Germantown : Development News

In dense urban neighborhoods where land is scarce, open space is often called upon to wear multiple hats. In Germantown, the John B. Kelly School yard is undergoing a massive renovation to do just that: be a playground, yes, but also a gathering space for the whole neighborhood. The plan is called KellyGreen.
 
“Our goal is that the Kelly yard become more green and sustainable so that it has a real purpose for the kids that come here," explains Dennis Barneby with the Hansberry Garden and Nature Center, an organization partnering with the school to transform the yard. "We also want to create a gardening space."
 
Currently, the site is largely asphalt and underutilized by the school’s 800 students. It's something Barneby has seen firsthand -- the school is only a block away from Hansberry Garden. "It just made sense -- lets look at this space and see how we can use it better for the kids and better for the whole neighborhood," explained Barneby in a recent interview on Northwest Soapbox.

The KellyGreen initiative was born. Thanks to a planning grant from the Community Design Collaborative, design professionals and community representatives were enlisted. A design charette process and subsequent meetings led to a workable plan. 
 
Barneby and Hansberry Garden hope the improved school yard will become a place where kids and adults learn how to grow their own food, both in school and during the summer. Ultimately, it’s about creating stewards of land and community.
 
Now in the fundraising phase, KellyGreen plans to hold a major event this spring. At a minimum, it will involve planting trees and installing raised beds. Some of the planned play equipment could also be installed.
 
With a successful fundraising push, Barneby hopes KellyGreen will be complete within the next two years.

Source:  Dennis Barneby, Hansberry Garden and Nature Center
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

For the folks at Philly Office Retail, renovating vacant, abandoned industrial structures is their bread and butter. When they bought the dilapidated former Kendrick Mill at 6139 Germantown Avenue back in June, they were met with the usual conundrum: historic warehouse, underutilized, in need of investment. But it was the circumstance they hadn’t dealt with before that made this renovation unique: existing tenants.

"The building was maybe 55 percent leased when we bought it back in June," explains Philly Office Retail's Noah Krey. "A lot of the tenants were operating without official leases." 

Unphased, the company got to work adding state-of-the-art studio spaces for lease. They have sunk nearly $400,000 into the historic gem, improving the floors, upgrading the utilities, adding new awnings and façade treatments, installing a new HVAC system and overhauling the space's image, rebranding it as the Lofts @ Kendrick Mill.

Those efforts haven’t gone unrewarded. "Today we’re 75 percent leased," says Krey.

But what about those the existing tenants, some of whom were without official leases? "We didn't kick anyone out but unfortunately we did lose some tenants in the renovation process," says Krey, adding that under Philly Office Retail's management all tenants are required to sign leases.

Making up for those losses is an impressive list of new tenants -- a group characterized by Krey as "mostly artists" -- which includes graphic designers, clothing designers and furniture designers. 

Another major tenant is Rocket Learning, an educational management company, that took over space in late 2012.

With most of the renovations complete and rebranding efforts in full swing, the only significant item on the "to-do" list is to replace all the windows while preserving the building's warehouse look and feel.

Source:  Noah Krey, Philly Office Retail
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

In Lower Germantown, developers and activists are sowing the seeds for a dramatic turnaround. Thanks to a $25 million renovation of the nearby Wayne Junction SEPTA regional rail hub, investors are buying up property, anticipating the birth of a transit-oriented neighborhood full of offices, artists and schools.

The site of the former Germantown Settlement Charter School is the latest example of the area's resurgence. The chapel is set to be renovated later this year, becoming a performance hall for GreatnessIsInYou!, a local non-profit.

"The idea behind our organization is to motivate students and youth to achieve greatness by being the greatest version of themselves," explains founder and CEO Kareem Rogers. "With the performance hall, our goal is to teach kids how to express themselves and communicate through the arts."

Purchased nearly a year ago by Philly Office Retail, the site is comprised of 5 buildings on 6.5 acres just blocks from Wayne Junction. When the school closed two-and-a-half years ago, the campus was left to deteriorate. "We’re hoping to bring it back," says Philly Office Retail's Noah Krey. "The chapel was leased a few months ago and will be a big step towards that."

Rogers says the site's location was a major incentive: "It’s right in the heart of the community and has great transit access. Anyone can get here," he explains.

Rogers plans to use the new performance hall as a community hub. So far, plans include a performing arts summer camp that also teaches the business side of writing, theatre and the arts, as well as a family theatre series showcasing classic children’s stories.

GreatnessIsInYou! continues to fundraise, and renovations are expected to run from mid-March through early May.

As for the other properties on site, they are still unoccupied. "We think it could be great for the community if another school took those buildings and set up at the site," says Krey. "That would also make for a great synergy with GreatnessIsInYou! We're open to any use that will benefit the community."

Source:  Noah Krey, Philly Office Retail; Kareem Rogers, GreatnessIsInYou!
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Flying Horse Center in Germantown is best known for its industrial reuse story. In 2010, the Community Design Collaborative chose the 85-year-old parking garage, which had been transformed into a multi-use community center, as a model of adaptive reuse in its Retooling Industrial Sites exhibit.

With most of the 55,000-square-foot facility leased and the final phase of office flex space being built, owner Stan Smith is once again using the hulking structure as a leading example of how to combat some of Philly’s chronic urban woes. This time he’s taking on another form of neighborhood blight: graffiti. In a page out of Jane Golden’s playbook, he’s allowing local artists to use portions of the Flying Horse Center’s facade as a showcase for street art.

"The building gets so much exposure because of its central location right next to the train stop," explains Smith. "The graffiti that plagued the building was sending the wrong message. It made me mad."

The building directly abuts the Chestnut Hill West regional rail line and features a large, highly visible brick wall along the tracks. For years that stretch of the façade got the brunt of the tagging. "It was ruining the beautiful brick," says Smith.

But the brick wall also featured large portions of cinderblock that covered up windows from another era. Smith decided that those parts of the wall could be used to show off graffiti in a way that didn’t detract from the building, putting the graffiti artists' work to good use. 

"I want to give respect to Germantown as well as the message behind the graffiti movement," says Smith. "I support graffiti as an art form. We can survive together, it just needs to be responsible."

Smith worked with Nelson Glendinning and his father Andrew from Germantown Academy, allowing Nelson to showcase his work on the cinderblocks. 

Nelson took full advantage of the opportunity, producing interesting artwork that enhances the building, pays respect to its history and acts as a gateway to Chelten Avenue and Germantown.

But work remains. "We still have a lot of cinderblocks to do and an even bigger message to get out there," says Smith. "Nelson’s one man. He can’t do it all."

Smith has received a tremendous amount of interest from other local artists to help finish the project. So far no one has officially signed on, but Smith believes that Nelson’s compelling work will help sell others on the idea. 

Source: Stan Smith, Flying Horse Center
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Philadelphia’s Streets Department is teaming up with community groups in West Oak Lane and Point Breeze and a private food waste disposal company to encourage residents  to use sink disposals to get rid of food, instead of merely throwing it away. The voluntary pilot program, called "Clean Kitchen, Green Community" is another step by the Nutter administration to help fulfill its Greenworks sustainability blueprint and make the city the most environmentally-friendly in the nation.

The food disposal pilot relies on the Ogontz Ave. Redevelopment Corporation (OARC) and Diversified Community Services (DCS) to get the word out to residents in West Oak Lane and Point Breeze, respectively. This is a role that both community organizations are happy to play.

"We pride ourselves on being innovators," says John Ungar, the chief operating officer of OARC. Both Ungar and Cheryl Weiss, the executive director of DCS, say their organizations have been busy going door-to-door in the community, striving to convince residents to give the program a try.

One hundred homeowners in both Point Breeze and West Oak Lane will receive a complimentary sink food disposal system and free installation by local plumbers, says city Streets commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson. The disposals will be provided by Wisconsin-based InSinkErator. The president emeritus of InSinkErator, Jerry Ryder, spoke at the West Oak Lane press conference and demonstration for "Clean Kitchen." 

This pilot is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to bolster its environmental sustainability. While the city has worked to address greening as it relates to stormwater run-off, recycling, and energy efficiency, this program expands the scope to include food disposal.

"We want to test an opportunity and an issue for us," says Tolson of food waste. Tolson adds that not everyone is able to compost food waste, and for those who can’t, this program serves as a sustainable means of disposal. "Clean Kitchen" is in line with the Greenworks goal of diverting up to 70 percent of city materials from landfills. 

The press demonstration, which was held at Special T’s Events in West Oak Lane, featured an InSinkErator and plenty of chicken wings and vegetables for dignitaries, guests, and members of the media to hurl down the sink. Speakers, including Mayor Nutter, Senator Evans, and InSinkErator’s Ryder all got to dispose of their food in the sink. Attendees seemed impressed by the sink disposal, even if it was a little louder than a trash can. 

Source: Clarena I.W. Tolson, Philadelphia Streets Department
Writer: Andy Sharpe     

In a neighborhood short on new developments and long on challenges, just about any project is welcomed. In Philadelphia's Nicetown, a transit-oriented development (TOD) project known as Nicetown Court II is being viewed as a key piece in the neighborhood's comeback puzzle as it would bring low-income housing and retail to the community around the Wayne Junction train station.

Nicetown Court II is designed with 50 low-income rental units and ground-floor retail, according to Richard Redding, the director of the Community Planning Division of the City Planning Commission. The complex would be at the intersection of Wayne and Windrim Aves, across the street from Wayne Junction. The apartments would be mostly two- and three-bedroom, with a few four-bedroom units. In addition, Redding adds there would be around 5,000 sq. ft. of retail, which could be frequented by Court residents, other Nicetown residents, or train commuters.

No word on when construction will begin, although it was recommended by the City Planning Commission last week and also has Redevelopment Authority approval. The development is a collaboration between the Nicetown CDC and Kenny Gamble’s Universal Companies.  

While part of the story is that Nicetown Court II will provide development nourishment for a hungry Nicetown, the other part is how this is a prime example of TOD. There will be a stop for SEPTA’s Route 23 bus right outside the Court that can take residents to Northwest, North, and South Philadelphia, and Center City. The complex is also a pebble’s flick away from Wayne Junction. “This is a train station that is being re-constructed,” says Redding, who adds that this development is in line with his agency’s TOD plans for both Nicetown and Germantown.

Nicetown Court II follows the December completion of Nicetown Court I, which contains four stories with 37 mixed-income apartments and ground floor retail, a little further down Germantown Ave. The original Nicetown Court is now fully occupied. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Richard Redding, Philadelphia City Planning Commission

When it comes to sustainable transportation around Philadelphia, pedestrians have been without an active group speaking on their behalf since PhillyWalks ended about a decade ago. While bicyclists have enjoyed advocacy from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and mass transit riders have been represented by the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, pedestrians have not found a similar voice recently. That is, until now. The Clean Air Council has just formed a pedestrian advocacy group, and is in the process of creating an agenda for those who travel with two feet on the pavement.

This new group, dubbed the "Pedestrian Advocacy Project," has met twice so far and has crowdsourced its agenda through the hundreds of people who are on its listserv, according to Dennis Winters, a trails associate at the Council who is leading the project. Winters says e-mail participants indicated the biggest problem facing pedestrians is that "red-green lights (are) not synced right." In other words, traffic lights around the Philadelphia area often favor motorists over pedestrians.

At the project’s second meeting, the 10 or so attendees largely agreed with the e-mail survey. They discussed intersections in Philadelphia, such as 20th and JFK Blvd., that are not as pedestrian-friendly as they believe they should be. Attendees arrived at the conclusion that pedestrian countdown signals and corresponding traffic lights should be re-timed to equalize the playing field between drivers and walkers. By the end of the evening, a committee had formed to study pedestrian countdown signals, and how they could be improved.

One prevailing question for the nascent advocacy group is whether pedestrian countdown signals themselves are to blame for diminishing the pedestrian experience, or whether bad behavior on the part of motorists is to blame. Deborah Schaaf, an employee of the City Planning Commission and a walker herself, says that police enforcement of aggressive driving had to be cut short due to lack of funds. In fact, police overtime money that was supposed to go to the "Give respect, get respect" campaign targeting vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian infractions instead went to Occupy Philly coverage.

The Pedestrian Advocacy Project’s online members also indicated that the presence of outdoor seating and other obstructions blocking sidewalks, traffic laws not being adequately enforced, and aggressive drivers turning left were other impediments for pedestrians. Most members of the listserv attended the Academy of Natural Sciences forum "Walkability: Philadelphia Strides into the Future," which was where the pedestrian advocacy group was unveiled. Given that just about everyone in Philadelphia walks, even if it is just to get to their car or train, this group could help a lot of people.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Dennis Winters

When you think of neighborhoods steeped in history, you probably think of Old City, Society Hill, and Germantown. Yet, the Roxborough neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia has plenty of historic homes in its own right, and will now be given a chance to showcase Victorian-era properties on Lyceum Ave., a few blocks up from the infamous Manayunk Wall, between Ridge Ave. and Pechin St. This is thanks to a grant from the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia to rehabilitate the porches and facades of homes on the two-block stretch.

The Roxborough Development Corporation (RDC) is not wasting any time in taking advantage of the $30,000 grant, says James Calamia, its operations manager. "This summer is a target to begin construction, maybe even this spring," he says. The RDC held a forum on the grant this past Wednesday, where they handed out applications for interested Victorian homeowners to enlist. They also put on the first of multiple workshops on "historic porches and wood repairs," adds Calamia. There was an excellent turnout for both the forum and the workshop.

This is just the latest exciting news for Roxborough, which is trying to enhance its Ridge Ave. commercial corridor through walkability improvements and the opening of new businesses. In order to draw more people to live and shop in the area, RDC is trying to accentuate the neighborhood’s rich, albeit often untold, history. "The Roxborough Development Corporation believes in protecting the historical assets and heritage of the Roxborough neighborhood," says Calamia. 

In the past, Roxborough Township was known as a peaceful alternative to the frenetic bustle of Center City, buffered from the downtown by the Wissahickon Creek and the Schuylkill River. Many of the affected homes on the 400-block of Lyceum Ave. were built in the late-1800s to maintain the sense of closely-woven community that made Roxborough such an appealing place.   

Lyceum Ave. home- and business-owners are receiving the grants on behalf of the Preservation Alliance’s Vital Neighborhoods Initiative (VNI). The VNI targets moderate-income sections of the city that could use some additional preservation work. Roxborough and the Penn Knox, Tulpehocken, and Pomona Cherokee sections of Germantown are the only neighborhoods in Northwest Philly eligible for the grants. Recipients of the last round of grants included the Fairmount CDC, the Walnut Hill Community Association, and the Yorktown CDC.

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: James Calamia, Roxborough CDC

The Pennsylvania Convention Center Annex was filled with the redolent scents of artisanal cheese, creamy gelato, freshly-baked bread and biscotti, and premium steeped tea last Sunday. These scents formed the aromatic calling card for the Philly Farm and Food Fest, which was co-organized by Fair Food and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA). One of the highlights of the convention was a panel discussion on the Green Space Alliance’s recent study “Transforming open space to sustainable farm enterprises.”

The panel discussion started with an outline of Green Space Alliance’s (GSA’s) findings, which include recommendations on public outreach, zoning and planning, and urban areas. One of the chief findings is that GSA should extend an arm to local governments, land trusts, and conservancies to generate knowledge about sustainable farming. Under zoning, the study concludes that specific ordinance definitions should be drafted, says Justin Keller, an architect with Simone Collins Landscape Architecture, which prepared the study for GSA. 

Finally, the study advises that incentives be created for urban farms that bolster stormwater management through the elimination of impervious surfaces. It specifically pinpoints urban farms as sources of sorely-needed nourishment in food deserts and job creators in neighborhoods with rampant unemployment. GSA found that the city of Philadelphia has nearly 2,500 acres that can be used for farming, which could yield a crop value between $6.4 and $10.8 million, says Peter Simone, also an architect with Simone Collins.

After Simone Collins presented the study, three panelists offered conference-goers some feedback. Nic Esposito, who farms at East Kensington’s Emerald St. Urban Farm, is interested in the study’s examination of municipal land, as his farm is owned by three different city agencies. While the study looks at both CSAs and farms that donate food, Esposito makes sure to mention that Emerald St. donates all the food it generates from chickens and bees. He also adds that Councilwoman Sanchez and Councilman Green’s land bank resolution in City Council would be an asset for urban farming on vacant land.

Another panelist was Joan Blaustein, chair of the Philadelphia Food Policy Council and a director in the city’s department of Parks and Recreation. Blaustein, who grows food in her own backyard garden, emphasizes the practical nature of urban gardening. Urban gardens “should satisfy the social needs of people in the city,” says Blaustein. She proceeds to give the city a pat on the back for emphasizing urban farms in its Greenworks plan and mentioning it in its new zoning code. 

The third panelist was Fred DeLong, a project director at the Willistown Conservation Trust and Rushton Farm in Chester County. DeLong differs from the other panelists in that his farm certainly isn’t urban. Nonetheless, he has a similar goal to the study and his fellow panelists. “Willistown Conservation Trust wants to connect people to the land,” says DeLong. He adds that within the trust is the Rushton Farm, which is a natural community-supported agriculture (CSA) within an 80-acre nature preserve.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Sources: Justin Keller, Peter Simone, Nic Esposito, Joan Blaustein, and Fred DeLong, panelists at Philly Farm and Food Fest

Illustration courtesy of Philly Farm and Food Fest   

While you wouldn’t know it from looking at Center or University Cities, Philadelphia has an enormous amount of vacant land scarring the cityscape -- some 40,000 parcels, to be exact.  The scourge of vacant land twists its way through South and Southwest Philly, flexes into West Philly, rolls into North Philly, and extends into Northeast and Northwest Philly. Given the citywide nature of the vacancy problem and its mounting costs, the Nutter administration, City Council, and the state House and Senate all seem eager to address it. In fact, Mayor Nutter appears ready to release a new plan on vacant land, while the state Senate may soon begin debate on a bill to set up land banks to deal with vacant land.

Philadelphia’s managing director is just about done with the city’s new vacant land plan, according to Rick Sauer, the executive director of the Philadelphia Association of CDCs (PACDC). The city’s upcoming proposal only deals with city-owned land (only about 25 percent of all vacant parcels), and thus does not push for a land bank for privately held vacant land. Advocates see the Nutter administration’s plan as a step in the right direction, even if it might not go as far as they would like. “The administration is trying to create a rational process for vacant land,” says Karen Black, the principal at May 8 Consulting, a firm that has worked with PACDC on vacant land issues.

The Nutter administration’s ideas come on the heels of a land bank bill written by Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez and co-sponsored by Councilman Bill Green last month. Black confirms that this bill aims to consolidate ownership of vacant land into one land bank, which means it goes substantially further than the bill being drafted by the mayor’s office. She adds that City Council hearings on Sanchez and Green’s bill might kick off as soon as May.  

There is also support for dealing with vacant land at the state level, with legislation being proposed that is similar to the land bank bill in City Council. Black informs us that the state House passed a land bank bill by Philadelphia Rep. John Taylor in February. She enthusiastically points out that this bill would enable private properties to be sold directly into a land bank, without the city having to change its charter.

Meanwhile, on the state Senate side, there is also some hearty support for land bank legislation. Senator David Argall, a Republican who represents parts of Berks, Lehigh, and other counties north and west of the Philly suburbs, has introduced a bill in the Senate designed to be a companion to the bill that passed the House. Black reassures that the passage of the House bill might mean action in the Senate is imminent. 

Black and Sauer are unequivocal about the neighborhood blight caused by vacant land. “Vacant properties have a significant negative impact on property values,” laments Sauer, who conducted a study with the city Re-Development Authority (PRA) on vacant land in late 2010. Sauer elaborates that the study found a 6 to 20% loss in property values caused by the presence of nearby vacant land. He also lambastes vacant properties as havens for drug activity, arson, and illicit dumping, which entail significant quality-of-life problems. PACDC’s study found that vacant land cost the city $20 million each year in maintenance costs.  

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Sources: Karen Black, May 8 Consulting and Rick Sauer, PACDC    

Germantown is a neighborhood that is characterized by the remnants of its past colliding with the challenges of its present. It is definitely one of the most famous historic sections of Philly, right behind Old City in the eyes of many. Yet, this storied history comes with the backdrop of crime, poverty, trash, and neighborhood division on many blocks. This neighborhood division has been manifested by the corrupt Germantown Settlement, which was a social service and community development agency that ran out of money, and a tiff over retail development on Chelten Avenue. 

It's why Germantown residents are even more motivated to redevelop and cultivate a sense of community. In fact, the Germantown United CDC (GUCDC) was formed toward the end of last year to reinstate transparency to the neighborhood. The CDC is currently in the process of selecting its Board, and serves the racially, economically, and religiously diverse area from Chew Ave. to the north, Wissahickon Ave. to the south, Wayne Junction Station to the east, and Johnson St. to the west. 

John Churchville, the president of GUCDC, is passionate about making a difference. "I'd have to say that our first priority is to establish our trustworthiness as an organization in Germantown," says a motivated Churchville. He says this means reaching out to local businesses, residents, civic associations, and developers. The president also detects a hardy sense of optimism among those who are interested in serving on GUCDC’s Board. 

Once GUCDC becomes more entrenched in the neighborhood, one of its priorities will be re-utilizing the historic Germantown Town Hall. Churchville says that the re-use of Town Hall will be a personal commitment of his. He wants to take advantage of the Civil War-era building’s location across from Germantown High School by turning it into a building of learning that will feature post-secondary level science, technology, and math and high-school level "green entrepreneur" training. The building is up for sale by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). 

Another GUCDC priority will be to clean up the Chelten and Germantown Ave. business corridors. The corridors form perpendicular Main Streets feature a diverse selection of small businesses, but are pockmarked by trash and other quality-of-life problems. The CDC has already held clean-ups along Chelten, and has proven its intimate concern with the avenue since its days speaking out against the new shopping center at Chelten and Pulaski. 

It’s not hard to guess that GUCDC sees Germantown’s history playing a vital role in the area’s future. Barbara Hogue, the executive director at Historic Germantown, is hoping to assist in this effort. She says her organization has submitted a grant application to the Pew Charitable Trust for "the interpretation of the enduring search for freedom in Germantown." If they receive the grant, Hogue foresees Historic Germantown working setting up pop-up exhibits at vacant storefronts and organizing lectures at local coffee shops in an event commemorating the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

GUCDC held a forum last week to examine CDC best practices in Philadelphia and New York and strategize ways to make a community like Germantown more livable. The forum was keynoted by Colvin Grannum, president of Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. Other speakers were Econsult economist Steve Mullin, Rick Sauer with the Philadelphia Association of Economic Development Corporations, Historic Germantown’s Hogue, Sandy Salzman at New Kensington CDC, and Andy Frishkoff with Local Initiatives Support Corporation. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Sources: John Churchville, Germantown United CDC and Barbara Hogue, Historic Germantown 

Photo courtesy of Dana Scherer

2011 was the year for public space and parks in Philadelphia, with the opening of Penn Park, The Porch at 30th St. Station, and the Race St. Pier. Mt. Airy USA (MAUSA) is looking to bring that trend northwest for 2012. MAUSA, in conjunction with community groups and other stakeholders, has been studying what to do with the open space next to the Lovett Library for months. They have formulated a "conceptual plan" for an open, child-friendly performance space that will complement their efforts to transform Germantown Ave. into a more livable and walkable corridor.

The community made it clear during three public meetings that any outdoor area at Lovett should preserve the open space and support performances, according to Anuj Gupta, the Executive Director at MAUSA. Locals were also quite passionate about maintaining "the green orientation of this space," says Gupta. He says more trees will be planted, but the space as planned will function as an open amphitheater. MAUSA has reached out to the Curtis Institute of Music to see if they'd be interested in allowing their students to perform outside Lovett. 

Gupta says the proposed park will be tyke-friendly and sustainable, accommodating a story-time circle and nature play for young children. MAUSA may partner with a local arboretum on the nature play. Gupta hopes to better control the stormwater that flows off Lovett's roof through use of a rain garden. Along with the rain garden, native plant species will be used.

This public space proposal comes on the heels of a successful summer movie series on the grounds of the Lovett. Gupta brags that 130 to 150 people coalesced at the library during the course of the eight-week movie series. Trolley Car Diner provided concessions, and all movies were family-friendly. Gupta foresees the upcoming public space making this a tradition. 

A number of community and city groups have been involved in the planning for Mt. Airy's newest public space. The Community Design Collaborative (CDC) provided complimentary design services. The Free Library of Philadelphia has provided its support and assistance. East and West Mt. Airy Neighbors (EMAN and WMAN) have both been intimately involved in the community engagement process. Even the local religious community hasn't been left out, as Gupta lauds the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement for being a partner.

MAUSA hopes that this public space jibes with corridor improvements along Germantown Ave. People should "have an incentive to walk from Cresheim Valley [Drive] to Washington Lane," says Gupta with hopeful inflection. He says there is currently little activity on the stretch of the Avenue around the library. Gupta also states that there is no designed park in Northwest Philadelphia, although he says Chestnut Hill's Pastorius Park comes close. He says Lovett can hold the area's first designed park. 

Anuj Gupta estimates that MAUSA's "final conceptual plan" will be ready for public consumption in May. He hopes to hold a ceremony replete with performances at Lovett's grounds to present the plan. While the community has been split on what to do with the space, it looks like MAUSA worked hard to run with the local consensus views. It might just be a few months until Mt. Airy proves that 2012 is the year of the public space in the Northwest.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Anuj Gupta, Mt. Airy USA

Amidst the din of barreling Amtrak trains at Holmesburg Junction Station, State Sen. Mike Stack and State Rep. Mike McGeehan drew attention to the dire need to fund Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure this past week. Speaking a week before Gov. Corbett’s long-awaited release of a transportation funding plan, Sen. Stack and Rep. McGeehan sounded the alarm on the poor state of road and mass transit infrastructure in the Philadelphia area.

Stack (D-Philadelphia) focused his remarks on the urgency of fixing SEPTA’s infrastructure. “Our transportation system is falling apart right underneath our tracks,” says Stack, as he stood next to the bustling Northeast Corridor rail tracks. He pulled out some sobering statistics, including that SEPTA’s mean bridge age is more than 80 years old. While Northeast Corridor bridges are maintained by Amtrak, this includes bridges on SEPTA’s West Trenton line, which pierces Stack’s district. Some bridges on Regional Rail lines outside of the senator's district are even older and in even worse shape.

Stack, along with SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey, spoke specifically about Holmesburg Junction Station, which serves SEPTA’s Trenton line trains. Stack mentioned that SEPTA’s last rider census showed 613 riders using the stop every weekday. The station’s popularity is underscored by the multitude of cars that easily fill up the station’s small parking lot and bubble over onto the surrounding streets. Casey emphasized that if SEPTA received additional state funding, it would install more parking, renovate the train station, and make it handicapped accessible. 

McGeehan (D-Philadelphia), the Democratic chair of the House Transportation Committee, concentrated on past accomplishments of transportation spending and their potential to create jobs and improve the city. One accomplishment he cited was red-light cameras, which he said have made Roosevelt Blvd. a safer place to drive. McGeehan also made certain to equate transportation spending with job creation, whether in construction, engineering, or other fields. Finally, he pointedly stated “we can’t have a first-class city without a first-class transportation system.” 

While funding SEPTA is certainly important, the senator and representative also urged Gov. Corbett to fund the region’s roads and bridges. Just in Philadelphia, there are 85 “structurally deficient” bridges and 145 bridges that have otherwise outlived their prime, which ferry 5.5 million cars every day, according to Sen. Stack. Some of the most well-traveled bridges are on I-95, which runs through Holmesburg. Statewide, the Commonwealth has the nation’s highest percentage of “structurally deficient” bridges, he says. 

Stack and McGeehan consistently referenced the sense of urgency that must accompany transportation funding. There will be “nothing but tragic consequences if we don’t do anything,” said Stack with a sense of gloom. “Invest in infrastructure now, not before it’s too late.” Their remarks were directed largely at Gov. Corbett, who many observers believe has put off finding a transportation infrastructure funding solution. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Senator Mike Stack and Representative Mike McGeehan

Despite a budget shortfall, SEPTA will be able to resume purchasing hybrid diesel-electric buses thanks to two grants from the US Department of Transportation. For the first time ever, SEPTA will purchase hybrid 60-foot accordion buses, which are the longest buses in the system. SEPTA’s current assortment of hybrid buses is about 30 percent more fuel efficient than equivalent clean diesel buses.

SEPTA is the beneficiary of $15 million in federal funds to cover the difference in cost between hybrid and clean diesel 60-foot buses. Luther Diggs, who’s in charge of operations at SEPTA, says it will stretch out the acquisition of these longer buses over four years, with the first year’s purchase entirely hybrid. Over the four years, SEPTA will be replacing 155 longer buses, with an option for 65 more. The percent of these that are hybrid will depend on how much more grant money becomes available. 

This opens the possibility that additional bus routes might see these longer buses. "We have some additional need for 60-foot buses," confirms Diggs. He suggests that the Route 47 bus, which was the subject of the failed skip-stop pilot and more successful attempts to speed it up, might end up seeing longer buses. Also, he hints that the extremely well-traveled Route 17 bus, which runs up and down 19th and 20th Sts. in South Philadelphia and across Center City, might be another new candidate for the 60-footers.

Shortly after the $15 million grant was announced, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced another grant of $5 million to pay for additional hybrid 40-foot buses, the most prevalent of SEPTA's fleet. This is welcome news for many local environmentalists, who earlier this year were dismayed to hear that funding difficulties meant SEPTA would cease acquiring standard-size hybrid buses. According to Diggs, SEPTA will resume purchasing these hybrid buses in 2013, and only purchase hybrid 40-foot buses in 2014. 

Diggs is convinced that hybrid buses represent the most financially sensible way for SEPTA to green its bus fleet. Diggs says SEPTA did examine running buses using compressed natural gas (CNG) in the mid-1990s. However, hybrid buses were ruled more effective than their CNG counterparts because of "infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, and cost," says Diggs. While some transit agencies in California and Texas use CNG, there are legitimate concerns about the cost of putting in CNG infrastructure and the health risks associated with natural gas.  

Source: Luther Diggs, SEPTA
Writer: Andy Sharpe