by KYW's Mike Dunn
A billion-dollar expansion of the Fox Chase Cancer Center had been on life support, but suddenly it's in good health thanks to a deal brokered by Mayor Nutter.
Fox Chase needs some city parkland to expand, and last month the long-negotiated deal suddenly blew up, with the Street administration blaming city councilman Brian O'Neill, and O'Neill pointing the finger right back (see related stories).
Mayor Nutter on Wednesday got all the parties into one room and reached a tentative agreement. O'Neill says having this new mayor made the difference:
"If Mayor Street had another term, we wouldn't have this done during those four years. If Michael Nutter had been in office last year or the year before, this would have been done last year or the year before."
Nutter stresses that final details still have to be ironed out:
"If we were in a football game, I think we are clearly in the red zone."
O'Neill says Fox Chase agreed to $4 million in community improvements as part of the deal.
The project still requires final approval by the Fox Chase Cancer Center board; the Fairmount Park Commission, which meets on this on February 8th; and City Council.
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