Philadelphia architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt, and listed on the Preservation Alliance’s annual endangered properties list in 2010. The religious buildings are now being adapted to function as a school campus for pre-K through 8th grade students.
In his letter to neighbors, Weinstein says he is investing nearly $6 million into the project, which after years of neglect, requires extensive restoration.
Elsewhere in Germantown, union activity continues outside of the Post Brothers’ Rittenhouse Hill apartment towers, at at Rittenhouse Street and Wissahickon Avenue. (Note to self, buy stock in yard signs.) As development interest grows in Germantown, expect to see more protests around development activity, whether they spurred on by unions or residents themselves.
Union protest signs outside of The Trolley Car Diner in Mt. Airy (Photo via Chestnut Hill Local)
Inside St. Peter’s (Photo by Bas Slabbers for NewsWorks)
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Ken Weinstein <Ken@phillyofficeretail.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 6, 2014 at 3:52 PM
Subject: Really need your help
As a friend, I am writing to seek your help and support. I am being personally attacked for not hiring IBEW (electrical workers union) members for my development project converting a long vacant and deteriorated property in Germantown into a vibrant and active Waldorf School campus. IBEW members were stationed outside Trolley Car Diner this morning handing out flyers with my picture and cell phone number listed.
Below are some facts that IBEW may want to consider before trying to turn customers away from the Diner:
- We are investing nearly $6 million into this positive Germantown development. It is the largest investment in Germantown in many years.
- We returned this property to the real estate property tax rolls after years of no tax revenue.
- We are saving several Frank Furness designed buildings on this 1.5 acre campus. These buildings were listed by the Preservation Alliance as one of the most endangered historic properties in the Philadelphia region.
- This project uses no government funding, other than historic tax credits that were recently awarded to this project in exchange for preserving the structures.
- Unlike members of IBEW, a majority of our contractors hired are from the northwest Philadelphia community and are racially diverse.
- Unlike IBEW, our chosen general contractor, McCoubrey/Overholser, is based in Mt. Airy and invests heavily in our community.
- This project will create nearly 100 temporary and permanent jobs and will allow the Waldorf School to add students and grow.
I do not appreciate this personal attack and I will not stay quiet while they spread lies and misinformation about our projects designed to revitalize our neighborhoods. I will put up my record of revitalizing our region’s urban communities, anytime, against the efforts of IBEW to shut down projects that positively impact our community.
I am asking you to visit Trolley Car Diner in the next couple days to let the protestors outside the Diner know that you don’t agree with their position and that they are doing a disservice to the community by trying to discourage people from visiting the Diner and shutting down our Waldorf School development project. If you want to be sure that the protestors are there when you visit, feel free to call the Diner at (215) 753-1500. They know that you may be calling to check.
I don’t care whether or not you stay to eat at the Diner, just that you let the protestors know that they do not have the support of our community and that they should support my efforts to make northwest Philadelphia a better place to live, work, learn and enjoy. Please ask the protestors to tell their leadership that they are not helping their cause by camping outside the Diner with their threatening signs and flyers.
They say that you know who your friends are when times get tough. I am blessed to have many good friends who have a common vision for our community and City.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. I would love to hear feedback on your visit to the Diner when you get a chance.
Thanks,
Ken
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