PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[Philly-Drew]

I didn't even realize that anything was going on at the SW corner of 3rd & Market! This is pretty cool. I love living in an old city (by US standards anyway).

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...tury_jail.html

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

I didn't even realize that anything was going on at the SW corner of 3rd & Market! This is pretty cool. I love living in an old city (by US standards anyway).

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...tury_jail.html

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[City Wide]

Originally Posted by summersm343

The design is pretty nice:



http://www.westphillylocal.com/2016/...ce/#more-43746

As you know, the devil is in the details. This could turn out to be a nice winning design or a real turd. I think its too early to tell.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by 1487

i can definitely see how people would like to see a grocery store out there.

Ya, to replace the grocery store on 48th just south of Spruce that closed for lack of business.

[Leviathant]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

I didn't even realize that anything was going on at the SW corner of 3rd & Market! This is pretty cool. I love living in an old city (by US standards anyway).

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...tury_jail.html

There was a rendering floating around for the property last year. Some quick Googling took me here.

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by Leviathant

There was a rendering floating around for the property last year. Some quick Googling took me here.

Check out what they found during excavation:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...tury_jail.html

This is why Philly is arguably one of the most interesting cities in America. Dig up a building, possibly find the remnants of a pre-revolutionary war jail.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Leviathant

There was a rendering floating around for the property last year. Some quick Googling took me here.

So that site would suggest that the Ginsburgs do not own the property.

Hmmmm....

Either way, it would be a damn shame if a corner of Old City that prominent and central had that cheesy clothing shop on it again.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Redddog

Either way, it would be a damn shame if a corner of Old City that prominent and central had that cheesy clothing shop on it again.

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[summersm343]

Under Armour to open store on Walnut

Under Armour has set a date to open its newest store in Philadelphia.

The Baltimore-based apparel company will open a 10,000-square-foot “Under Armour Brand House” in the former Brown Brothers Harriman Co. building at 1529 Walnut St. in Center City on Aug. 15. It will become the company’s fourth location in the Philadelphia area.

Under Armour has rolled out this retail concept — the Brand House — in other markets.

The "Brand House" experience is one way it differentiates itself from other retailers. It offers customers an “immersive brand experience" and has special private areas in which Under Armour staff offer private consultations to athletes, celebrities and VIP shoppers.

Under Armour (NYSE: UA) has invited Philadelphia Union soccer players Keegan Rosenberry and Chris Pontius as part of the grand opening.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...ty-philly.html

[DIESELPOLO]

Originally Posted by Urbanity

As usual, parking was a concern.

“Parking close to my home is vital to me and for a lot of people in the community,” said one resident.

Said as a card-carrying non-car owning adult: Parking is certainly not a "right" in the urban world, but I would inquire why parking is seen as "vital" for this resident and their community at-large.

If a majority of current residents have service jobs (as opposed to knowledge work) in the far off suburbs or at the airport (as opposed to downtown in Center City) and their shifts start early in the morning, public transit may be unavailable, impractical, or potentially more expensive in time/money to get there.

So in that sense, I guess I'm sensitive to the "parking" question as it pertains to job access.

[EastSideHBG]

Good Eye: An art deco parking garage that looks like a real building
Updated: AUGUST 13, 2016 — 9:16 AM EDT
http://www.philly.com/philly/columni..._building.html


New entry in Brewerytown's revitalization quickly draws renters
Updated: AUGUST 13, 2016 — 4:00 AM EDT
http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...s_renters.html

[Philly Fan]

From the Schuylkill, the view has certainly changed

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by DIESELPOLO

Said as a card-carrying non-car owning adult: Parking is certainly not a "right" in the urban world, but I would inquire why parking is seen as "vital" for this resident and their community at-large.

If a majority of current residents have service jobs (as opposed to knowledge work) in the far off suburbs or at the airport (as opposed to downtown in Center City) and their shifts start early in the morning, public transit may be unavailable, impractical, or potentially more expensive in time/money to get there.

So in that sense, I guess I'm sensitive to the "parking" question as it pertains to job access.

Thank you. I do not think parking is necessary on urban projects. And I don't think car owners should expect to park in front of their house. However, the fact is, that many of the job centers in the Philly metro are in the suburbs. And it's not just "knowledge" versus "service" industries as you imply. Most the the region's big pharma, defense, chemical, and finance firms are in the suburbs. And the young people who work at those companies want to live in Philadelphia.

And it's not just Philadelphia, to be frank. It's a good problem to have, but young workers in places as far away as Wilmington, Newark (DE), and Princeton are increasingly opting to live in Philadelphia and make the commute. For eleven years I worked for a company in Mercer County. Almost uniformly, the young people (say, below 35) commuted from either Jersey City/Hoboken or Philadelphia.

I get annoyed by the parking debate because the root cause is lack of jobs in Center City. If the job market were stronger in the city, many of those people toiling on long commutes to far afield places like Exton, Wilmington, and Princeton would gladly give up their cars to take the El downtown. The problem is they don't have that option.

If non-car owners who work in Center City (who in a way are priviledged in this regard) spent as much time advocating for lower business taxes to create more jobs in the regional center, then this problem would fix itself.

[Sgalla04]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

...Most the the region's big pharma, defense, chemical, and finance firms are in the suburbs. And the young people who work at those companies want to live in Philadelphia.

And it's not just Philadelphia, to be frank. It's a good problem to have, but young workers in places as far away as Wilmington, Newark (DE), and Princeton are increasingly opting to live in Philadelphia and make the commute. For eleven years I worked for a company in Mercer County. Almost uniformly, the young people (say, below 35) commuted from either Jersey City/Hoboken or Philadelphia.

I get annoyed by the parking debate because the root cause is lack of jobs in Center City. If the job market were stronger in the city, many of those people toiling on long commutes to far afield places like Exton, Wilmington, and Princeton would gladly give up their cars to take the El downtown. The problem is they don't have that option...

I agree with everything you said. What I don't get is why more people who reverse commute don't park their cars in the suburbs. I live downtown and work 10 min. from Paoli. I have only brought my car into the city on 2 occasions the past 2 years. Parking is only $1 per weekday and I don't have any Schuylkill Expressway traffic. I never need my car, once I'm in the city. I'll park it at Spring Mill if I need to go North on the weekend. If anyone needs any advice or tips as a reverse commuter, I'll be more than happy to chat with you about it.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Sgalla04

I agree with everything you said. What I don't get is why more people who reverse commute don't park their cars in the suburbs. I live downtown and work 10 min. from Paoli. I have only brought my car into the city on 2 occasions the past 2 years. Parking is only $1 per weekday and I don't have any Schuylkill Expressway traffic. I never need my car, once I'm in the city. I'll park it at Spring Mill if I need to go North on the weekend. If anyone needs any advice or tips as a reverse commuter, I'll be more than happy to chat with you about it.

Well in my case, it would have involved a transfer to NJTransit and parking in Hamilton or Princeton Junction, which is more like $10/day. Plus the cost of the NJ Transit ticket on top of the SEPTA ticket. So a commute would have been like $35 a day. Plus those train stations were not all that close to my office.

Many peoples offices are not close to train stations. So that "last mile" problem is a real one. And unfortunately, unless your company is huge and offers something like a shuttle to and from the train station (mine didn't) it becomes very impractical.

Listen. I get the parking debate but many people who talk about parking requirements like they're 100% non-essential come from a place where they don't need a car for their livelihood. And frankly, that's the exception in the Philadelphia area. Not to mention, a good number of new residents in the city do commute to the burbs. So that extra liveliness they bring (and tax dollars) are dependent upon them being able to get to work.

[Urbanity]

City Wants Development With ‘Social Impact’ At 8th and Race

The surface parking lot on Race Street between 8th and 9th is one of the biggest empty spaces remaining in Center City, and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is hoping its transformation will serve a purpose broader than the developer’s bottom line.

Later this month, PRA will release a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the lot. For the first time, the Authority will require developers to describe the “social impact” of their development proposals. The social impact component is open-ended, including anything from affordable housing and minority-business participation to healthy food access, job creation, or even simple cash donations to nonprofits or community groups. Greg Heller, the director of the PRA, says he’s just hoping to be convinced that a particular proposal will be the best one for the neighborhood and the city.

“PRA’s mission is to return publicly owned land to active use in a way that benefits people and communities,” Heller wrote in an email. “Scoring projects in part based on their social impact is a way of making sure that we are fulfilling that mission and our responsibility to the public.”

The Authority decided to roll out the social-impact requirement on this project because developers are likely to see value in the property.

“It was a good project to roll this out because it is in Center City, in a strong real estate market,” Heller said. “And so we felt there was a lot more possibility for developers to use innovation and incorporate uses with a strong social impact — more so than in a weaker real estate market.”

Heller has talked about social-impact development before. His work prior to joining the Redevelopment Authority was focused on community development, and in his last job he directed a directed a social-impact real estate firm. He delivered a TED talk about the topic in Philadelphia last summer.

The lot at 8th and Race has 80,000 square feet of buildable area, and PRA has been assembling it since the 1980s, according to Heller. It’s zoned for commercial use and doesn’t have many limits on the scale of development, so a developer could potentially put something very big on the site. The property is one of several, along with the Police Department’s “Roundhouse” and several federal buildings, that form a weird borderland between Chinatown and Old City.

There are a few constraints on the site, including development easements for both the commuter rail tunnel and SEPTA’s underused Broad-Ridge Spur, which still has a station at the corner of the property. The land is worth almost $9 million, according to the Office of Property Assessment.

So what’s the best-case scenario here?

“We want to see a project that activates that parcel, contributes positively to the Chinatown and Old City communities, that has high-quality architecture and urban design, and that has meaningful social and economic impact,” Heller said. “We score projects on a number of factors, and will award it to the best overall development proposal, not necessarily just the highest bid price.”

The RFP will be released on August 22, and proposals will be due October 21.

Posted on Philly Mag -----> http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...-8th-and-race/
Follow @jaredbrey on Twitter.

[summersm343]

^^This could be huge

Hopefully we'll get several highrises

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by summersm343

^^This could be huge

Hopefully we'll get several highrises

One would hope, with the Ridge spur station and highway ramps nearby. Not that the article is suggesting that it's the ONLY big lot left in Center City, but they seem to make it sound like this lot is more special than it is, in a sea of empty lots around there (not to mention 8th & Market). What really distinguishes this lot (beyond the "touchy feely" bidding requirements of PRA) is those transportation connections. With 8th & Market still fallow, despite great transit access (and only being a few blocks up from this lot), I'll keep my fingers crossed about this. It would be a big letdown to get only a "something is better than nothing" development.

[summersm343]

Redevelopment authority moving forward on Eastwick

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is taking its first steps in finally getting a vision and development plan for more than 100 undeveloped acres in the Eastwick section of the city.

The agency is asking experienced and qualified planning firms to notify it by Sept. 15 on their interest in conducting a 9-month study of Eastwick and come up with ideas on how to develop a series of properties controlled by the redevelopment authority and school district.

The properties include: 128.5 acres; the former Pepper Middle School and former Communications Technology High School sites; as well as land to the north of the Pepper school.

“Respondents are expected to exhibit an understanding of the history of Eastwick and must be able to assess and explain environmental, economic, and social site constraints and potential impacts of competing or complementary uses for the sites,” the redevelopment authority said. “Respondents must be versed in community engagement and have demonstrated skills in consensus building.”

The redevelopment authority anticipates selecting a planning firm by October.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...loper-rfp.html

[summersm343]

Sharswood Redevelopment Update: Two Steps Forward, One Sideways

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority has some good news on the Sharswood redevelopment front. Then there’s some news that, while not exactly good, can’t be called bad either.

First, the good news items.

PHA announced at the beginning of August progress towards two of the Sharswood/Blumberg Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan’s goals: a new supermarket for the underserved neighborhood and a partnership that will both help current homeowners maintain their properties and add new affordable housing to the neighborhood.

The supermarket, an 18,500-square-foot facility, will be operated by Save-a-Lot and located on the west side of Ridge Avenue at Thompson Street. PHA will build and own the building using $4.5 million in funds from non-federal sources. Save-a-Lot will equip and fit out the store under the terms of a 10-year lease agreement.

The new supermarket will have fresh produce, meats, poultry and seafood, all items in scarce supply in the area. Construction is slated to begin in early 2017, with opening set for the spring of 2018.

PHA has also committed to build its new headquarters building adjacent to the supermarket. Final details on the headquarters project have yet to be released but “will be completed soon,” according to a PHA news release.

In addition, PHA and Habitat will jointly develop 20 new homes for sale to low- to moderate-income families, moving up part of a component of the project that had been slated for a later phase. The Housing Authority will strive to give families who were relocated out of the neighborhood and wish to return first crack at the homes.

The 20 new homes will be built to Energy Star standards that make them affordable to operate and maintain as well. Construction of these homes, located throughout the redevelopment area, will begin by the end of this year and finish by the end of 2018.

Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...cxD8rY2Psjl.99