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Roberto Clemente Playground getting much needed overhaul

When Sara Hirschler was driving around Spring Garden a few years back on a house-hunting mission, it was her real estate agent who pointed out the embarrassing eyesore that was Roberto Clemente Park, at 19th and Wallace streets. "He was like, 'Don't look at this park--it's not a good place!'" Hirschler recalls. And at the time, that was certainly an accurate assessment. Roberto Clemente Park has long been seen as a hotbed of illicit drug and gang activity, regardless of the fact that much of the surrounding community is relatively upscale.

Hirschler nevertheless ended up purchasing a condo around the corner from the park, and she soon came to know Roberto Clemente as "this really amazing, central spot in the neighborhood," she says. "I definitely saw it as an opportunity, where I could have a place to get to know my neighbors."

At first, Hirschler organized a series of kickball games in the park, but they soon evolved into something bigger and better. "I went through the park," she says, "and created an action plan of all the needs the park had--basic things, like painting the playground equipment, and the field needing some grass."

Along with Justino Navarro, a Spring Garden CDC board member, Hirschler also launched Friends of Clemente, which has been working to revitalize the park since 2008. (The group is largely funded by donations.) The organization's latest initiative involves a complete overhaul of the park, which should be finished by the end of May. A fence that wraps around the park's field is also being painted, and on May 14 the group will be hosting the second installment of Clemente Fest, a sort of neighborhood get-together featuring food, music, and a handball tournament.

"It's such a beautiful neighborhood," Hirschler adds. "And (Clemente Fest) is a great opportunity to start to get to know everybody, and to really feel like a community."

Source: Sara Hirschler, Friends of Clemente
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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New ordinance increases transparency in the city's process of transferring public park land

When Microsoft's $63 million School of the Future opened in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park in September 2006, expectations among area parents--some of whom nearly battled in order to secure a spot for their children--couldn't have possibly been higher. But by the time that first class of students was preparing to graduate, attitudes surrounding the school--which didn't require textbooks, and where many of the core subjects required for university admission weren't offered--had shifted considerably.

Today, many of the school's educational kinks have been duly worked out. But if such a project was proposed within the city today--that is, if a public development project was proposed to take place within Philadelphia's public park land--the eventual outcome would almost certainly be different. That's because on April 15, Mayor Michael Nutter signed an ordinance to amend the approval process that takes place when the city's public park land is transferred to some sort of non-park use, as was the case with the Microsoft high school.

"It's an effort that's really been spearheaded by the Parks and Recreation Commission," explains Patrick Morgan, who works underneath Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis. "What it does," he says, "is it establishes a process that's predictable and transparent for all the parties: for City Council, for citizens, and for the (Parks and Recreation) Commission."

And while there aren't currently any plans in place to change usage of city parkland, this new ordinance, which is set to take effect with the change of the fiscal year (July 1), will set in motion that new process of transparency.

"Right now, all (city) parkland is being used for its intended purpose," says Morgan. "But if someone proposes changing the use for whatever reason, then this process kicks in."

Source: Patrick Morgan, Department of Parks and Recreation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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High-rise down, LEED-certified up: PHA remakes North Philly's Norris Apartments

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has most certainly had its fair share of self-imposed problems and struggles recently. March 25, however, was an especially positive and exciting day for the organization, thanks largely to the implosion-by-wrecking ball of a high-rise at North Philadelphia's Norris Apartments, a public-housing facility that is now in the process of being fully replaced with a LEED-certified housing complex.

Located just outside Temple University's campus in North Philadelphia, the Norris Apartments were constructed in the 1950s, and as one area resident rightly commented during a video that was posted on Philly.com, "That building's been there too long. It looks like it's gonna fall anyway!"

Indeed. And according to the stunning architectural renderings produced by Blackney Hayes, the Center City East firm responsible for building the complex that will replace the high-rise, the new Norris Apartments will be quite unlike anything else in the immediate area. The development's 51 units, for instance--a mixture of two-story and three-story walkups and townhomes--will be arranged in the shape of a square. A small pocket park will sit in the center of the development, and with the help of a new Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) pilot program, the park will also be specially designed to keep excess rainwater from entering the city's sewer system.

What's more, the new units will come complete with all the trappings of green development: low-flow plumbing, Energy Star appliances and windows, and solar roof panels, to mention just a few. These apartments are modern, sustainable and affordable, says Michael Kelly, the PHA's Administrative Receiver. "That makes it a win-win for the residents and the environment."

The new Norris Apartments are scheduled to be complete by spring 2012, at which point the PHA will consider the feasibility of constructing more new units on or near the site.

Source: Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Former Tastykake factory site to become Bakers Square, a mixed-use shopping center

When the Tasty Baking Company finally closed its historic Hunting Park facility in June 2010, and completed the transition of its headquarters into a LEED-certified building at the Navy Yard, the Nicetown and Hunting Park communities had one less area landmark to be proud of. But this past Friday, March 25, the Metro Development Company broke ground on a new project at the site, which is now being referred to as Bakers Square.

Metro is developing the site into a 220,000-square-foot shopping center that will soon be packed with retail stores and restaurants. And while the majority of the spaces have yet to be rented, Metro's leasing agent, US Realty Associates, has already inked a deal with Brown's ShopRite, which is building a 71,000-square-foot supermarket that will act as the shopping center's anchor tenant. "We're one of the only grocery-anchored shopping centers that's currently under construction in the metro Philadelphia market," says US Realty's Greg Bianchi. "And that's pretty compelling in today's economic environment."

Indeed. And perhaps equally compelling is the fact that the original six-story Tasty Baking plant won't be demolished to make way for new construction. Instead, says Bianchi, the building will be retained and retrofitted; US Realty hopes to see it used as office, institutional, or retail space.

Job creation, however, may very well become the biggest story surrounding Bakers Square, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012. After all, 250 new jobs will be created for the ShopRite alone, says Bianchi. "We're also going to have 500 construction jobs," he adds. "And when we're done leasing the center, there will probably be upwards of 600 or 700 (permanent) jobs. And that's what things are about today. It's all about job creation."

Source: Greg Bianchi, US Realty Associates, Inc.
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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People for People will use coffee shop to disrupt poverty cycle in North Philly

A coffee shop isn't widely used as a tactic in the battle against poverty.  The nonprofit People for People, an organization whose mission is "to break the generational cycle of poverty in the lives of (North Central Philadelphia) residents" is poised to do just that. The organization's project, a coffee shop known as PFP Cafe, is scheduled to open this September near the intersection of North Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue.

Frank Robinson, PFP's Director of Development, says: "We wanted to do something that would continue to promote economic development for our area. And we wanted something we could use to train people in our jobs programs. (The PFP Cafe) will be like a live training ground."

People for People was designated in 2006 as an EARN Center by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare; one of its major goals involves helping the unemployed and underemployed with hands-on job readiness training. The cafe, which will serve coffee and bakery items, will give PFP's welfare-to-work clients a chance to practice their work skills in a real-life environment. What's more, the cafe will provide two or three full-time jobs, as well as dozens of rotating part-time positions. The ultimate goal, says Robinson, is for those workers to eventually transition into full-time positions in the service, retail or hospitality industries.

"We're changing lives," Robinson adds. "(PFP Cafe) is just another way to make sure people get the training they need to get jobs, and to help the economy. That's what we're doing."

Source: Frank Robinson, People for People
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Architecturally stunning housing for Francisville, one of city�s most economically diverse sections

Located just east of Philadelphia's upscale Fairmount neighborhood, and just north of Spring Garden, the small North Philly district of Francisville is probably best known locally for its extreme economic diversity. And now, two of the organizations that have been most active in changing and improving the face of the neighborhood--a nonprofit developer known as Community Ventures, and the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation--have teamed up to create the 44-unit Francisville East, an affordable housing development with a stunning aesthetic sensibility that belies its status as a low-income development.

Outsiders who visit the neighborhood, in fact, often mistakenly assume that Francisville East is an example of the gentrification taking place there. "It's kind of interesting," says Community Venture's David LaFontaine, with a chuckle. "(One of the TV networks) did a news report on Francisville, and they kept taping our building. But they were referring to all the economic changes and the gentrification. It is a really nice building," he adds. "It's the most attractive thing being built. But it's not actually gentrification."

Not even close. Residents of Francisville East, in fact, earn somewhere between 20 and 60 percent of the area's median income. And the project's apartment building, which is home to 27 one-bedroom units, was built specifically with senior citizens and the handicapped in mind. Still, the decidedly modern development, which sits on the 1500 block of Poplar Street, and on a lot that was previously trash-strewn and filled the detritus of construction equipment, also features a small garden, permeable sidewalks, solar panels, and off-street parking.

"The neat part," LaFontaine adds, "is that we sort of tackled the worst block in the neighborhood. It was sort of the epicenter of blight in Francisville. And we got rid of it."

Source: David LaFontaine, Community Ventures
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Marathon Restaurants� next location? An urban farm in Brewerytown

It's nearly impossible these days to walk through downtown Philadelphia without passing by at least one outpost of the local Marathon restaurant group, which now has six separate eateries in the city. Marathon is currently in the process of constructing its seventh location, although this particular site, which is being built atop a vacant lot in Brewerytown, won't have four walls or a ceiling, or even a proper kitchen or a dining room. That's because Marathon's newest location will actually be an urban farm. The company is building it with the dual intentions of providing fresh food to the community and the various Marathon restaurants.

The idea for the farm was initially planted about nine months ago, when Marathon's owner, Cary Borish, was looking for new ways to make his restaurants more environmentally friendly. At the time, says Borish, "I didn't really understand what the spirit of urban farming was." But after Borish became reacquainted with a former employee, Patrick Dunn, who runs an urban farm in East Kensington, "I really bought into it, and a light went off," he says.

Dunn laid down the basic tenets of the urban farming philosophy--food security, nutrition, the fostering of community--and the two men realized they could use the restaurant not only as a vehicle to raise money for the project, but also to help build awareness of the urban farming movement in general. What's more, Borish says that while roughly half of the food grown will be served in his restaurants, the remaining half will be sold at reasonable rates at at an on-site food stand.

The 15,750 square-foot farm is scheduled to be up and running by March 21. A fundraising 'Hoedown' event will happen March 20 at Marathon's 929 Walnut Street location, while on March 26, a candlelit 'Farmraiser Dinner' will take place at the restaurant's 1339 Chestnut Street location.

Source: Cary Borish, Marathon
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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North 28 is Brewerytown�s first construction north of Girard in five years

Regardless of whether or not you believe that the current real estate crisis is finally coming to a close, the fact remains that there will probably always be neighborhoods in Philadelphia that are optimally ripe for renewal. According to Jacob Roller of MM Partners LLC, a real estate development and management company with offices on West Girard Avenue, Brewerytown may very well the next ideal neighborhood in line for something of an aesthetic and cultural transformation.

Already, MM Partners has been responsible for bringing an outpost of the local Mugshots CoffeeHouse & Cafe chain to Brewerytown; they've also rehabbed countless residential and retail properties up and down the main drag of West Girard. The company's current residential project, however, is its most ambitious yet in the neighborhood.

Known as North 28, and located just north of the Fairmount neighborhood at 1238 North 28th Street, the project is a "15 unit building with 15 gated parking spaces," according to the MM Partners website. It's also the first residential development to be built north of Girard in the past five years; the last was the Westrum Development Company's 144-unit Brewerytown Square project. Interestingly enough, North 28 is being built as a modular construction project, and the units have been approved for both sale and rental.

But as Roller explains it, the focus of his company, which he co-owns with business partner David Waxman, doesn't actually begin and end with residential construction. Rather, it's concerned with the overall revival of the Brewerytown neighborhood because, as Roller says, "We think retail drives residential growth."

The company plans to break ground on the 14,500 square-foot lot where North 28 will sit in roughly a month or two. Rental units, which will run from $900 to $1,450 per month, should be available for viewing this May.

Source: Jacob Roller, MM Partners LLC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Jobs the focus as Mayor Nutter announces Neighborhood Economic Development Grants

On Valentine's Day last week, Mayor Michael Nutter appeared at Esperanza College in North Philadelphia to introduce the recipients of the 2011 Neighborhood Economic Development grants. The purpose of the long-running and hugely popular program, which receives $1 million in funding from the federal Community Development Block Grant program, is to "support the completion of neighborhood economic predevelopment, planning, and development projects," according to a Philadelphia Department of Commerce press release distributed at Esperanza.

Mayor Nutter, however, described the program in significantly more passionate and straightforward terms: "When we talk about this program, it's not just about affordable housing," he offered. "It's not just about shelter for the homeless. It's not just about investing. It's also about jobs, which is all we really want to talk about. You ask me what time it is?" he continued. "It's time to help people get a job. You ask me what the weather's like? It's nice enough to go out and look for a job. Anything you ask me, we're going to talk about jobs."

And although some might argue that the Neighborhood Economic Development grants are about much more than simple job creation--at their core, they're about helping community groups foster serious economic growth--the reality is that a total of 368 permanent jobs will eventually be created as a result of the grant monies being awarded to this year's recipients.

Esperanza, in fact, was one of this year's nine grant recipients, as was the Center for Culinary Enterprises, a food business incubator which plans to break ground on March 23. Other recipients include Community Legal Services, which is constructing a four-story building; Mt. Airy USA, which is building the Mt. Airy Transit Village; and People for People (PFP), which will offer job training in a soon-to-be-renovated two-story building. Click here to read about the remaining grant recipients and their plans for future development.

Source: Esperanza College
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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North Broad Street redevelopment gets a heaping helping of culinary genius

Historically speaking, North Philadelphia certainly hasn't been a part of town known for inspiring trendy development projects. And that's exactly why last Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony at 600 N. Broad Street was welcomed with such hearty enthusiasm, especially by those who closely follow the city's ever-burgeoning restaurant scene.

Helmed by real estate developer Eric Blumenfeld, who has long been working to turn the stretch of North Broad Street between City Hall and Temple University into a sort of artistically gentrified urban playground, the 600 N. Broad Street mixed-use development will feature the projects of two restaurateurs and one caterer whose aesthetics might seem better suited to Old City, or even Northern Liberties or East Passyunk.

Stephen Starr, who supposedly has plans to launch at least four new restaurants in 2011, will be building a seafood restaurant known as Route 6 on the site, which was most recently home to the Wilkie Chevrolet-Buick Subaru dealership. Marc Vetri, meanwhile, will open a beer bar known as Birreria 600, and Joe Volpe (of the Cescaphe Event Group) will open a 700-capacity catering venture. Nearly 100 new apartments will also be a major part of the project, which comes with a $43 million price tag, $18 million of which will be publicly funded. The project is expected to be complete by October 2011.

Source: EB Realty Management Corporation and PMC Property Group
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Columbus Property Management finishes up a LEED-certified rehab of N. 16th Street housing

With Temple University in the midst of its 20/20 vision plan--an ambitious development proposal that will bring renovations across the North Philadelphia campus and renew North Broad Street's commercial corridor--it is easy to forget about the neighborhoods surrounding Temple. But while Temple prepares for millions of dollars in student housing and resident services centers, one nearby corridor was quietly getting a facelift of its own.

This week, Columbus Property Management announced completion of Temple 1, a LEED-certified rehab of 22 town homes on N. 16th Street between Cecil B. Moore and Montgomery. The renovation converts 58 low-income rental units with features like low-flow bath fixtures, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, energy-saving windows and new insulation. The project has been given the LEED Gold certification and will re-open later this month.

"There is a lot of construction going on in this immediate area of North Philadelphia," says Columbus Director of Construction David Hahn. "All of these projects are working together to restore some of the blighted areas across this part of North Philadelphia."

The all-union, local construction continues as Columbus begins Temple 2, bringing energy efficiency to an other 40 units on the 1500 block. Beyond the new construction bringing more people to the developing area, Hahn hopes this project will generate revenue for nearby commercial corridors.

"By lowering living expenses, it gives our tenants a few more dollars in their pocket, which they can then in turn spend in the neighborhood," says Hahn. "More than just a stable building, we want to create a stable neighborhood. So when people go spend that money at the laundromat or the pizzeria, they are adding to that stability."

Source: Dave Hahn, Columbus Property Management
Writer: John Steele

SEPTA finds a way around I-95 construction to keep Route 15 trolley moving

Once a fixture of Philadelphia's transit system, the original streetcar has disappeared from routes once well-tread on 11th and 12th Streets and on Market Street. But while the trolley's lack of maneuverability got it removed from Center City, the Route 15 Trolley, that runs the length of Girard Avenue, has become a fixture of one of the city's most eclectic neighborhood corridors. So when SEPTA announced that it would be closing the Route 15 Trolley because it interfered with PennDOT's renovation of I-95, something had to be done.

This week, SEPTA began construction on a turnaround: a looped section of track at the corner of Frankford and Delaware Avenues. This turnaround would allow continued service on the Route 15 through the two-year PennDOT project. For the time being, SEPTA is running buses until the new track work is complete. The turnaround is scheduled for completion on Feb. 13, 2011. Unfortunately for Fishtown residents, the easternmost section of the route--between Frankford Avenue and Richmond and Westmoreland streets--will remain on bussed routes for the duration of the construction, scheduled to be completed in early 2013.
 
"The Route 15 trolley is a part of the community," says SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch. "There would have to be a much stronger reason to discontinue trolley service than a small construction project."

Many community members have posited that the reason for the turnaround placement was to provide access to the newly-built SugarHouse casino. SEPTA has announced that the trolley will stop at the turnaround to unload passengers. The plan now, Busch says, is to have an additional option for the direction of this historic trolley in the future.

"The loop will be there when we get the full line back," says Busch. "It's good to have the option to add this turnaround to the line if we need it."

Source: Andrew Busch, SEPTA
Writer: John Steele

Hybrid car garage and showroom opens in NoLibs

In certain circles, hybrid cars are cool. But among most car enthusiasts and auto mechanics, saving the planet takes a backseat to speed, torque and good, old-fashioned muscle. Al Rivera wants to change all that as he opens H3 Hybrids this week. The garage at 1221 Frankford Ave. in Northern Liberties will be the first non-dealer hybrid garage in Philadelphia and will carry a small inventory of used hybrids. With a background in engineering, Rivera says he began researching the technology when his wife bought a hybrid and became fascinated. He says the cars for sale will display innovations in hybrid technology that you won't find at your local Toyota dealer.

"I only have space for about five cars on the lot so I am going to have one or two conventional ones," says Rivera. "But I'd like to showcase a car with a 100-mile-per-gallon conversion, with a plug that plugs into your house with any extension cord."

The space was run as a garage and forklift repair shop with few customers in the past, so Rivera had the neighborhood on his side and, now that he has passed the Zoning Board, he hopes to show his friends and neighbors that hybrids can be just as appealing to motorheads as tree-huggers.

"If you are stuck on the Schuylkill or in city traffic for two hours, you are only getting two to three miles per gallon," says Rivera. "But with a hybrid, we can get you 40-50 miles per gallon, no matter what the traffic looks like. And when you are driving in a city, a gas motor is very inefficient."

Source:
Al Rivera, H3 Hybrids
Writer: John Steele

Infill Philadelphia launches Industrial Sites publication, showcasing industrial redesign projects

When Community Design Collaborative (CDC) Executive Director Beth Miller ran into volunteer Scott Page at Reading Terminal Market two years ago, a chat about their favorite Amish pastries turned to what was next in industrial redevelopment. Page mentioned a partnership between Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and the City Planning Commission to create an industrial reuse strategy. CDC's Infill Philadelphia project was already on the lookout for opportunities to lend a hand and this project seemed like a perfect fit.

In February, Infill Philadelphia launched its Industrial Sites initiative, a design proposal contest searching for three types of industrial redevelopment. The Neighborhood anchor focused on creating an incubator for new industry. Mixed-use focused on creating new industry side-by-side with housing. And the Making Connections challenge coupled industry with environment to create an industrial campus and riverfront amenity in one. Three volunteer design firms unveiled redevelopment proposals to the design community in May. On Tuesday, CDC released a publication to show off the projects to the rest of the city.

"Industrial redevelopment is one of those problems that seems unsolvable," says Miller. "There are so many older buildings out there and nobody quite knows what to do with them. We thought this was a good strategy to showcase a new generation of urban industry."

The Industrial Sites initiative is the third phase for Infill, an ongoing redevelopment advisory project that has worked on affordable housing, commercial corridors and food access. With their new publication showing what they can do, Miller hopes to draw inspiration for her next project.

"We hope to make this an ongoing thing through our service grants, so non-profits can apply to us to address an industrial site in their neighborhood," says Miller. "We've already gotten two or three applications like that so we hope to continue that work on a case-by-case basis."

Source: Beth Miller, Infill Philadelphia
Writer: John Steele

SEPTA receives $6.4M in federal grants to develop transit asset management system

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey announced last Tuesday that Pennsylvania would receive $47 million in federal transit and infrastructure grants as part of the Federal Transit Administration's State of Good Repair program. As SEPTA updated its hybrid bus fleet two years ago, the lion's share of the funding went to Pittsburgh's Allegheny County Port Authority for a clean diesel fleet of their own. But SEPTA didn't come away empty handed, receiving $8.1 million for two infrastructure improvements a long time coming.

The first grant will revamp SEPTA's Parkside Bus Loop, helping reconnect this West Philly neighborhood. But the second, more universal improvement will aid in future upgrades. Using $6.4 million, SEPTA will install an asset management system to aid in record-keeping as many of Philadelphia's transit assets come up for repairs.

"A lot of our infrastructure dates back to the early 1900's and were taken over from other private companies," says SEPTA CFO Richard Burnfield. "What the FTA was trying to focus on is knowing what you have out there in the field before you can make an assessment as to what your overall needs are, coming up with a plan for when things should be replaced."

The system will help SEPTA keep better records so when funding is available, the authority can make a more organized, more compelling case for further federal dollars as the fleet is upgraded.

"Right now, we do a very good job of managing our assets so while the records are not as computerized as we'd like them to be, we have so much knowledge within our engineering staff that I feel we make excellent decisions," says Burnfield. "But I think this will help us going forward so we can do a second check on things as our staff reaches retirement."

Source: Richard Burnfield, SEPTA
Writer: John Steele
107 North Philadelphia Articles | Page: | Show All
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