Also this issue: Who Shot John? Lots of questions in the MOVE murder, but few answers. -Daryl Gale Gale Warning Do-Rags, Low Pants and Weed, Oh My! -Daryl Gale Gunsmoke -Mary F. Patel The Bell Curve City Paper's weekly gauge of Philly's Quality of Life

June 19-25, 2003

city beat

Turf Wars

Two groups battle over a neighborhood’s future.

by Deborah Bolling

In Southwest Center City, that stretch of South Philadelphia between the Schuylkill River and Broad Street and Washington and South streets, a land battle is brewing between the South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA), a 14-year-old grassroots outfit, and Universal Community Homes, a decade-old nonprofit organization that has been acquiring blighted swaths of property through eminent domain.

Last month, Universal announced it was co-partnering with SOSNA to redevelop 24 townhouse units at 17th and Carpenter streets. However, some who may -- in theory -- support all and any development of their neighborhood, have expressed concerns that the plans and budgets drafted by Universal have been kept from them, thereby limiting their input. In addition, homeowners who have been monitoring the demise of the area had expected to have access to low-rate properties. Instead, Universal, a much larger entity, seems to be getting first dibs.

"SOSNA was supposed to be the planning element in the neighborhood," says Alan Mandel, SOSNA treasurer and Democratic committeeman for the 30th Ward. "None of [the materials drafted by Universal] have been passed on to SOSNA. Nobody has seen a budget, nobody has seen a proposal, nobody has seen a projection. This is very disturbing."

The planned redevelopment project is the first joint effort between the groups. At a recent SOSNA meeting, Universal promised to make the data available at the next gathering, slated for July 9.

For others who remain anonymous, the nagging issue of race has crept into the dialogue. Though the current SOSNA president and its founder are both African-American women, there is a widespread perception that some of the organization's white members who disapprove of Universal's business practices may have racial motives. Universal is headed by music mogul turned mega-developer Kenny Gamble, also African American.

Since becoming a developer, Gamble has been plainspoken about his interest in making sure low- to middle-income blacks have access to affordable housing. As a result, in the past 10 days, two unsigned leaflets have been circulated in the community -- each with overt allegations that there are racial factors associated with the Southwest Center City redevelopment plans. In one, Gamble and his organization have been targeted as being secretive and self-serving; in the other, Mandel, a SOSNA board member, has been singled out as a racial agitator.

Under the moniker The Public Policy Forum & The Coalition Opposed to Condemnation (an organization that cannot be tracked), the first two-page flier posed 12 questions to the neighborhood at large. Among them were, "Can Universal be relied upon to develop these houses and sell them fairly and openly to any qualified buyer, without any regard to the religion of an applicant? Has Universal given preference to any particular group in prior home sales and rentals? Is Universal inclusive or exclusive?"

(Some have accused Universal of showing partiality in both rentals and home ownership to Black Muslims. When asked last year about this perception, Rahim Islam, executive director of Universal Community Homes, said the organization's primary concern is to have reliable tenants and that religion was not a consideration. However, Islam asserted that the rigors of organized religion might contribute to a more organized approach to finances.)

About a week later, an unsigned document headlined "Attention: Concerned Black people of South Philadelphia to save our homes " showed up under residents' doors. Part of that text reads, "We want you as Black people to understand that we have a real enemy in our community that calls itself sosna [sic]. The real fact is that this group has worked to undermine the family structure of the Black community for over 20 years. Their leader, Allen Mandell [sic], is the worst enemy that our community can have. He has started a White propaganda war against a person who is trying to save our community, Mr. Kenny Gamble."

Mandel, a licensed Pennsylvania real estate salesperson who owns and sells properties in the area and admits that Universal's strategy may adversely impact his own business concerns, says he doesn't know who authored either communiqué. He says, however, that the first letter piqued his interest because it posed "good questions." Still, Mandel vigorously contests the racial accusations in the second letter, particularly his own denunciation.

"If anybody raises an objection [to Universal's tactics], then a leaflet gets put out making [me] the enemy of black people," he says. "But the truth is that the bulk of properties being taken [through the eminent-domain condemnation policies] are owned by African Americans."

At press time, calls for comment to the head of SOSNA and Universal went unreturned. However, Eve Lewis, the director of the SOSNA Neighborhood Advisory Council, a service-based entity contracted by the city's Office of Housing and Community Development, did weigh in on the controversy.

"I think the tale of the two battling organizations is unfortunate because SOSNA and Universal have to work together -- that's the bottom line," Lewis says. "Mr. Gamble has a vision and SOSNA has a vision. You have to have a vision -- and a mission -- or you'll perish."

To be continued

-- Respond to this article in our Forums -- click to jump there