According to a zoning application, 917-21 Arch St. could be looking a bit larger in the near future. Owners Landmark Property Group LLC have proposed building a four story addition on top of the currently five-story building. This would involved adding 36 new apartments to a building that already contains 36 apartments and a soon to be vacant first floor retail space.

Current building

First floor. Still a supermarket, but it's closing very soon.

The building sits on an 18K sqft lot, so an additional four stories, with nine apartments per floor, sounds reasonable for the creation of several one and two bedroom units. As for where all of these new residents will park, we don’t have any answers for that one. Also no word on a future retail tenant.

Chinatown has several small and large development…

Did you know? Chinese New Years Eve is tonight, when at midnight, the year of the dragon will begin. Celebrate Chinese New Year by visiting Chinatown today, where a flower market will be held at the 10th Street Plaza, from 10am until 4pm.

Mongkok flower market. Image from CNN

According to the PCDC website, vendors will sell various types of flowers, including peach blossoms, chrysanthemum, daffodils, and orchids. Other types of goods will also be for sale.

Then, tonight, head back to 10th and Race Sts. to watch the proverbial ball drop as a parade kicks off at 11:45 to celebrate the New Year.

Dick Clark won’t be attending, but Ryan Seacrest is a maybe.

The future home of the Chinatown Community Center. View from Vine St., looking north

According to sources, Chinatown CDC recently received approval from the RDA to acquire and redevelop 1001-1011 Vine St. for the construction of a new community center. When this project was initially being discussed, the structure was to be a simple four story building with retail and a community center. As the plans have moved along, this project has expanded tremendously.

Rendering photographed at the site. Also: Free the People!

The rendering above is dated and the proposal currently being considered is not precisely what you see here. According to the CDC, the latest proposal is fairly similar. Currently, the plan is for a 23-story building with ground-floor retail, a community center with classrooms on the two floors above, office space on the next two…

13 layers on the exposed brick wall

Here is an update on Hop Sing Laundromat, the Bonanza-reference-named cocktail bar whose owner Lêe goes only by his first name. A web of secrets continues to shroud what’s going on at 1029 Race St., but we are slowly unwinding the riddle.

In April, we brought you some early info. A few days ago, we learned some new décor details from the man himself as Lêe welcomed us in to view his gradually progressing vision. Interior renovations are complete aside from cleaning and decorating. He recently received a small collection of chairs from a theater in Italy, where patrons will sit while they wait for their complimentary shoeshine.

Lêe envisions Hop Sing as a low-key establishment with a clientele to match its air of mystique and style. Consider its penny floor made with over $500 worth…

Image from Chinatown Development Corp. Facebook Page

Mark your calendars for the Chinatown Block Party on Saturday, July 2nd, 12-4pm. At the block party, Chinatown will celebrate America’s Independence Day with a full and exciting day of festivities and programs. The celebration will feature outdoor retail and food vendors offering a wide variety of delicious treats, so both 10th and Race Sts. will be closed to vehicle traffic. While you’re sampling these tasty foods, relax and watch one of the featured cultural shows or one of the musical performances on an outdoor stage. Cool down with a refreshing cup of iced coffee, iced milk tea, or a smoothie from a local bakery. Stop by the ping pong and mahjong tournaments to watch a competitive match. Also, be sure to browse a street stall while you listen to an amazing performance from…

Just one block from the Philadelphia Convention Center is Shanghai Bazaar at 1016-18 Race Street. Coldwell Banker is listing the two-story double-wide retail property for $3.8M, which includes more than 7,100 square feet of retail space on the first floor. Everyone loves the kitch, so we’re kinda’ sad to see this business for sale (we love finding little gems at Pearl River in NYC), but really, how many Chinese finger traps would they have to sell to make the +$4k per month rent? —-Caitlin Connors