Philadelphia Roundup — Stories on New Developments, Overcoming Adversity, A New Movie and More

We are back for another edition of “The Philadelphia Roundup.”

Just like each day prior, Philadelphia hasn’t been short on fascinating stories connected to the “City of Brotherly Love.”

Here are some of the latest stories.

New Apartments Coming to Callowhill

A new high-rise building featuring 144 apartments was recently proposed in Callowhill, writes Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The building will largely consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments and will feature about 2,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. 

It would replace a parking lot in the area. 

Read more about the new proposal in Callowhill at The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

$215M to Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

The owners of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown — Center City’s largest hotel — recently secured a $215 million loan to refinance the property, writes Emma Dooling for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Since being built in 1994, the Marriott has become a popular choice for attendees of meetings and events held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. 

It features a total of 1,408 rooms, 75 signature suites, along with various facilities.

Read more about the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown at the Philadelphia Business Journal.

High School QB Gains Confidence Through Football

Davon Dillard has faced many challenges throughout his life, but the sport of football has greatly helped him, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

As a toddler, Dillard has battled vitiligo. The condition often caused him to try to hide himself rather than risk hearing negative comments about his skin.

However, his role as quarterback at School of the Future — along with his older sister — has helped him gain more confidence and stay true to who he is.

Read more about Davon Dillard’s journey at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

New Kevin Hart Movie Coming to Netflix

Kevin Hart is the star of a new movie that will be coming to Netflix in January, writes Kathia Woods for The Philadelphia Tribune. 

In the film “Lift,” the Philadelphia native plays the role of a professional thief hired by the government to lead an international heist crew to steal $500 million worth of gold from a passenger plane. 

It’s one of the few movie roles in which Hart will not rely so heavily on his comedic chops. 

Read more about “Lift” before it premieres on Netflix at The Philadelphia Tribune. 

The Reopening of Mount Vernon Cemetery

Thanks to a group of volunteers, Mount Vernon Cemetery in North Philadelphia has opened to the public for the first time in over 20 years, writes Ximena Conde for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

For over a year, volunteers have battled overgrown weeds in the cemetery, making it difficult for the loved ones of those buried there to access their final resting places.

The tremendous work has led to a “reintroduction to the public” for the cemetery.

Learn more about the recent decades of Mount Vernon Cemetery at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Upgrades Are Coming to Amtrak

Thanks to President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Amtrak is set to see some major improvements, writes Sean Kitchen for The Keystone.

Amtrak will receive close to $66 billion in funding.

It will be used to help build new cars, modernize the tracks and signals, and bring other station improvements. 

The upgrades are likely to go a long way toward increasing ridership, which has seen a steady decline over the years.

Learn more about how new funding will help upgrade Amtrak in The Keystone.