Vacant Lot Philadelphia Residents Cleaned Up, Turned Into Dog Park Must Be Vacated, Officials Say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A vacant lot in Philadelphia that neighbors turned into a gathering spot will soon be off-limits. The half-acre city-owned lot is in Francisville on the corner of 15th and Parrish Streets.
Neighbors say it was overgrown and littered with trash. So, they cleaned it up, added a fenced-in area for dogs, and benches.
The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority has ordered them to vacate the spot by today or be prosecuted for trespassing.
The lot will be used for a future affordable housing project.
"It's become this magnet area for people to come. We're not trying to tell people they can't live here. It's been empty for 20 years, they're not going to build on it for maybe another two years. Why not make use of the space until then?" neighborhood resident Paul Donovan said.
Officials from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority say they will meet with the residents to talk about temporary uses for the lot.