Controversial fight over Fishtown home heads to court, as both sides claim they are in the right

FISHTOWN - There’s a controversy brewing in Fishtown, as a family says a local non-profit is trying to force them out while the non-profit says it’s clearing out blight.

The brick house at 1,500 Frankford Avenue, in Fishtown, stands out in this growing community of new buildings.

Lindsey Franklin admits it’s not much, but it’s her family’s. She said, "It’s our family home. It’s not pretty. We love it. We didn’t have a lot of money, it’s still ours."

Franklin said she was raised in the house by her grandparents. She claims the house fell into disrepair after relatives died and money was tight.

Last year, The Fishtown Kensington Area Business Improvement District filed a petition in court on the property.

Marc Collazzo is the Executive Director. Collazzo said, "We brought this action only knowing there were deceased owners, no estate, a falling down property. Our goal is to fix it up or demolish it and get it back into productive use."

And that’s the rub. While Collazzo argues his group is trying to make things right, Franklin, and a gathering of supporters, who met in a Fishtown church Friday, allege the improvement district is trying to force the family out.

Franklin said her family had not been heard and it feels like the property could be taken from them.

A court hearing was held, via Zoom, Friday afternoon, in which both sides made their arguments on the future on the property. A future still up in the air.

Marc Collazzo said, "We’re not profiting on it. We did not cherry-pick a developer. We simply want the property, that’s a danger, to be made safe."

Another court hearing is set for May. Franklin said she may be forced to sell before then. She said, "We’ve never left. We never abandoned the house. I don’t think we should be punished for not having the money to fix it."