On Wednesday, Feb. 28, the Spruce Hill Community Association will hold a public meeting for the community to discuss a plan to move the liquor store on 41st and Market streets to 43rd and Walnut streets.
Although the move is still in its early stages - the SHCA is still reportedly engaged in talks with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board - community members have already voiced mixed opinions to the proposal.
According to a DP article published on Feb. 20, the project's planned developer, Dan DeRitis, claimed that the community's economic health has suffered because many residents don't feel comfortable going to the current location, instead buying their wine and spirits in Center City.
The new store, DeRitis said, would feature more upscale selections, moving away from being a "liquor store" to becoming a true "wine and spirits shop."
Penn students of legal drinking age would also benefit from the move, since the new store would be closer to student residential areas. Some students feel that the current location is unsafe, and that they would feel more comfortable walking, especially at night, to a location on Walnut Street.
But others argue that the potential negatives are just as strong, if not stronger, than the benefits.
The new store would be near the Penn-Alexander School - an elementary school - and across the street from a mosque. There are already two stores which sell beer in the area, but members of the community are saying that this crosses the line.
Putting a hard-liquor store near an elementary school raises many questions of safety and neighborhood character. Furthermore, Islam does not allow for the consumption of alcohol, and some argue that this newest project could be seen as an insensitive gesture to West Philadelphia's Muslim residents.
The Penn community has a vested interest in the outcome. Students, faculty and staff who live in the area may not be actively involved in the debate, but they will be directly affected if the store is built. Attending the meeting is not just an opportunity to express an opinion for or against the store; it's a chance to show that members of the Penn community are good neighbors.
For more information about the exact time and location of Wednesday's meeting, call the SHCA at (215) 349-7825.
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