PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by Arch+Eng

Park?
Don't worry about it, soon there will be no parking left, and everyone will be forced to walk or take public transit

Although maybe not the RR anytime soon!

[EastSideHBG]

Speculators offering millions to force out the last of Kensington's manufacturers
Updated: JULY 8, 2016 — 12:29 PM EDT

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ification.html

[Larry King]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Speculators offering millions to force out the last of Kensington's manufacturers
Updated: JULY 8, 2016 — 12:29 PM EDT

http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ification.html

He should take the money and run. Plenty of industrial properties he can move to for much cheaper

[Sgalla04]

I basically did a pop-up beer garden tour with my wife and sister-in-law over the 4th of July weekend. Here are some pics.

PHS Viaduct Beer Garden @ 10th & Hamilton St.:


Parks on Tap @ The Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk (temporary for the week):



SkyGarten @ Top of the Tower 18th & Arch, 51st Floor:





We also went to the Independence Beer Garden at 6th & Market St. and Uptown Beer Garden at 18th & JFK Blvd. (Tuesday 6/28 we had made it over to PHS Pop-up Beer Garden at 15th & South St., but didn't venture there over the weekend).

[Philly-Drew]

Awesome pics sgalla04! Thanks for sharing

[blart]

Fishtown; Girard between Leopard & Dunton Sts. Used to be a one story building and parking lot. Was a doctor office, then most recently a daycare, until it was demolished.




Now digging has started for this rather bland multistory:

[Urbanthusiat]

Originally Posted by blart

Fishtown; Girard between Leopard & Dunton Sts. Used to be a one story building and parking lot. Was a doctor office, then most recently a daycare, until it was demolished.

It'd be bland if it were in Center City, this is a huge improvement for this location. Looks like it will look like Penn's new building on 39th and Walnut.

[ksb]

August 1 is the opening date for the pedestrian and bicycle path connected to the restored Pencoyd Bridge. (The data was provided by a security guard posted on the Bala side.)

The bridge connects Bala Cynwyd and Philadelphia at roughly the half-way point between the UA Main Street theater and the CVS on Main Street. The walking/riding part of the bridge "hangs" out beyond the road surface on the downstream side of the bridge. (The road surface is just one lane; it will supposedly be accessible only to residence of the apartments on the Bala side.)

The bridge is passable now, but there's still a 6" grade difference between the ground on the Philadelphia side and the path surface. A guard was posted on Sunday afternoon at the entrance to The Royal Athena property. (Yes, that's the truly awful name for the new O'Neill Properties apartments built on the old Georgia Pacific/Connelly Container Corp property. I'm nicknaming it Connelley Condos, despite it being apartments -- alliteration is more important than accuracy.)

[Urbanthusiat]

Coming to 2333 Fairmount. Looks good!



From Naked Philly http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...dsome-building

[summersm343]

^^Superb project. Fairmount Ave west of Broad is popping.

[domodeez]

If you're going to do a 5th story setback, that's the way to do it. Fairmont-fronting facade looks great. 21 underground parking spaces accessible via rear entrance leaves the Fairmount sidewalk intact. Has 3 retail spaces and good density at 33 residential units (zoning allows 24 by right). Excellent urbanism & looks like great materials. Terrific project. Would like to see this get approval from ZBA.

[japmes]

Originally Posted by domodeez

If you're going to do a 5th story setback, that's the way to do it. Fairmont-fronting facade looks great. 21 underground parking spaces accessible via rear entrance leaves the Fairmount sidewalk intact. Has 3 retail spaces and good density at 33 residential units (zoning allows 24 by right). Excellent urbanism & looks like great materials. Terrific project. Would like to see this get approval from ZBA.

Better than other projects from this developer.

I don't see how the rear entrance will work. It's a 6 foot wide alley, not big enough for regular traffic. The rear neighbors are upset about it and I can understand why. It would make more sense to put the entrance in the front on Fairmount Ave where there's already a driveway entrance for a parking lot.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by japmes

Better than other projects from this developer.

I don't see how the rear entrance will work. It's a 6 foot wide alley, not big enough for regular traffic. The rear neighbors are upset about it and I can understand why. It would make more sense to put the entrance in the front on Fairmount Ave where there's already a driveway entrance for a parking lot.

There is also already parking on the alley for what looks like at least a dozen spots (4 garage doors and 9 parking pads by my count). So it’s ok for the current residents (rear neighbors) to park there but no one else can?

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9677...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9678...7i13312!8i6656

[br323206]

Originally Posted by japmes

Better than other projects from this developer.

I don't see how the rear entrance will work. It's a 6 foot wide alley, not big enough for regular traffic. The rear neighbors are upset about it and I can understand why. It would make more sense to put the entrance in the front on Fairmount Ave where there's already a driveway entrance for a parking lot.

It does look like 6 feet wide on Google Maps but if you go into street view you can see an SUV driving down it and fitting just fine so it must be at least 8 feet wide. As the other poster above pointed out, there are already several properties taking access from it.

[japmes]

Originally Posted by PHL10

There is also already parking on the alley for what looks like at least a dozen spots (4 garage doors and 9 parking pads by my count). So it’s ok for the current residents (rear neighbors) to park there but no one else can?

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9677...7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9678...7i13312!8i6656

I think cars have to actually drive up on the curb to get through. It's one thing for a handful of residents with cars to squeeze through to get behind their house but now they are adding 21 additional spots. I just don't think its practical or necessary when there is already a driveway fronting Fairmount.

[japmes]

Originally Posted by br323206

It does look like 6 feet wide on Google Maps but if you go into street view you can see an SUV driving down it and fitting just fine so it must be at least 8 feet wide. As the other poster above pointed out, there are already several properties taking access from it.

I'm all for limiting front facing driveways but the configuration of the alley in this case is awkward. It might make more sense if they eliminated the sidewalks and made it an access drive for parking.

[AbortedWalrus]

Originally Posted by japmes

Better than other projects from this developer.

I don't see how the rear entrance will work. It's a 6 foot wide alley, not big enough for regular traffic. The rear neighbors are upset about it and I can understand why. It would make more sense to put the entrance in the front on Fairmount Ave where there's already a driveway entrance for a parking lot.

I've driven past that alley hundreds of times. It's plenty wide enough. And I really DON'T get why it would make neighbors upset. They live half a block off of Fairmount Ave which is always busy, and 24th street is fairly busy too. They are just NIMBYs. Putting it on Fairmount Ave is an awful idea. We should be striving to eliminate any driveway entrance on Fairmount because the sidewalks are ALWAYS packed, and it's hazardous to pedestrians to have people driving across them.

Also, there's a reason this project actually looks handsome. Loonstyn went with Canno Design, who deigned both of Dan Greenberg's fantastic developments in the area (Tela's, Bar Hygge).

[Philly-Drew]

My apologies for the late notice, but I just received this email today:

Can you attend an important public meeting this Thursday?

U.S. DOT is hosting a public meeting on Thursday at Chinese Christian Church + Center (1101 Vine Street) from 5-7 PM asking Philadelphia residents to help rethink the Vine Street Expressway.

The meeting is part of DOT's new Every Place Counts Design Challenge, that aims to reverse the legacy of federal highway blight on neighborhoods.

If enough residents show up saying they want to cap the Vine Street Expressway in Chinatown and Callowhill, that could set the stage for more planning, and eventually federal funding.

Here are the meeting details. Hope to see you there!

What: Rethinking Vine Street meeting

When: Thursday, July 14 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Where: Chinese Christian Church + Center, 1101 Vine Street

5th Square
http://www.5thsq.org/

I probably cannot attend this meeting due to an important personal matter, but I will still try. Hopefully some of you can pass the word along, and attend the meeting.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by japmes

I think cars have to actually drive up on the curb to get through. It's one thing for a handful of residents with cars to squeeze through to get behind their house but now they are adding 21 additional spots. I just don't think its practical or necessary when there is already a driveway fronting Fairmount.

I posted right above your post that there is an SUV fitting down it just fine on google streetview.

[Philly-Drew]

Originally Posted by br323206

I posted right above your post that there is an SUV fitting down it just fine on google streetview.

Would you mind posting a link with the SUV? I can't seem to find it.