The Royal Theater--A Royal Mess thanks to Kenny Gamble and Universal Properties

[Websterman]

Can we have all this information sent to Kenyatta so he can look into this and propose new assessments for all of the Universal properties?

[BarryG]

Can we have all this information sent to Kenyatta so he can look into this and propose new assessments for all of the Universal properties?

[macdaire]

I agree with Vegan. It is easier to sit and type than get off your butt to vote. However as someone who DID vote this whole scenario sickens me. if you throw in the school district and Universals involvement I usually have to go lie down.......
I also assume that many of the peopel here did vote, right?

[londoner]

Does anyone know if Universal Properties is looking to sell the Royal? If so, what's its value? A cursory search turned up nothing on the topic.

[topogigio]

Although the facade of the Royal has been repointed, at least parts of it seem to be, both the east and west walls of the building are in a complete state of ruin. Universal has waited far too long to repoint the side walls and it would appear that the crumbling bricks are far too deteriorated to save. Large tree roots are growing out the structure and there is extensive water damage throughout the building as a result. While the front of the building may be able to be salvaged, the remaining structure would need to be raised--that is, if the building does not collapse on itself.



Image of east wall 6/9/11

[topogigio]

I agree with Vegan. It is easier to sit and type than get off your butt to vote. However as someone who DID vote this whole scenario sickens me. if you throw in the school district and Universals involvement I usually have to go lie down.......
I also assume that many of the peopel here did vote, right?

I would think that anyone who is truly concerned about the area in which they live would have taken the time to vote.

Capozzi really could win the challenge and have a rematch, and, this time, you really need to vote like your lives depended on it, because if you want to stay here, you have to have schools people want to send their kids to. There's too much property that doesn't pay its fair share, and that practice has to end. Instead of raising property taxes, let's hold Nutter and Council's feet to the fire and have them finally fix property tax assessments so that everyone is assessed in real time on real values including these "nonprofits" like Universal that seem to be very profitable.

[ofeibush]

I wish they'd sell it....they do not seem willing or able to develop it. Without grant money it would become condos though....no chance of it becoming a larger venue.

[topogigio]

I wish they'd sell it....they do not seem willing or able to develop it. Without grant money it would become condos though....no chance of it becoming a larger venue.

Why couldn't the site become a Wegman's, a Trader Joe's, or the mirror image of Whole Foods at 9th and South? Not only would a major market do well in the area, but it would also create much needed job opportunities.

[Gladys]

Why couldn't the site become a Wegman's, a Trader Joe's, or the mirror image of Whole Foods at 9th and South? Not only would a major market do well in the area, but it would also create much needed job opportunities.

True i'd love that but would also love to see the theater fixed, although sounds like that is not going to happen.

[MariusPontmercy]

Sorry love, that's quite contrare. It is widely accepted that in order to complain one must vote. It is quite obvious that
you didn't vote. So shushim upim.

Vote for who exactly? Who was it that said they were going to go after Universal?

I feel like outside the posters on this board and some of those living in that part of the city, most people probably still think of Gamble as a saint, if they think of him at all.

[BarryG]

Why couldn't the site become a Wegman's, a Trader Joe's, or the mirror image of Whole Foods at 9th and South? Not only would a major market do well in the area, but it would also create much needed job opportunities.

Please tell me this was a joke.

[jester]

I think it was a joke. Aside from that, I find it disappointing that Philly may very well get two new major venues (Union Transfer and HOB Fishtown) before anything interesting ever happens with the Royal. If nothing else, I find it quite selfish of Gamble to hold on to it. Instead of trying to be a jack-of-all-trades community developer ending up with half-assed results, he ought to stick with one project and see it through to the end, getting it done right. Then again, I'm not even sure he could do it right if he only focused on one thing anyway.

[VeganDike]

Vote for who exactly? Who was it that said they were going to go after Universal?

I feel like outside the posters on this board and some of those living in that part of the city, most people probably still think of Gamble as a saint, if they think of him at all.

How true although there is money coming from the state and federal level too.

[Gladys]

Although the facade of the Royal has been repointed, at least parts of it seem to be, both the east and west walls of the building are in a complete state of ruin. Universal has waited far too long to repoint the side walls and it would appear that the crumbling bricks are far too deteriorated to save. Large tree roots are growing out the structure and there is extensive water damage throughout the building as a result. While the front of the building may be able to be salvaged, the remaining structure would need to be raised--that is, if the building does not collapse on itself.



Image of east wall 6/9/11

I just read how Philly has the second most community gardens or all cities in the the country. Maybe this is what they meant. So many buildings are hosting gardens in their walls.

[MariusPontmercy]

I just read how Philly has the second most community gardens or all cities in the the country. Maybe this is what they meant. So many buildings are hosting gardens in their walls.

That's one of those stats people try to spin a good way. Yeah, a community garden is better than a vacant lot, and at a certain number they are a definite asset to a neighborhood, but the fact that we have so much open, under-utilized space is not a good thing.

Sadly, I think the Royal will become a vacant lot. And then we won't even be able to turn it into a community garden.

[Gladys]

That's one of those stats people try to spin a good way. Yeah, a community garden is better than a vacant lot, and at a certain number they are a definite asset to a neighborhood, but the fact that we have so much open, under-utilized space is not a good thing.

Sadly, I think the Royal will become a vacant lot. And then we won't even be able to turn it into a community garden.

Did you miss the sarcasm?

[MariusPontmercy]

Did you miss the sarcasm?

I got that, but some people do try and spin that the other way. I did not include you in people.

[ArcticSplash]

1524-1534 South St. is the piece de resistance of the Royal Theater, per city records. It was purchased for only $160,000 in 3/4/1998, and for all of its size and premium location, it is still only assessed at $189,100, an appreciation of merely $29,100, quite out of character for every other property (not owned by Universal) in the neighborhood, even for most empty lots. It's property taxes are a mere $5,495.70 per year, making it on par with the assessments of the single row houses on the same block. It's less then 1500-02 South St., listed as a 2280 square foot 3-story row house in the city records which pays almost $6,000 a year.

The city again is having trouble with that pesky record keeping and doing updates that made Nutter abolish the BRT in a fit of pique. The owner here is erroneously listed as The Preservation Alliance. But the bills for property taxes go to 800. S. 15th St. -- Universal Companies. At other points in the record, the owner is shown to be Universal Community Homes if you click through.

On the same block however, condos seem to also be suffering from a records gap by the city in spite of Nutter's efforts. Though the bill is in place for them certainly, at 1514-16 South St., the OPA records are missing the online records for their certified market value and gross property tax. That is an error I've never seen. The data simply is not there online. None of the other properties have such a consistent error on the block. Just the condos.

The other properties on the block tend to be taxed at $4,000 or $5,000, some only $3,200. But none enjoys the special time freeze in assessment that Universal gets. It's peculiar. None of the others on the block or in the area are missing assessments in the online record either so far as I've been able to tell, scouring property records across SWCC.

Whatever the property taxes are on the condos, it seems likely that they are just as high as the single family homes, but with smaller square footage. It may be the case that including these comparative prices would trigger a reassessment or just cause messy questions to be asked of friends of Kenny Gamble, such as why are these people put in charge of schools when they are not paying their fair share for the schools on the blighted property that they hold? Or WTF is wrong with the Philly Democrats who are gutting the schools but refusing to do the work of assessing property taxes impartially and legally?

If property taxes were impartially assessed only upon Universal's holdings, just Universal and Kenny Gamble, we would not have to lay off thousands of school employees. This story of underassessment on Universal's behalf characterizes every single one of their property, even if the property contributes nothing to any social goal, such as affordable housing, religious observance, or other exempted purposes. In fact, the properties are sources of equity and revenue killing blight because they are allowed to pay so little. There's no penalty for stasis.

How long does Universal get the golden ticket to do little if nothing but hold underassessed blight throughout South Philly, and when do we convene a grand jury to find out where all the money went? And why do all of the Democrats in Philly lockstep cover for them?

Why is Universal pissing on the taxpayers' leg and telling us it's raining?

Hey top, have you considered filing an IRS non profit complaint against Universal?

If Universal is pulling strings behind the scenes to get their tax assessments frozen, I wonder what they are telling the IRS what they take in and what they spend and where it comes from?



I filed one against PHA's tenant services non-profit, TSSI and the IRS did launch an audit into it tangent to the wider PHA audit that is still ongoing.

[dr_gingivitis]

Date: Monday, June 20, 2011 Time: 6:00 p.m. Location: Govinda’s Cafe 1408 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19146 Contact: Marcus Iannozzi 215-546-6496

Universal Companies: Presentation on Plans for the Royal Theater

Universal Companies has promised to make a presentation on their upcoming plans for redeveloping the Royal Theater. (This is a rescheduled presentation from last month.)

Zoning Discussion: Proposed all-residential development on 1800 block of South Street

Vendor Presentations:

Bank of America, Small Business Accounts Prepaid Legal Services

Organizational Business:

Bylaws and Upcoming Elections

Membership Our membership drive is now underway. Please bring your dues with you to this meeting, or provide them to David Hess, our Treasurer. Dues are $100 per year.

[nostradamamamos]

did Universal get that $31 million in taxpayer (state of PA) money afterall?

also, I don't see why that location couldn't be a nice shopping venue of some sort, possibly like the reading terminal, including live music perhaps. there is ample room for parking and outdoor space as well.