Man robbed near 34th and Chestnut
Philadelphia Police received a report at about 5 p.m. on Thursday from a man who said that he had just been robbed on the 3400 block of Chestnut Street.
In his statement, the victim -- a 20-year-old West Philadelphia man who is not affiliated with Penn -- said that he was walking east on the 3400 block of Chestnut Street when another man struck him twice in the face and took a cell phone, $22 in cash and a SEPTA R8 Regional Rail TrailPass. The victim reportedly sustained a minor cut on his lip that did not require medical treatment.
The victim filed his report at the Philadelphia Police Department's 16th District headquarters. He refused to be interviewed by officers from the Southwest Detective Division.
-- Andrew Whitney 2 burglaries reported near edge of campus
Two burglaries were reported late last week near campus. One of the residences had been burglarized less than two months ago on Sept. 6.
A female Penn graduate student reported to Penn detectives that someone entered her first floor apartment at 4110 Baltimore Ave. between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m Saturday evening by kicking in a locked rear door. No one was home at the time of the burglary and the burglar reportedly took a cell phone and jewelry.
Another burglar entered the same address Sept. 6 between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. through an unlocked door or window and stole cash, credit cards, a cell phone and identification as residents studied upstairs, unaware of the intruder. Police previously arrested a man in connection with that case, but he was in jail at the time of the most recent robbery.
Another burglary occurred last week in the 3900 block of Pine Street. A Penn junior, 20, reported that he left his residence around 10 a.m. last Monday and returned Friday to find that a flat-screen television was missing from the apartment. There were no signs of forced entry.
-- Andrew Whitney Community discusses east campus blueprint
Penn stakeholders got a chance yesterday to voice their ideas and concerns about the University's eastward expansion plans.
Gary Hack, dean of Penn's School of Design, hosted a town-hall meeting at which he presented several concepts for what the soon-to-be-acquired postal lands could look like in the future. Several dozen faculty members, staff and students also asked questions and made suggestions about topics ranging from residences to athletic fields.
The plans are nowhere near final, and the diagrams presented varied greatly. One called for raising the level of the land by building an elevated deck over the area, which stretches from 30th Street Station south to Murphy Field. From there, new fields and buildings could be constructed on an even plane with the Walnut Street bridge.
Hack said that much of the potential of the land lies in its size. The block of College Green, from Van Pelt Library to Houston Hall, would fit easily in the current Postal Service parking lot alone.
He added, and many attendees agreed, that keeping facilities within walking distance is key. Most of the development would be within a 10-minute walk of College Green, about the same distance as 40th Street.
More public discussions are planned for later this semester.
-- Jeff Shafer
