PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by summersm343

"New Bensalem" River Renaissance Project on Waterfront to Include Town Center, Transit Boulevard




Read more and see photos/renderings at http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...mMAhg0bYLf1.99

Wow, that is cool. It would be the first New Urbanist development at scale in the region.

- The zoning map is transect-based: T-1, T-3, T-4, and T-5 are all transect-based zones.
- The presentation uses New Urbanist stock photos as examples.
- There is a clear focus around integrating development with SEPTA (though I'm a little surprised it's Cornwells Heights rather than Eddington that gets the focus) based on the transect

Question: What is that giant SD zone over by Eddington station? Is that the "regional manufacturing center"?

[EastSideHBG]

Change astir in Port Richmond

Alan J. Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
Posted: Sunday, October 4, 2015, 3:00 AM

A development of 36 townhouses for low-income residents being built on a vacant lot in Port Richmond is another sign that the neighborhood where people still order "square cheese" and fish pickles out of a barrel is changing.

The development, Grace Townhomes, is being built on the site of a former carpet factory that has been vacant for more than 20 years. It's a joint venture of the Women's Community Revitalization Project and Firm Hope Baptist Church.

The property is bounded by Auburn, William, and Janney Streets and Trenton Avenue. The church is in the 2300 block of East Auburn, a few blocks from the site.

The $12.76 million project, designed by Kramer & Marks architects of Ambler, received a $500,000 grant in 2013 from the Affordable Housing Program of the Home Loan Bank Board of Pittsburgh, with financing by TD Bank, according to the board.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...8JWTR48VQzB.99

[Cro Burnham]

Can you believe this atrocious "rehab" on the 700 block of Chestnut??!!??

I simply cannot fathom the shamelessly small, greed-obsessed mind of the type of individual who would do something like this. The person simply must be an asshole.

Of course the wig shop tenant just adds to the gritty charm of it all.

Morimoto must be having fits.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Can you believe this criminal "rehab" on the 700 block of Chestnut??!!??

I simply cannot fathom the shamelessly small minded, greed obsessed mind of the individual responsible for this. The person simply must be an asshole.

Of course the wig shop tenant just adds to the gritty charm of it all.

Morimoto must be having fits.

Is this for fucking real?

[MikeNigh]

should have just demolished it and parked a old used trailer home there.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Is this for fucking real?

Yes, and it's vastly more hideous in person. I can't see how this can be legal. Vinyl siding on Chestnut St., a block from Independence Hall?

Society is infinitely fucked when 205 Race had to go through a decade of hell to get approval to be built on an empty lot in a forlorn corner of town, and this trash can be slapped on a facade 200 yards from the Liberty Bell on block filled with 100+ year old architecture. Why is our city so insanely fucking backward. I got so pissed when I saw this. The backwardness and genuine stupidity of the policy-makers in this city and state is just profoundly depressing. Sub-mediocrity is mindlessly tolerated by "leaders" as a preordained fact of life in Philadelphia. The Philly shrug.

[cafeguy]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Yes, and it's vastly more hideous in person. I can't see how this can be legal. Vinyl siding on Chestnut St., a block from Independence Hall?

Society is infinitely fucked when 205 Race had to go through a decade of hell to get approval to be built on an empty lot in a forlorn corner of town, and this trash can be slapped on a facade 200 yards from the Liberty Bell on block filled with 100+ year old architecture. Why is our city so insanely fucking backward. I got so pissed when I saw this. The backwardness and genuine stupidity of the policy-makers in this city and state is just profoundly depressing. Sub-mediocrity is mindlessly tolerated by "leaders" as a preordained fact of life in Philadelphia. The Philly shrug.

I DEFINITELY hate vinyl in the city... but to be fair, they didn't have much to work with...

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9494...8i6656!6m1!1e1

A full restoration costs a lot of money. I just wish the owner understood the ugliness of vinyl and just went all stucco.

[loverboie]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Is this for fucking real?

Oh my FUCKING GOSH! Please forgive my language, but who in the world just butcher the 700 block of chestnut street? Who did this, can we picket, is there anything we can do to fix this, can we start a petition, can we contact city officials , can we get this on the local news, anything?

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

I DEFINITELY hate vinyl in the city... but to be fair, they didn't have much to work with...

Yes, it was bad, but this is much worse. There are many other design/material alternatives out there other than this, but they would have cost more than a couple thousand dollars which is what it seems was probably this guy's budget. Shameful.

If you are unwilling to pay the cost of properly respecting the street with your building, you should not be allowed to own street-facing property on a major street in Center City.

[Williard Mouse]

From the looks of it, the likely tenants are Nail Spas, Check Cashing, or Bail Bonds.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Williard Mouse

From the looks of it, the likely tenants are Nail Spas, Check Cashing, or Bail Bonds.

"beauty" supplies and wig shop. classic stylish chestnut st retail.

[Busy Bee]

Hilarious and sad. Mostly sad.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Yes, it was bad, but this is much worse. There are many other design/material alternatives out there other than this, but they would have cost more than a couple thousand dollars which is what it seems was probably this guy's budget. Shameful.

If you are unwilling to pay the cost of properly respecting the street with your building, you should not be allowed to own street-facing property on a major street in Center City.

This bldg wins the butt-f*cking ugly award of the day!

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Hilarious and sad. Mostly sad.

Even worse when you consider the other (much better) recent renovations on the block, including a couple of handsome overbuilds, and the tower proposed on the parking lot next to Morimoto's.

Having been done so cheaply, I wouldn't be surprised if the owner sold for an impressive sum and the new owner re-renovated the thing. With nicer materials and an overbuild.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Yes, and it's vastly more hideous in person. I can't see how this can be legal. Vinyl siding on Chestnut St., a block from Independence Hall?

Society is infinitely fucked when 205 Race had to go through a decade of hell to get approval to be built on an empty lot in a forlorn corner of town, and this trash can be slapped on a facade 200 yards from the Liberty Bell on block filled with 100+ year old architecture. Why is our city so insanely fucking backward. I got so pissed when I saw this. The backwardness and genuine stupidity of the policy-makers in this city and state is just profoundly depressing. Sub-mediocrity is mindlessly tolerated by "leaders" as a preordained fact of life in Philadelphia. The Philly shrug.

Policy issue? Buildings that arent protected due to historic or architectural significance are not restricted in terms of exterior materials. I don't know that its ideal to have the city regulating materials and finishes on every privately owned property in Philadelphia. Could be problematic and who exactly would be the arbiter of what is appropriate and inappropriate for building materials. You? Let's hope not.

[1487]

Originally Posted by loverboie

Oh my FUCKING GOSH! Please forgive my language, but who in the world just butcher the 700 block of chestnut street? Who did this, can we picket, is there anything we can do to fix this, can we start a petition, can we contact city officials , can we get this on the local news, anything?

The local news? For what? What is the story? You think the news is going to care about a facade you dont like? Not news in a major city. You'd be shocked at how few care about something like this, many walk past and probably don't even notice.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by 1487

Policy issue? Buildings that arent protected due to historic or architectural significance are not restricted in terms of exterior materials. I don't know that its ideal to have the city regulating materials and finishes on every privately owned property in Philadelphia. Could be problematic and who exactly would be the arbiter of what is appropriate and inappropriate for building materials. You? Let's hope not.

Initiation of this pointless argument was not unexpected.

As I have stated before, I believe that the City should have minimum design standards, particularly on important downtown streets, that restrict the use of certain low-end materials. This happens in many places. Note the absence of construction of this type on major thoroughfares in most first class cities. It is not accepted. In Philadelphia, our policy-makers are generally so visionless and, yes, lacking in intelligence, that they are incapable of contemplating, let alone instituting, a reasonable, practical policy in this regard.

I won't engage further in this unnecessary and uninteresting debate with Mr. Serial Devil's Advocate, though.

[PHL10]

I’m usually less aggressive in damning a lot of the new designs out there but this is probably the worst renovation I have ever seen in Center City. This would be a travesty in any neighborhood commercial corridor, let alone at 7th and Chestnut. I actually think those cheap and small replacement windows are worse than the siding if that is even possible.

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

If you are unwilling to pay the cost of properly respecting the street with your building, you should not be allowed to own street-facing property on a major street in Center City.

Work like this destroys the property value of the nearby area. Is the city not involved with permitting this before it starts or not?

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by 1487

The local news? For what? What is the story? You think the news is going to care about a facade you dont like? Not news in a major city. You'd be shocked at how few care about something like this, many walk past and probably don't even notice.

If this building was built on Regent's street in London - it would be national news. It's that appalling and on one of the city's most important, and visible commercial thoroughfares. Not sure if you've heard, but London is a fairly major city?

Originally Posted by 1487

Policy issue? Buildings that arent protected due to historic or architectural significance are not restricted in terms of exterior materials. I don't know that its ideal to have the city regulating materials and finishes on every privately owned property in Philadelphia. Could be problematic and who exactly would be the arbiter of what is appropriate and inappropriate for building materials. You? Let's hope not.

This is nonsense, no one is suggesting that. Center City proper is only 2sq miles, having specific zoning overlays within this area was and should still be common practice - particularly on visible commercial corridors 1 block from Independence Hall. Sorry to break the news to you, but every major city does this.