Accused sidewalk-stealer Samir Benakmoume has agreed to return the walkway in front of his 1352 Lofts on South Street to the minimum 5 feet, according to Councilman Frank DiCicco's office. Benakmoume's company, Rimas Properties, has been negotiating with the city to return the sidewalk to its proper width after contractors mistakenly built out a deck and handicapped ramp a bit too far. Inquirer architecture columnist Inga Saffron was all over it on her Changing Skyline blog.
DiCicco introduced a bill yesterday to allow the construction to proceed. His chief of staff, Brian Abernathy, said Rimas has already begun to clear the sidewalk in front of one shop, and will move on to the others in the coming weeks. Abernathy said Benakmoume is generally a responsible developer, calling this episode an unfortunate mistake.
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