PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I am amazed at the potential of the area between 2nd & 9th and Spring Garden & Callowhill. Large parcels open for development in the middle of some of the densest neighborhoods. I would sure like to see some coordination with updating the districts infrastructure to better accommodate new mixed-use development. An infrastructure that develops a distinctive look. Pedestrian/bike friendly. I would like to see industrial influenced buildings and scale. A district comprised mostly of 6-12 story structures punctuated with towers, particularly around Spring Garden MFL Station. A master plan might attract other developers, tho I wouldn't be surprised if these properties are locked in with someone. This district has such amazing potential. Adjacent to some of the cities most promising neighborhoods. The hole in the middle of Old City, Callowhill, No. Libs. Chinatown. A future vibrant waterfront?

No doubt.

This area is prime for a huge renaissance. Several strip malls and blown out buildings to be redeveloped. I think this purchase is just the start.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I am amazed at the potential of the area between 2nd & 9th and Spring Garden & Callowhill. Large parcels open for development in the middle of some of the densest neighborhoods. I would sure like to see some coordination with updating the districts infrastructure to better accommodate new mixed-use development. An infrastructure that develops a distinctive look. Pedestrian/bike friendly. I would like to see industrial influenced buildings and scale. A district comprised mostly of 6-12 story structures punctuated with towers, particularly around Spring Garden MFL Station. A master plan might attract other developers, tho I wouldn't be surprised if these properties are locked in with someone. This district has such amazing potential. Adjacent to some of the cities most promising neighborhoods. The hole in the middle of Old City, Callowhill, No. Libs. Chinatown. A future vibrant waterfront?

Yep... this area is basically a blank slate for developers to build whatever the hell they want, with very little neighbors to oppose it.

[summersm343]

Developer behind West Girard revival expands its Brewerytown footprint and buys Red Bell Brewery for mixed-use redevelopment

Read more here:
http://planphilly.com/articles/2018/...town-footprint

[summersm343]

Rail Park opening delayed until spring 2018

Read more here:
https://philly.curbed.com/2018/2/7/1...a-opening-date

[El Duderino]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Yep... this area is basically a blank slate for developers to build whatever the hell they want, with very little neighbors to oppose it.

my concern is that many parcels are SO large that only bigger developers and bigger projects seem likely. there aren’t many opportunities for smaller lots to be developed more organically, which can be key to having a more neighborhoody feel. thankfully the rezoning a few years ago make this larger development approach more feasible (and by right).

[Urbanthusiat]

6 Philly transportation projects receive $7.3M in funding

Philly just secured more than $7 million from PennDOT to go toward fixing and improving Philly’s streets, trails, and more.

Governor Tom Wolfe made the announcement on Thursday, although you’d be forgiven if you missed the news because, well, a huge celebration was underway in Philly that Wolfe himself attended.

The recently awarded funds are part of PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund. In total, PennDOT made a $41.5 million investment for 45 projects all throughout Pennsylvania. Apparently 222 projects applied for the funding.

Here are the six Philly projects that received funding:

Adams/Summerdale and Roosevelt Boulevard ($1.1 million)
Philly’s Streets Department will use the funds to improve the “intersection geometry” of the southwestern corner of Adams and Summerdale Avenues and Roosevelt Boulevard. This particular corner is not currently friendly for pedestrians and vehicles.

New street at uCity Square ($1.5 million)
These funds will go toward building a new street on the former University City High School site, which is now the future campus of the mixed-use innovation district called uCity Square. The street will link a future street grid including 37th, Warren, and Cuthbert Streets to Market Street.

Logan Point Roadway ($1 million)
Logan West Associates received $1 million to improve Logan Point Roadway, a site at Logan Triangle in North Philly. Logan Triangle is preparing for redevelopment that will completely rebuild 9th Street and Wyoming Avenue, which are arterial access roads.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art ($3 million)
As the art museum’s big renovations continue, it will use the $3 million from PennDOT to make improvements to Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive, including: new multimodal connections to Kelly Drive, a new school bus entrance for student visitors, improved mass transit stops, permanent ADA ramps, and re-engineering of vehicular and pedestrian connections and traffic flow. One of the major goals is that these improvements will encourage pedestrian and bicycle use around the museum.

Improvements to Bartram’s Mile ($183,750)
Bartram’s Mile is barely a year old, but these funds will help make even more enhancements to the trail, including a new irrigation system and the site’s landscaping.

More bike share stations ($567,774)
Indego’s expansion forges ahead: The City of Philadelphia will use these new funds to install 21 more bike share stations in strategic transit hubs throughout Center City.

From: https://philly.curbed.com/2018/2/9/1...nn-dot-funding

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

6 Philly transportation projects receive $7.3M in funding

Philly just secured more than $7 million from PennDOT to go toward fixing and improving Philly’s streets, trails, and more.

Governor Tom Wolfe made the announcement on Thursday, although you’d be forgiven if you missed the news because, well, a huge celebration was underway in Philly that Wolfe himself attended.

The recently awarded funds are part of PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund. In total, PennDOT made a $41.5 million investment for 45 projects all throughout Pennsylvania. Apparently 222 projects applied for the funding.

Here are the six Philly projects that received funding:

Adams/Summerdale and Roosevelt Boulevard ($1.1 million)
Philly’s Streets Department will use the funds to improve the “intersection geometry” of the southwestern corner of Adams and Summerdale Avenues and Roosevelt Boulevard. This particular corner is not currently friendly for pedestrians and vehicles.

New street at uCity Square ($1.5 million)
These funds will go toward building a new street on the former University City High School site, which is now the future campus of the mixed-use innovation district called uCity Square. The street will link a future street grid including 37th, Warren, and Cuthbert Streets to Market Street.

Logan Point Roadway ($1 million)
Logan West Associates received $1 million to improve Logan Point Roadway, a site at Logan Triangle in North Philly. Logan Triangle is preparing for redevelopment that will completely rebuild 9th Street and Wyoming Avenue, which are arterial access roads.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art ($3 million)
As the art museum’s big renovations continue, it will use the $3 million from PennDOT to make improvements to Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive, including: new multimodal connections to Kelly Drive, a new school bus entrance for student visitors, improved mass transit stops, permanent ADA ramps, and re-engineering of vehicular and pedestrian connections and traffic flow. One of the major goals is that these improvements will encourage pedestrian and bicycle use around the museum.

Improvements to Bartram’s Mile ($183,750)
Bartram’s Mile is barely a year old, but these funds will help make even more enhancements to the trail, including a new irrigation system and the site’s landscaping.

More bike share stations ($567,774)
Indego’s expansion forges ahead: The City of Philadelphia will use these new funds to install 21 more bike share stations in strategic transit hubs throughout Center City.

From: https://philly.curbed.com/2018/2/9/1...nn-dot-funding

Any idea when these funds get distributed to start the projects? Thx.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by El Duderino

my concern is that many parcels are SO large that only bigger developers and bigger projects seem likely. there aren’t many opportunities for smaller lots to be developed more organically, which can be key to having a more neighborhoody feel. thankfully the rezoning a few years ago make this larger development approach more feasible (and by right).

Another issue is that several of these sites are in governmental and NGO hands: the massive Social Security complex at 4th and Spring Garden, the Fire Administration Building, the Traffic Court, a Red Cross warehouse ... This doesn't really help the urbanization of the place, even were infill to occur elsewhere.

I recall that the (ca. 2010?) area plan suggested reopening Noble Street through the area in order the break up the long blocks and promote better connectivity. I believe there's a utility easement along the ROW anyway, so striking the street was yet another dumb midcentury planning decision. Ultimately though, most of the smaller properties in the area seem to be concentrated around Wood, which is coincidentally the furtherest you can get from residential areas, while the largest and often the most horrifically-site-planned properties face SG. Eventually SG (and SGIC as a whole) can handle midrises. But it'll take a long time to get there, and there always seems to be another more promising area ... like Ridge Ave in Francisville, which is infilling with CMX-2.5-scale stuff quite nicely right now.

[Jawnadelphia]

1600 Callowhill (next to The Alexander) - apt conversion:




Also next door to The Alexander and 1600 Callowhill - the $2 mil mansions have started:
Novo Philly - 10 mansions:

http://novophilly.com

Hanover on North Broad - 15th Street side building almost completed now:


Speaking of Logan Square area mansions - these guys behind the Franklin Institute are coming along (phase 2):




Hale Building - new ground floor/facade:




2400 Market St - Aramark new HQs (while I was a hater initially- and still wish one side could've had a tower on top, I have to admit this looks very cool/modern in person):

[ebuilder]

I will be glad when that 2400 market promenade is actually real. The front side needs a lot of work facing those CSX tracks currently.

[Milksteak]

Why do people feel the need to spray paint their stupid shit all over everything? I truly don't understand the motivating factor in wanting to spell your name on a wall owned by somebody else.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Somehow I missed the soffit-like window sections in the ARAMARK renderings. They add some interest to the facade.

[ePlanningPhila]

Great updates:

But wow the Hanover on North Broad is a suburban special. What AWFUL design/facade, especially facing 15th. I know that is not the best corner with the 15th St. exit from the Vine St. Expressway. But this just looks BAD.

With that I am pleasantly surprised by 2400 Market. So far it is coming along nicer than I anticipated.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Many of us have a low opinion of PMC, however, they seem to be getting it right on the Glaxo and ARAMARK conversions. I hope this bodes well for River Walk.

[El Duderino]

awesome updates all around (including on the other threads) - thanks for the pics, tco!

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

1600 Callowhill (next to The Alexander) - apt conversion:




Also next door to The Alexander and 1600 Callowhill - the $2 mil mansions have started:
Novo Philly - 10 mansions:

http://novophilly.com

Hanover on North Broad - 15th Street side building almost completed now:


Speaking of Logan Square area mansions - these guys behind the Franklin Institute are coming along (phase 2):




Hale Building - new ground floor/facade:




2400 Market St - Aramark new HQs (while I was a hater initially- and still wish one side could've had a tower on top, I have to admit this looks very cool/modern in person):

My observation with the use of wood on buildings is that the elements (wind, sun, rain) tend to rapidly discolor the stain on the wood (sometimes unevenly) and therefore makes it look dated relative to the other exterior materials. I wish they would of used something else besides wood to accent those areas.

[Larry King]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

Many of us have a low opinion of PMC, however, they seem to be getting it right on the Glaxo and ARAMARK conversions. I hope this bodes well for River Walk.

Since gensler is the architect on riverwalk, I think it's going to turn out alot better than say 1900 arch or other projects they did. Hopefully.

[ebuilder]

Originally Posted by ePlanningPhila

Great updates:

But wow the Hanover on North Broad is a suburban special. What AWFUL design/facade, especially facing 15th. I know that is not the best corner with the 15th St. exit from the Vine St. Expressway. But this just looks BAD.

With that I am pleasantly surprised by 2400 Market. So far it is coming along nicer than I anticipated.

In fairness the broad street side of the building is solid IMHO. 15th street is just not very urban for various reasons, mostly due to the off ramp.

[iheartphilly]

The library expansion on the Parkway would be a great asset. But, it seems like fundraising came up really short. Hope they build it one day. The original expansion design (last pic url) looks modern and amazing.


http://www.philly.com/philly/living/...-20180209.html

http://media.philly.com/images/1200*...8d8a24a8-1.jpg

http://media.philly.com/images/1200*...db2cecbd02.jpg

http://media.philly.com/images/1200*...b0f007e445.jpg

[Urbanthusiat]

Philadelphia airport, in effort to bolster shipping, buys more land

A massive, mostly vacant land parcel beside Philadelphia International Airport could become a bustling shipping hub for everything from medicine to car parts under a plan to develop the site into a new air-freight complex serving a swath of the northeastern United States.

The airport last month acquired control of the so-called Henderson Tract, which sprawls 135 acres — an area similar in size to the entire King of Prussia Mall and its parking lots — to the immediate west of its passenger terminals.

The move caps a years-long battle over the fate of the property in Tinicum Township, Delaware County, and is a first step by the city toward cashing in on its location among some of the nation’s biggest population centers in hopes of becoming a major air-freight power.

Up for grabs could be an estimated $50 billion in air-cargo business generated in the Philadelphia region, all but 9 percent of which is now lost to airports in Baltimore and Washington and in New York and Newark, N.J., because Philadelphia doesn’t have the capacity to take it on, said James Tyrrell, the airport’s chief revenue officer.

Despite its name, the area to the northeast of the Henderson land known as Cargo City is mostly used for purposes other than shipping, such as American Airlines Inc.’s catering facility, Tyrrell said.

“We have not been involved, for all intents and purposes, in the cargo business,” he said. “And we want to get involved.”

The city took possession of the Henderson property on Jan. 19 for $54.5 million in compensation after settling litigation over past efforts to condemn the land for airport use, an airport spokeswoman said.

More: http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20180212.html