Olde Richmond home demolished after being deemed unsafe

PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - A home that was undergoing renovations was deemed unstable and was demolished on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for Philadelphia's Licensing and Inspection Office said the home's instability at 2624 Tulip Street is still under investigation.

Neighbors say work crews were digging Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for L&I confirms the excavation was not allowed and it has cited the property owner and contractor Wharton Homes, LLC.

There was no answer at two Philadelphia addresses for Wharton Homes when FOX 29's Jeff Cole knocked on Tuesday.

Now, all eyes are on the adjoining property. The homeowner's son, who asked not to be identified, says his elderly father lived there for decades and he is worried about the home surviving the demolition.

"It's a little frustrating for everyone who has been here for a while," says Valerie Capasso, one of the many neighbors who scoped out the scene on Monday, frustrated to see this happening again.

"We saw them taking a lot of dirt out of the basement yesterday and I was kind of like, hm, that's kind of weird, maybe that's not a good idea," she says.

It's a similar situation to the homes demolished on Thompson Street in Fishtown last month.

The family of a 94-year-old woman says shoddy construction work in the basement of an adjoining home forced the demolition of hers.

Venice Whitaker, a constituent service representative for City Council President Darrell Clarke says this has become a major problem for homes in developing communities.

"There has to be more awareness," she says. "Permits need to get posted, there needs to be discussions with neighbors, everyone just kind of has to look out for themselves."