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

[DeltaNerd]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

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

Philly has hills so no boring street tracks here.

[Gatorade_Jim]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

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

Seriously? I never knew that. That’s so cool!

[DudeGuy]

What happened to the Blatstein redevelopment proposal? imo that one was way better than a racetrack.

[TempleGuy1000]

Originally Posted by DudeGuy

What happened to the Blatstein redevelopment proposal? imo that one was way better than a racetrack.

Agreed. The race track is probably a lot cheaper to execute, but dear god, that is just screaming for failure

[DeltaNerd]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

Agreed. The race track is probably a lot cheaper to execute, but dear god, that is just screaming for failure

F1 doesn't not have a good reason to go to Atlantic City. All this just for one race a year...
I love F1 but this is a stupid idea

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Gatorade_Jim

Seriously? I never knew that. That’s so cool!

https://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/s...arkAug1908.pdf

[Urbanthusiat]

Cost of DuPont campus redevelopment in Wilmington doubles to $1B

MRA Group's price tag to redevelop a former DuPont Corp. campus in Wilmington has doubled to $1 billion, as the scope of the 163-acre project expands due to increased demand from prospective life sciences tenants.

The Horsham developer acquired the site for $40 million in December 2021 with 14 buildings spanning 780,000 square feet. It had planned a redevelopment of the site that would cost $500 million and total 900,000 square feet, a figure that since been upped to 1.4 million. The Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park has room to eventually span 2.1 million square feet.

[Urbanthusiat]

Also posting here for visibility because the transit thread doesn't get many views...

Passenger rail from Reading to Philadelphia one step closer to becoming a reality, but officials are cautiously optimistic

Nothing new, just confirming their application was submitted to the Corridor ID Program. They're "cautiously optimistic" which is good I guess.

Also really exciting to get the Roosevelt Blvd subway featured on NBC10 at 11. This thing really feels more possible than ever. It's a no brainer.

Looks like we also got mention in an editorial in the Inquirer.

SEPTA made the right decision to stop its suburban plans. Here’s how it can best serve riders going forward. | Editorial

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Also posting here for visibility because the transit thread doesn't get many views...

Passenger rail from Reading to Philadelphia one step closer to becoming a reality, but officials are cautiously optimistic

Nothing new, just confirming their application was submitted to the Corridor ID Program. They're "cautiously optimistic" which is good I guess.

Also really exciting to get the Roosevelt Blvd subway featured on NBC10 at 11. This thing really feels more possible than ever. It's a no brainer.

Looks like we also got mention in an editorial in the Inquirer.

SEPTA made the right decision to stop its suburban plans. Here’s how it can best serve riders going forward. | Editorial

A huge missed opportunity years ago by the boneheads in South Central PA with the CorridorONE project that was going to connect Harrisburg, York, Lancaster. That system could have been linked to this one and imagine the potential from there!

[Mikieman]

Not one but two tower cranes are up in Norristown.

20230325_182614 by Mn, on Flickr

[arkitect13]

Oh!? What are they for?

[arkitect13]

Also, wasnt there a large mixed use project across the river from Norristown? Apartment building and townhomes I think? What happened to that?

[Jim B]

One crane is Norristown is for the new courthouse annex. The second is for updates to the existing county administration building.

The Bridgeport apartment complex is currently in site development. The land has been cleared and drainage is being installed. It is a very busy work site at the moment.

[arkitect13]

This annex right? https://www.bdcnetwork.com/philadelp...ded-courthouse

I cant find anything on the other one tho

[Jim B]

Correct... the crane on the right is for the courthouse annex. The crane on the left is not for new construction. It is for updates to the current Montgomery County office building. They reskined the building and are making other enhancements to it.

[summersm343]

MLB superstar Mike Trout to build South Jersey golf club with Tiger Woods-designed course

MLB All-Star Mike Trout announced Monday that he is bringing a private golf club with a course designed by Tiger Woods to South Jersey.

The three-time American League MVP plans to build Trout National - The Reserve in his native Vineland, about 45 minutes southeast of Philadelphia. Plans for Trout National include an 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, lodging, a wedding chapel and other amenities.

Trout is working on the project in partnership with local business owners John and Lorie Ruga. The Rugas own Northeast Precast, a precast concrete manufacturer with headquarters at 4081 S. Lincoln Ave. in Vineland that employs more than 475 people.

Representatives for Trout National - The Reserve said the club will be located just east of Route 55 and the Northeast Precast facility. Other golf courses and country clubs in Vineland include Latona Country Club, Wheat Road Golf and Eastlyn Golf Course.

Construction on the club is planned to begin this year, with an expected opening in 2025.

Article behind paywall here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...ger-woods.html

[PhillyRising]

Originally Posted by Mikieman

Not one but two tower cranes are up in Norristown.

20230325_182614 by Mn, on Flickr

As a Native Norristownian...it's just odd to see after years of hardly anything being built....but I'm glad to see it.

One day...Downtown Norristown will rise again. At least I hope so...

Montgomery Plaza looks better with it's refresh. Now I just wish there would be a new tallest built.

[PhilliesPhan]

^TBH, I'm so confused as to why Norristown hasn't taken off yet. I often find myself in Norristown while running the Schuylkill River Trail--either ending a run from Manayunk or beginning a run to Phoenixville. With the beautiful homes along streets such as Main Street and Haws Avenue, ample transit connections across the region, several main commercial corridors (including AMAZING Mexican food on Marshall Street), proximity to several major job centers, new businesses popping up (including the Von C Brewery), the fact that its a county seat, and even its own zoo, Norristown should have the same energy that Conshohocken, Phoenixville, and even Bridgeport have. Is the apprehension towards Norristown solely due to the school district and the perception of crime? It seems extremely well kept relative to other "poor" urban suburbs in the region, such as Chester.

I hold Coatesville in a similar regard, although I feel it's on the precipice of taking off.

[el don]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

^TBH, I'm so confused as to why Norristown hasn't taken off yet. I often find myself in Norristown while running the Schuylkill River Trail--either ending a run from Manayunk or beginning a run to Phoenixville. With the beautiful homes along streets such as Main Street and Haws Avenue, ample transit connections across the region, several main commercial corridors (including AMAZING Mexican food on Marshall Street), proximity to several major job centers, new businesses popping up (including the Von C Brewery), the fact that its a county seat, and even its own zoo, Norristown should have the same energy that Conshohocken, Phoenixville, and even Bridgeport have. Is the apprehension towards Norristown solely due to the school district and the perception of crime? It seems extremely well kept relative to other "poor" urban suburbs in the region, such as Chester.

I hold Coatesville in a similar regard, although I feel it's on the precipice of taking off.

Let's c.... As s graduate of the high it's utter garbage, taxes are high, the wage tax is high, homeless problem, Norristown is one of the major centers of drug movement in the region, dimly lit streets, nothing to do, higher crime than any other area near it, warehousing of the poor via section 8 housing, all those houses you mentioned are pretty much chopped up apartments.

[Jim B]

Norristown fared worse than many similar communities after WW2. White flight- both residents and businesse--to conveniently located King of Prussia, destroyed its tax base ; and for more than 40 years, it's city government was in equal turns corrupt and inept...usually some of both. In addition, Norristown, along with Pottstown, is where Montgomery County government chose to put all of its mandated half-way houses,low income housing etc. Basically, for decades, Norristown was where all the stuff got dumped that no one else wanted. That is changing, but very slowly. There is currently a plan to build market rates apaertments on the site of the old Times Herald building just a few blocks from the county government complex. if that succeeds, I think you will see more of this type of development pick up.

Realize that Bridgeport's resurgance, which has only begun to pick up real steam in the past five years, was 20 years in the making. Norristown may take even longer.