In early April, Philadelphia real estate developer German Yakubov began posting in social media groups dedicated to historic preservation in Philadelphia with what sounded like a straightforward proposition: “Save Parkside.” In accompanying photos and on a linked website, Yakubov urged the public to sign a petition supporting his redevelopment of a historic, once-handsome duplex in the West Philadelphia neighborhood that has fallen into disrepair.
However, the backstory is anything but simple.
Yakoubov’s online campaign to redevelop the three-story residences at 4204-06 Parkside Avenue, built circa 1895, has been met with jeers from near neighbors who say it’s the latest tactic the developer is using to squeeze as much density in, and profit out of, their neighborhood as possible. Working with his brother Lev under the corporate banner of Haverford Square Properties, the Yakubovs have accumulated significant holdings in West Philadelphia over the past 15 years, starting in Mantua and Belmont before pushing north into East Parkside…