PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread - Page 1058

WQ5668 · #**21141** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 1:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Kensington development team seeks middle ground between gentrification and stagnation

Nice to see the inside of both buildings particularly the bank, I have sentimental fondness for this project, having spent many weekends with my dad, he lived with my uncle, on Harold Street his house was across the street from the parking lot that is on the site of the industrial building. Good that some of the apartments are going for low income folks.

cardeza · #**21142** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 12:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnEmperorPenguin

Well most of city council, and Gauthier in particular, doesn't actually want more housing affordable or otherwise. She cuts down projects as often as she can and even introduced an IZ bill to block projects that otherwise could get through (since there is a lot of good zoning in place). So through that view pushing the responsibility for discount housing onto private for profit developers makes sense, they can never actually solve the issue and it distracts from the city being an absentee owner of 40K+ vacant and blighted lots

I dont think the city owns 40k vacant lots anymore- maybe 20 years ago but not now with all the development that has happened. ANd even if they did ground up new construction ONLY for affordable housing is nowhere near as efficient as including a % of affordable units in a building that is going to be built anyway. In addition, part of this is about creating some access for those making less than say $75-100k a year into areas that are improving vs trying to push them onto formally vacant lots in the worst parts of Philadelphia. I think its interesting when people say they are all for affordable housing and respect lower income people but they should be living elsewhere out of sight and mind of those moving to improving areas. You are all for affordable units as long as they are built in wasteland parts of North Philly far away from hotbeds of development activity.

cardeza · #**21143** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 12:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chimpskibot

I think we really need the PHA to develop mixed use/ mixed income housing (townhomes, condos) vs demanding private developers include affordable housing. The only cities that are keeping housing costs down globally either have public developers or have lax to no zoning. I am in favor of both.

I dont know how many times this territory has been covered but what PHA does and doesnt do is dictated by funding from the feds. Philadelphia has ZERO control over PHA and its funding. When affordable housing development isnt a priority of congress PHA's activity levels drop and they have to rely on elaborate financing schemes to pull projects off. In the 90s when projects were imploded all over the country and many thousands of new units were created in Philly and other cities it was because of federal funding and prioritization. In the short term you will not see any major increase in # of units from PHA. Maybe not even in the long term.

iheartphilly · #**21144** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 12:35 PM**

Exactly

http://www.pha.phila.gov/aboutpha/funding.aspx

cardeza · #**21145** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 5:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Exactly

http://www.pha.phila.gov/aboutpha/funding.aspx

Most of the time when PHA tears down something the replacement project has less units- that was the case going back to the 90s when there was a massive effort to remove high rise developments. So PHA most definitely provides less units in total than they used to. Also Section 8 vouchers have been stuck at a certain level for a long time which leads to multi year wait lists to get a subsidy. PHA most definitely will not be a major part of the solution going forward unless DC steps up.

AnEmperorPenguin · #**21146** Posted **Aug 18, 2022, 10:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardeza

ANd even if they did ground up new construction ONLY for affordable housing is nowhere near as efficient as including a % of affordable units in a building that is going to be built anyway.

That's my point; those units are not going to "happen anyway" because the city effectively giving developers a big bill when they build something. If the bill is too high developers can't make money and won't build anything.

So if the city want's an actual efficient solution the city can either relax zoning (the opposite of what's been happening) or build the housing itself.

Clarkes office actually announced earlier this year they want to build 1K homes to be sold at a big discount (so no PHA) but I haven't seen any updates and the city could scale that up 10x if it wanted, which is a scale private developers can't match

DeltaNerd · #**21147** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 1:57 AM**

The golf course will be removed, there will be boardwalks and playgrounds added.
There will be new wetlands added to the park. Part of the wet lands is for the PHL cargo expansion program.

https://whyy.org/articles/philadelph...ature-no-golf/

TonyTone · #**21148** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 3:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaNerd

The golf course will be removed, there will be boardwalks and playgrounds added.
There will be new wetlands added to the park. Part of the wet lands is for the PHL cargo expansion program.

https://whyy.org/articles/philadelph...ature-no-golf/

I dont know if its just me. But I feel like the golf course is a nice touch. It’s not like it was a private country club, whats wrong with having a public course. This would have been another thing to do in the park when it comes to a date, professionals, or just regular joe who likes to golf.

It was a good addition.

gjrip · #**21149** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 12:19 PM**

I can see your point^

There are so many golf courses not that far, at least. I hear you though, it's a shame to lose a public course. But I'm happy to see one of those redeveloping into a much more flexible space, especially considering it's such prime urban real estate. This looks really nice!

PHL10 · #**21150** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 12:35 PM**

After delay, Philadelphia Ballet will break ground on North Broad Street expansion

https://www.inquirer.com/arts/after-...-20220819.html

PHLtoNYC · #**21151** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 12:42 PM**

^ Awesome news.

Speaking of the Arts, is the Walnut Street Theatre still planning an expansion?

Philly Fan · #**21152** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 1:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

^ Awesome news.

Speaking of the Arts, is the Walnut Street Theatre still planning an expansion?

Still on the website, for what it's worth:

https://walnutstreettheatre.org/support/future/

Boku · #**21153** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 2:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyTone

I dont know if its just me. But I feel like the golf course is a nice touch. It’s not like it was a private country club, whats wrong with having a public course. This would have been another thing to do in the park when it comes to a date, professionals, or just regular joe who likes to golf.

It was a good addition.

The multiple soccer fields are much more important. If losing the golf course to add more natural areas satisfies what the major point of contention is, that is acceptable IMO.

iheartphilly · #**21154** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 2:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyTone

I dont know if its just me. But I feel like the golf course is a nice touch. It’s not like it was a private country club, whats wrong with having a public course. This would have been another thing to do in the park when it comes to a date, professionals, or just regular joe who likes to golf.

It was a good addition.

Golf course cause lots of money to maintain. The amount of chemicals they have to used to keep it looking good and the upkeep is cost prohibitive. In this area, overtime a number of golf courses closed because of this.

DeltaNerd · #**21155** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 2:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyTone

I dont know if its just me. But I feel like the golf course is a nice touch. It’s not like it was a private country club, whats wrong with having a public course. This would have been another thing to do in the park when it comes to a date, professionals, or just regular joe who likes to golf.

It was a good addition.

I generally seen more soccer players use the current non soccer fields today than the golf course.

skyhigh07 · #**21156** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 5:22 PM**

After getting shuffled around, it looks like Free People has finally settled on the old Shakespeare and Co. space.

https://www.phila.gov/media/20220819...pplication.pdf

PHLtoNYC · #**21157** Posted **Aug 19, 2022, 7:40 PM**

Great project moving forward. Now Callowhill needs a road diet.

Running Up That (Callow)hill: Construction Starting Soon at 5th & Callowhill

https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...5th-callowhill