Morning Headlines: No, Singer Deniece Williams Does Not Own a Plastic-Wrapped Mansion in Cherry Hill, NJ


cherry hill mansion

Google aerial view

Denise Williams had everyone fooled. The owner of an unfinished mansion that’s now wrapped in plastic and surrounded by a metal fence told pretty much everyone she came into contact with, it seems, that she was Deniece “Let’s Hear It for the Boys” Williams, and for some reason residents and general contractor, among others, seem to have taken it on faith. Why this should have made everyone trust her is unclear unless Deniece Williams has a very good reputation for being an honest dealer. At any rate, Benson seems not to be an honest dealer — or at least, she’s unable to behave so regarding this house.

The mansion is in a state of suspended animation, with no work being done. The general contractor is owed thousands of dollars. But Williams/Benson is paying taxes on the house, and told officials she plans to keep working on it. The Inquirer was unable to locate her, but did discover she had past judgments ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Singer Williams has called homeowner Williams a slumlord, but is that the best word? We’ll find out if and when she decides to go public about her plans for the house.

Now, more news…

• Jim Kenney, like any good councilman, wants to bring more business to Philadelphia. In the case of a Sriracha factory, he proudly asserts that Philadelphia can handle the awful smell of it that has caused L.A. residents to sue the company. Sadly, that is probably true. [NBC 10 via Business Journal]
• Just an FYI: The world’s most expensive home office has sold for $40 million, which is actually just a little bit more than the asking price for Jon Bon Jovi’s penthouse. [Curbed NY]
• University of Pennsylvania students who live in the Hub 1 building are worried that the in-progress Hub 3939, to be built at 40th and Chestnut, will impede their views. “Currently, of the building’s nine floors, floors four and up have the Center City view. With the construction, floors four through seven will instead have north and south views, but not necessarily straight views into Center City like before.” Meaning: Hub I ain’t gonna be no Morgan Hall. [Daily Pennsylvanian]