PHILADELPHIA-CAMDEN-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY-READING | Metro Development Thread

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by PhillyPDX

What does this mean after they already awarded a contract to the design firm? At least per news sources and septa’s website it appears they actually awarded the $125M contract. I’ve never seen such a thing at this scale. Was there a “this won’t actually get funded clause, we’ll pay you back for costs incurred so far”? Or is this a legal mess for septa?

when the board votes to approve a contract is is not signed that day. It merely means there is authorization for the procurement dept to move fwd and award the contract formally. The notice to proceed was not issued and even if it was you cant get paid for work you dont do- there is always language in government contracts giving some flexibility to terminate the agreement and only pay for services rendered. A contract signed for 124m does not guarantee that firm will get that money- although under normal circumstances nothing would preclude them from getting the full amount over the course of the contract length.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by cardeza

you cant get paid for work you dont do

Meanwhile at SEPTA:

Why SEPTA has to pay $450,000 in salary to an executive it terminated in 2021

by Ryan W. Briggs and Juliana Feliciano Reyes
Updated on Mar 20, 2023, 5:00 a.m. ET

Turns out leaving a SEPTA job can be just as lucrative as working there — at least when you’re at the top.

The agency effectively paid an executive to leave and has been responsible for his six-figure salary — plus severance costs — ever since he departed the agency, way back in December 2021.

Former SEPTA deputy general manager Robert L. Lund, Jr. remained the agency’s third-highest paid employee last year, collecting a $297,076 annual salary despite formally exiting the organization well over a year ago, according to an Inquirer review of the transit agency’s payroll records.

SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch confirmed that Lund, who has moved to the Pacific Northwest, will continue being paid until June 30, after which he will become eligible for pension benefits. By then he will have collected a total of nearly $450,000 in salary and severance payments since SEPTA terminated his employment.

Busch explained that SEPTA eliminated Lund’s position in a COVID-era reorganization about a year into a three-year employment contract he and the agency signed in January 2020. While the spokesperson called his departure “a mutual parting of the ways,” under the contract’s terms SEPTA must continue paying him through the end of the contract and provide six months of severance as a penalty for termination.

Lund won a raise that increased his final salary by $32,000, or 12%, before SEPTA opted to terminate his contract.

[...]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/septa-...-20230320.html

I understand this is nothing like the KOP contract, and I'm not disputing your knowledge or interpretation of that agreement, but the timing of this article was too perfect not to post. Also, this is not OK.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Justin7

Meanwhile at SEPTA:



https://www.inquirer.com/news/septa-...-20230320.html

I understand this is nothing like the KOP contract, and I'm not disputing your knowledge or interpretation of that agreement, but the timing of this article was too perfect not to post. Also, this is not OK.

you are 100% correct. Seems some folks are trying to hold SEPTA accountable. The optics on that are horrible. The Board is failing at their mission on several levels.

[arkitect13]

Dont have pictures but the Apartment project on Virginia drive in Ft Washington is underway, the building that was there is mostly gone and i think they started digging. Overall a decent project, just wish it had less parking and more retail, but it is a suburb

[Urbanthusiat]

Originally Posted by arkitect13

Dont have pictures but the Apartment project on Virginia drive in Ft Washington is underway, the building that was there is mostly gone and i think they started digging. Overall a decent project, just wish it had less parking and more retail, but it is a suburb

It’s not within walking distance of the train station (for the average person), yet alone a grocery store. Pretty much everyone there will need a car. I certainly wouldn’t live there without one. Is what it is I guess.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by cardeza

when the board votes to approve a contract is is not signed that day. It merely means there is authorization for the procurement dept to move fwd and award the contract formally. The notice to proceed was not issued and even if it was you cant get paid for work you dont do- there is always language in government contracts giving some flexibility to terminate the agreement and only pay for services rendered. A contract signed for 124m does not guarantee that firm will get that money- although under normal circumstances nothing would preclude them from getting the full amount over the course of the contract length.

Ok that's interesting. That's significantly different from my publicly funded line of work, where everything is STRICT NDA until the day it's actually signed. To the point of criminal threat is if it's broken. For selection of AE or construction contractors.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

It’s not within walking distance of the train station (for the average person), yet alone a grocery store. Pretty much everyone there will need a car. I certainly wouldn’t live there without one. Is what it is I guess.

I am not disputing your point but it's functional enough, as George's grocery store is in the area and the bus runs frequently enough (during the week) so getting to at least work without a car is doable and would be a good option for someone who commutes into the city: catch the bus near your apt., hop on the train...

But yes has a long way to go but at least slowly heading in the right direction and people are thinking and talking about these things now.

[MyDadBuiltThat]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

I am not disputing your point but it's functional enough, as George's grocery store is in the area and the bus runs frequently enough (during the week) so getting to at least work without a car is doable and would be a good option for someone who commutes into the city: catch the bus near your apt., hop on the train...

But yes has a long way to go but at least slowly heading in the right direction and people are thinking and talking about these things now.

I heard they're losing the bus in the Industrial Park- very few riders and businesses are no longer subsidizing it. Upper Dublin is building a walking path to cross Pennsylvania Ave and connect to the small trail to the train station.

George's is pretty good.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by MyDadBuiltThat

I heard they're losing the bus in the Industrial Park- very few riders and businesses are no longer subsidizing it. Upper Dublin is building a walking path to cross Pennsylvania Ave and connect to the small trail to the train station.

That's unfortunate to hear and pre-pandemic it was popular but of course much has changed since then.

George's is pretty good.

[PHLtoNYC]

Philadelphia suburbs dominate 2023 Best Places to Live in America rankings
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...op-places.html

1. Chesterbrook
3. Ardmore
5. Penn Wynne
9. Devon
30. Swarthmore
70. Exton
72. Berwyn
73. Narberth
92. Rose Valley

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by SouthCentralPA

From the article:


This is great to see! Should be good for both Philly and PA as a whole.

Unfortunately this was short lived. Wan Hai consolidated its service lines and eliminated the Philadelphia port of call. I haven't found a particular reason. The service used pretty small ships (4,250-7,240 TEU) and they plan to use larger ships for their US East Coast service (7,500-11,500 TEU). Philaport periodically sees 8-9,000 TEU vessels but I believe that's the largest.

https://www.shippingazette.com/menu....ews&encode=eng

[DeltaNerd]

Originally Posted by Nova08

Unfortunately this was short lived. Wan Hai consolidated its service lines and eliminated the Philadelphia port of call. I haven't found a particular reason. The service used pretty small ships (4,250-7,240 TEU) and they plan to use larger ships for their US East Coast service (7,500-11,500 TEU). Philaport periodically sees 8-9,000 TEU vessels but I believe that's the largest.

https://www.shippingazette.com/menu....ews&encode=eng

I thought with the new cranes that Philaport had it would be able to handle such sizes.
Either the river can not physically take these ships or Wan Hai needed a temp port and didn't see Philadelphia as a valuable market. Which is a massive shame for our region.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Nova08

Unfortunately this was short lived. Wan Hai consolidated its service lines and eliminated the Philadelphia port of call. I haven't found a particular reason. The service used pretty small ships (4,250-7,240 TEU) and they plan to use larger ships for their US East Coast service (7,500-11,500 TEU). Philaport periodically sees 8-9,000 TEU vessels but I believe that's the largest.

https://www.shippingazette.com/menu....ews&encode=eng

Honestly it could be temporary. There is very little cargo volume right now. Carriers are cutting capacity and increasing blank sailings. This year, I plan to bring 400 containers into the US from Asia. Two years ago the number was over 2,000.

Our shipping rates have plummeted. Container prices into LA from Asia are about $1400 now. Two years ago they were close to $20k. There's just not enough volume to go around.

[bonfire]

https://www.nj.com/atlantic/2023/03/...itter_njdotcom

Interesting...

[Urbanthusiat]

Originally Posted by bonfire

https://www.nj.com/atlantic/2023/03/...itter_njdotcom

Interesting...

Wait if F1 actually came to AC at Balder Field that would be amazing.

[ZSuede]

Progress on The Falls - Phase 2 in Wilmington

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Wait if F1 actually came to AC at Balder Field that would be amazing.

I mean not gonna happen.

Imagine the F1 Circuit:

Monaco, Sydney, Miami, Atlantic City?

There are a set number of races. AC is not getting a slot.

[bonfire]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

I mean not gonna happen.

Imagine the F1 Circuit:

Monaco, Sydney, Miami, Atlantic City?

There are a set number of races. AC is not getting a slot.

Yeah I think they are saying F1 style track setup for the residents. I was saying that this proposal is interesting because it has half of the proposed units from Blatstein's plan and seems to be leaning towards more of a luxury setup with people driving in and out of Atlantic City. Also the mayor has been backing this driving track plan from the beginning and it just looks like a weird setup for the space. Doesn't seem to be exactly what Atlantic City needs at the moment imo

[Gatorade_Jim]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

I mean not gonna happen.

Imagine the F1 Circuit:

Monaco, Sydney, Miami, Atlantic City?

There are a set number of races. AC is not getting a slot.

Right now F1s US lineup is Miami, Austin, and Vegas. They’re leaning heavy into the US market so I could absolutely see a Northeast track. There’s more people in the NE than in many European countries and there’s millions of potential new fans here. Where AC is the spot it goes I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be so quick to discount a northeast track.

[mcgrath618]

Philly used to have F1 races in Fairmount Park… we need to get that back.