Fairmount / Art Museum : Development News

After a wildly successful blending of nature and sound at Bartram’s Garden, the local audio experimenters of Data Garden are participating in an exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this weekend.  Data Garden was invited to participate in the exhibit "Zoe Strauss: Ten Years," which is a display of urban photography from Strauss and the Philadelphia Public Art Project. The audio quartet will be featuring sounds from four tropical plants to provide a natural backdrop to Strauss’ urban landscape. 

Data Garden will translate the "electronic impulses" of two philodendrons, a schefflera, and a snake plant at the "Data Garden: Quartet" performance, says Joe Patitucci, a sound artist in the group. One member will be responsible for the electronics, two members will handle the sound production, and the fourth artist will create the ceramic planters. They will sell 25 limited edition albums at the show, all of which will be made of a material that can be put back into the earth and planted, says Patitucci. Music can also be purchased on Data Garden’s website.

The audio synthesizers are excited to perform at the Art Museum, even though it’s not as public as previous performances.  "The Philadelphia Museum of Art is an amazing venue and we know it's going to expose us to a larger audience we don't normally have an opportunity to reach," says Patitucci. He also muses that audio art will be a refreshing break for exhibit-goers from gazing at paintings on a wall. 

This exhibit comes on the heels of a smashingly successful public art display at Bartram’s Garden, which Patitucci says drew the most people ever to an event at the Garden.  He says that over 700 people came "to experience art, performance and public space in new ways" during The Switched-On Garden, which took place in early-October. The event was so successful that the audio label has already started a Kickstarter page, and is hoping to raise $7,000 by April 24 for another public art installment at Bartram’s. Patitucci says it’s important the event remain free.

"Data Garden: Quartet" was invited to participate in the Zoe Strauss exhibit by Megawords, which is a photography magazine that hosts public art events. Megawords has a library and exhibition space in the exhibit. Patitucci describes the upcoming performance as an intersection between "plants, music, and technology." If you’re unable to make the Quartet, the audio will be made available in the Data Garden store on their website. Even better, Data Garden’s next public art performance at Bartram’s Garden might be sooner rather than later. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Joe Patitucci, Data Garden 

Photo courtesy of Data Garden  

The Philadelphia Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival and DesignPhiladelphia, are going to light up the Ben Franklin Parkway like never before come September. The best part is that visitors to the Parkway will be the ones controlling the light show through the use of a smartphone app. This will be the world premier of Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s "Open Air" art installation, which will provide a web of light over the path many people use to access Center City.

Open Air will consist of 3-D light that is powered by the voices and GPS locations of Parkway visitors through the use of a free smartphone app, says Susan Myers, the Open Air project manager with the Fairmount Park Art Association. Myers makes sure to mention that everyone will be given a chance to participate, as the Art Association will have a station by the Philadelphia Museum of Art parking lot where people can borrow smartphones to use. 

The display will span from 21st to 24th Sts. along the Parkway, with lights mounted to Parktowne Place, the Best Western hotel, and scaffolding on Von Colln Field, according to Myers. In all, there will be 24 robotic searchlights, which will be visible from as far as 15 miles away. While Myers admits a similar presentation was done in Tokyo, this will be considered a world premiere. If Lozano-Hemmer is successful here, he will likely follow suit with similar interactive light shows in cities across the world. 

The Fairmount Park Art Association received  the largest amount awarded through the 2011 Knight Arts Challenge from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, $250,000, and a $45,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to bring Open Air to Philly. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is a Mexican-Canadian artist who works with architecture and high-tech theater, and whose works have been displayed around the world and in prestigious museums, like the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. 

Myers is truly excited to bring "Open Air"to the Parkway. "We feel public art is one of the city’s most overlooked assets," she says. The project manager has reached out to various stakeholders, such as the Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA). She makes it clear that the searchlights won’t shine in anyone’s window, which is a point that seems to satisfy members of LSNA.    

Source: Susan Myers, Fairmount Park Art Association
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Photo courtesy of the Fairmount Park Art Association 

What do New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Baltimore, Spartanburg SC, and Hollywood FL all have in common? Hopefully you’ll have an answer by the time I’m finished with this sentence. If you don’t, these are all East Coast cities that offer bike sharing. Notice that Philadelphia is not in there. With this in mind, a team from the University of Pennsylvania is looking to put our city on par with the likes of Spartanburg by establishing Liberty Bike Share, which aims to bring bike sharing to Center City, University City, South Philly, and the Temple University-area.

Liberty Bike Share is the product of three Masters degree candidates at UPenn who closely analyzed the 2010 Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) “Philadelphia Bike Share Concept Study,” says Dylan Hayden, who’s helping to organize the bike share concept. Hayden says Liberty is hoping to make 2,500-2,700 bicycles available to be shared at a cost of abougt $15 million. He adds that Liberty has the support of the Center City District and certain members of City Council. At this point, his group is waiting for the city’s Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU) to issue an RFP. 

As is usually the case, the cost of setting up operations is one of the biggest challenges Liberty faces. Hayden emphasizes that his team is looking to solicit pledges from local hospitals, universities, insurance companies, and other private sector entities willing to chip in. He does admit that securing financial contributions in the Philadelphia-area can be “like squeezing a turnip.” On this note, MOTU has identified the up-front costs of bike sharing as one of its biggest worries. 

Hayden says his team hopes to implement Liberty Bike Share in two phases, with the first concentrating on Center and University Cities and the second extending the program up to Temple. Liberty has two companies in mind, Alta and B-Cycle, to operate the bike share. Alta operates the bike sharing programs in New York City, D.C., and Boston, while B-Cycle is responsible for bike sharing in Spartanburg, Chicago, Denver, and elsewhere. Hayden envisions charging members an annual fee of anywhere between $75 and $90.

The UPenn team hopes Liberty Bike Share will complement mass transit in Philadelphia. “We’re looking to deal with last-mile issues,” says Hayden, who’s talking about the distance between a transit or rail stop and someone’s final destination. Indeed, the Penn senior envisions a future where someone can (as an example) take a train to Market East Station and share a bike to get to their final destination. Hayden hopes to work with SEPTA to incorporate bike sharing in with their upcoming New Payment Technology.

Locally, only one borough offers bike sharing. That would be Pottstown, a borough with around 22,000 people in Western Montgomery County. Bike Pottstown, Pottstown's bike sharing program, is run by Zagster, which launched its bike sharing consultancy in Philadelphia under the name CityRyde before moving to Cambridge, Mass last year. Bike Pottstown is a free bike share, which has filled the streets of the borough with 15 eye-snatching yellow bicycles. 

Hayden is unequivocal about the benefits of bike sharing. “Bike sharing is a policy Swiss army knife,” he says. By this, he means it ameliorates a host of policy issues, including healthcare, sustainability, and mobility. He also says that the city already has much of the infrastructure in place to support bike sharing, including the 215 miles of bike lanes he cites. Bike sharing would provide Philadelphia an opportunity to catch up to other American cities, large and small.  

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Dylan Hayden, Liberty Bike Share

The Broad St. corridor between Spring Garden and Ridge has seen some of the trendiest redevelopment in the city in the past few years, with residential development at Lofts 640 and culinary development at Osteria. It looks like this redevelopment is about to rub off on surrounding blocks. The Regis Group has obtained necessary zoning approvals to convert the erstwhile Paul Green School of Rock into the Brandywine Lofts apartments. Construction is expected to begin shortly at 15th and Brandywine, and the apartments should be up in four to five months.

The design firm JKR Partners, which is also working on a number of other projects across the city including North 28 in Brewerytown and 777 S. Broad, is handling the design elements for the Brandywine Lofts. Glenn Felgoise, the director of marketing at JKR, says the lofts will include 10 apartments on the second and third floors of the old music school. Five of these apartments will be on the second floor, three will be on the third floor, and two will be on both floors.

Felgoise says the first floor will be marked by a parking garage, game room, kitchenette, and garden space for residents. He confirms that each apartment will have its own parking space, and there will also be storage for at least 18 bicycles. The units will be sized from 813 to 1,043 sq. ft., and will include one or two bedrooms and one or two baths. Eight of the apartments will be fitted with decks. No word on price points yet.   

One reason why JKR was chosen to work on Brandywine Lofts is because of its expertise in adaptive re-use. Indeed, the design firm will strive to preserve some of the historical elements of the structure, especially on the second floor. “Units at [the] rear of second floor have exposed heavy timber trusses in space,” he reports. JKR is looking to preserve these trusses.

Given the recent development proposals on North Broad, Brandywine Lofts is in a great location. According to Felgoise, the best perks of the location are access to the Broad Street subway line, the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), and other new and proposed developments on Broad. The proposed Lofts are only one block from N. Broad and two blocks from the Spring Garden subway station. In addition, it will also be just a one-block bike ride to get to the conceptual Spring Garden St. Greenway.    

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Glenn Felgoise, JKR Partners

In the 24 years since the last brewery shut down in Brewerytown, the neighborhood has struggled with poverty and crime. Yet, for a neighborhood that so many people wrote off years ago, Brewerytown is making a comeback. This is evident in the development efforts underway on and north of Girard Ave. that Flying Kite wrote about in 2011.
 
MM Partners has been at the forefront of much of the development in Brewerytown. The exclusively-Brewerytown developer had a busy year trying to attract new residents and businesses to the neighborhood.
 
On the residential side, MM Partners set up a blog called Brewerytown Living in May to highlight noteworthy happenings for residents throughout the neighborhood. This blog appears to still be thriving with four posts this month about Amazulu, a holiday pop-up shop, Mugshots Café and Coffeehouse, and a toy drive. Also, MM Partners made progress on constructing a new condominium complex at 28th and Thompson Sts., called North 28.
 
MM Partners and Brewerytown also had a decent year for business development along Girard Ave. A new Bottom Dollar food market at 31st and Girard is on its way to reality, with a groundbreaking planned for early March and an opening scheduled for next autumn. In addition, the developer negotiated to get a taqueria to agree to locate along Girard Ave., with an opening date in late winter or spring of the coming year.
 
In the midst of all this development, Brewerytown leaders kept an eye on sustainability. MM Partners quickly adopted Olin Studios’ and Interface Design’s internationally renowned Patch/Work ideas for sustainability. According to MM’s Aaron Smith, Brewerytown might be able to implement some of the bold solar energy and guerilla gardening ideas in as little as six to eight months. Also, Marathon Grill opened an urban farm at 27th and Master to provide food for their restaurants. 
 
Rebecca Johnson, the executive director of the Fairmount CDC, outlined further sustainability efforts in 2011, and beyond. She lauded businesses along Girard Ave. for taking part in a Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) program providing rebates for energy-efficient buildings. She also highlighted some guerilla gardening, where residents or organizations turned abandoned lots into community gardens. She predicted guerilla gardening would remain a trend in 2012, and recommended anyone interested look up abandoned lots on the city Board of Revision of Taxes website.    

Sources: Aaron Smith, MM Partners and Rebecca Johnson, Fairmount CDC
Writer:  Andy Sharpe

Onion Flats is looking to capitalize on East Falls' proximity to the Schuylkill River Trail and Fairmount Park by redeveloping the former Rivage catering hall between Kelly Dr. and Ridge Ave. The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority just gave Onion Flats the go-ahead to design a sustainable residential and retail complex called The Ridge. Given the property's accessibility and visibility by bike, bus, and car, there's considerable buzz surrounding this redevelopment in East Falls.

The Norris Square-based developer proposes a 5-story 128,440 sq. ft. development for The Ridge. According to Tim McDonald, president of Onion Flats, this will consist of 126 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 8,700 sq. ft. of retail space. McDonald gives some hints as to what kind of retail will be included by saying "ours will be small-scale retail, cafe, restaurant, etc." He adds that The Ridge has the potential to be a retail "gateway" into East Falls, and a complement to existing businesses on Ridge Ave.

Like their previous development in Fishtown and Northern Liberties, including Rag Flats, Jack Hammer, and Thin Flats, sustainability is going to be a distinguishing feature of The Ridge. McDonald hopes the East Falls development will "become Philadelphia's first Passive House Certified and Net-Zero-Energy mixed-use residential/retail community as well as the country's largest." In simpler language, this means all energy needed for water, HVAC, and lighting will be produced locally using solar energy. Onion Flats also aims to emit net zero carbon dioxide at The Ridge.

As it is proposed, The Ridge will also live and die off of a sense of community. In this vein, McDonald doesn't want to see any in-door hallways, but instead out-door passageways that facilitate interaction between neighbors. Also, the second level of The Ridge is modeled to include a community garden space, which will be visible on upper floors through public viewing spaces. For residents, this community garden will act as a doormat, as the second floor is proposed as the main residential entrance. 

The redevelopment of the Rivage by Onion Flats appears to have the initial blessing of East Falls community groups. Unlike previous controversial proposals involving the police department's Special Victims Unit and a high school for troubled youth, neighborhood groups seem to see The Ridge as a development meant to foster community and put an exclamation point on East Falls' propinquity to Fairmount Park. This is not to say that every element of McDonald's plan will meet with community approval, but in general local residents are excited about the redevelopment. 

The Redevelopment Authority's decision to choose Onion Flats for the Rivage property is just the start of an extended process that includes "community meetings, building permits, closing on financing," and other aspects, says McDonald. Should neighborhood groups offer an endorsement, McDonald expects groundbreaking to commence in early 2013. He expects to offer a final design in six months, including all the sustainability and community elements that have so far been proposed. 

Source: Tim McDonald, Onion Flats
Writer: Andy Sharpe

After a frenetic year-and-a half that has witnessed the emergence of twelve new businesses in Brewerytown, Girard Ave. is expected to get some more fresh additions. Businesses planning to open in Brewerytown include a taqueria, a pop-up art, jewelry, and clothing store, and a Bottom Dollar food market. 

According to David Waxman and Aaron Smith of Brewerytown developer MM Partners, plans to build a Bottom Dollar food market in front of Brewerytown Square at 31st and Girard are generating the most buzz. While the site remains an empty lot, Waxman, a co-managing partner at MM Partners, says work on the site should start soon. The project was first presented months ago, but has been slowed by the location‘s history as a brownfield. Bottom Dollar is looking to build an 18,279 sq. ft. market with 94 parking spots. 

The next shop to open will be the pop-up store Amazulu, which will be ready for business this holiday season. Smith, the director of property management at MM, sings the praise of Amazulu, which will sell a panoply of African influenced items. These crafts include clothes and jewelry for all ages and sexes, paintings, sculptures, furniture, and even masks. Amazulu currently has a location in the Reading Terminal Market. 

Another welcome addition to Brewerytown will be a taqueria. Smith says that the Mexican restaurant will be "very authentic, relatively affordable, and healthy." Smith and Waxman say this taqueria will serve as a contrast to some of the other restaurants on Girard Ave. in terms of offering a scrumptious and healthy dining option. MM Partners predicts that this taqueria will open during late winter or spring next year.

While locals are largely happy with the recent influx of new businesses, some still hope for more. Waxman and Smith say a neighborhood named Brewerytown really deserves a brewery. Specifically, MM Partners would like to see a nanobrewery make its home around Girard Ave. To back up their words, the developers say they’d be willing to help extensively with zoning and other issues.  

Sources: David Waxman and Aaron Smith, MM Partners
Writer: Andy Sharpe

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 

Spring Garden St. is one of Center City’s prime east-west arterials, connecting the art museum on one side with the Delaware River on the other. Yet, there is a pervasive feeling that the four-lane artery is not living up to its potential. Because of this feeling, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), in conjunction with Sam Schwartz Engineering and Interface Studios, held a public information session last week to discuss how to create a Spring Garden Street greenway that would better cater it to all forms of transportation.

Many attendees of the meeting represented bicycle interests, which PEC was well-positioned to address as a bicycle and pedestrian trail advocacy group. Speakers at the meeting representing PEC, Sam Schwartz, and Interface announced two options that would make conditions safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. Doug Adams, a project manager at Sam Schwartz, revealed that consultants were looking into buffered bike lanes either in the center median of the street, or curbside.

Given this was the first public meeting for the greenway, there were very few absolutes. There were some areas where consultants were strongly leaning towards a course of action. For example, Adams said both alternatives recommended that the forward travel lanes on Spring Garden be reduced from 12 feet each to 10 feet each. Also, both alternatives call for buffered bike lanes, although it is still up for debate as to whether the buffer will be landscaping, like is being proposed for Market St. and JFK Blvd. in Center City, or a parking lane.

The planning team also expressed a desire to improve conditions for pedestrians and transit riders. Adams said that brighter lighting would likely be included for pedestrians, especially along blocks that can currently feel a little intimidating to walk along. Spencer Finch, PEC’s director for sustainable infrastructure, also previewed some potential conveniences for transit riders. “A connection to the (Broad-Ridge) spur subway might be created at Ridge and Spring Garden,” says Finch.

Consultants are also discussing better stormwater management along the street. Adams mentions bioswales, rain gardens, and porous pavement as techniques that the consulting team is analyzing. One of the more controversial ideas being batted around is the option of eliminating vehicular left-turn lanes, which would force motorists to make three right turns instead. This would be helpful if the public and the consultants decide they prefer the median bike lanes.

This meeting was the first public input session of many to be held. It will be a fairly long process, as speakers said the earliest possible completion date for the greenway will be 2014 or 2015. Finch did re-assure the crowd that there was support for making Spring Garden St. more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly from all city council members who represent the area, as well as from various relevant city agencies. With that in mind, just about every part of the greenway is still up for debate. It’s now up to the people who live, commute, work, and/or shop along the corridor to provide the debate.  

Sources: Spencer Finch, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Doug Adams, Sam Schwartz Engineering
Author: Andy Sharpe

While the stagnant economy is hurting sales in many industries, it is likely contributing to a bonanza in multifamily building sales in the Philadelphia area this year. In fact, hopeful landlords seem to be gobbling up buildings to rent them as apartments or sell them as condominiums. This is evident both in Philadelphia and its suburbs.

According to Christine Espenshade, senior vice president for capital markets at Jones Lang LaSalle Realty, 2011 multifamily sales have already set a record in the Delaware Valley, with a couple of months left in the year. Espenshade reports that sales have already hit $410 million. Yet, with two months remaining in the year, she predicts sales will touch $500 million. Compared to these figures, the $150 million in multifamily sales in 2010 seems downright paltry.

There are a number of explanations for this explosion in multifamily sales. Espenshade cites a durable growth of rent in the Philadelphia-area, a glut of new supply of apartments and condos, and an educated buyer’s market. Additionally, “With the availability of financing to purchase assets through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, investors can borrow sufficient capital for good, long term investments,” says the senior vice president. Finally, one of the more sobering explanations is that more Philadelphians are renting because they can no longer afford to own a house.

Philadelphia’s recent uptick in population bodes well for multifamily sales in the city. Espenshade confirms that a growing number of people are looking to rent apartments or purchase condos in the city because of its retail scene, colleges and universities, and varied employment market. However, this exponential growth isn’t limited to the city. Interestingly, Jones Lang LaSalle says there have more multifamily purchases in the suburbs. A possible reason for this is the sheer size of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Camden and Wilmington.

The forecast for multifamily sales remains strong for 2012. Espenshade says rents will continue to rise next year, which should make multifamily investing more profitable. She also sees both private and institutional entities rushing to become involved in the multifamily market next year, which would be a repeat of this year. Most importantly, without any strong signs of economic improvement next year, more and more people likely won’t be able to afford to buy their own home.

Source: Christine Espenshade, Jones Lang LaSalle
Writer: Andy Sharpe

In the shadows of the Community College of Philadelphia and the state office building at Spring Garden St., community youth watch over Broad St. 24 hours a day. At least they do in Meg Saligman’s “Common Threads” mural, which features depictions of local adolescents overlooking the busy Broad St and equally busy Spring Garden subway stop. The mural was re-dedicated this past week, as it underwent about a year of re-glazing and re-painting.

“Common Threads” was originally completed in 1997, and was one of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program’s largest and most expensive murals at the time. The mural is a melange of portraits of Ben Franklin and Creative and Performing Arts High School students and figurines owned by artist Meg Saligman’s grandmother. Another notable aspect to the artwork was it was the first time Photoshop was used on a Philadelphia mural.

One subject in the mural is a boy who went on to become a noted tap dancer. He was on-hand at the dedication to thrill and set off car alarms with his resounding taps of the foot. A girl in the mural became a presidential scholar under the Clinton administration for outstanding achievement in high school. Ironically, Saligman gets calls from other people who swear they’re in the mural, but actually aren’t. She takes these e-mails as a sign of how famous her mural has become.   

Saligman laments that the mural began to fade over time, as it was painted on the western-facing side of the building, which gets considerable sunlight. “It was so sad that ‘Common Threads’ had lost its pop and was fading so fast,” mourns Saligman. Thus, she knew something had to be done to freshen up her mural, as it was continuing to decay. In 2009, the Mural Arts Program and the Saligman Charitable Foundation received money to rehabilitate it. Work began in autumn, 2010 on the top half of the mural, while the bottom half got attention starting in Spring of the next year.

The re-painting and re-glazing of “Common Threads” was a labor of love. It consisted of Saligman, a couple of people from Saligman’s firm MLS Studios, and some interns. All in all, the re-painting cost $20,000, along with donated lifts from United Rentals and hours upon hours of volunteerism. It took a while for the muralist to become truly satisfied with the work. “The mural was missing zing until the very end of renovations,” says Saligman.

With all this in mind, there’s no guarantee the mural will last, and it has nothing to do with sunlight. There have been a number of proposals to alter the building that the mural graces, some of which do not include the mural. As the re-dedication made clear, the mural likely won’t be removed without a quarrel. At least for now, local students will continue to stand guard on North Broad St, as their now grown up models reflect on the power of art, and dance.

Source: Meg Saligman
Writer: Andy Sharpe

The I. Brewster and Company art gallery and store will be moving from its current location at 2200 Market St. into the former site of the Please Touch Museum on the 200 block of N. 21st St. This will put the gallery and store close to the museum district on the Ben Franklin Parkway. When they do move shop, the store expects to be an interesting addition to the neighborhood.

The listing agents for the erstwhile Please Touch Museum site were Joe Muldoon and Chris Lange of Binswanger. Muldoon says the gallery and store will be fitting in its new location. "The use is similar to other Museums on and around the Parkway," praises Muldoon. He adds that the gallery will be much smaller than the Parkway museums. The realtor fully expects the neighborhood to appreciate the new use of the property.

I. Brewster is notable for its gargantuan inventory of Louis Icart paintings. Icart is a famed fashion sketcher who drew during the French Art Deco period. I. Brewster’s owner, Nathan Isen, actually wrote a book about Icart, which is now in its fourth printing. The gallery and store also features work from Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, Jasper Johns, and a host of other artists. Altogether, I. Brewster contains over 40,000 works of art.

Muldoon says that the owners of the Please Touch Museum were a pleasure to work with. Even through a tough economy, which resulted in far less interest in the property, the museum remained helpful and supportive. Museum leadership was also cognizant that certain uses would be rejected by neighborhood groups, which made it even more difficult to sell the space.

The bottom line is I. Brewster’s move has the realtor and the museum upbeat. "This is one of those situations where everyone involved appears to have won," says Muldoon.  No word yet on when they will open, although they already have "moving" signs in the windows at their current outlet. What’s clear is that it is likely only a short matter of time before the Parkway area sees some more art.

Source: Joe Muldoon, Binswanger Real Estate
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund (FPSF) will be the recipient of $1 million in Philadelphia Parks and Recreation funds to construct Paine’s Skatepark along the Schuylkill River Trail in Center City. This will give skateboarders a space to dot heir thing in Center City for the first time since they were banned from Love Park. Construction is expected to commence in Spring 2012.

Claire Laver, the executive director of FPSF, is committed to seeing skateboarders get a downtown location to practice their sport.

"Philadelphia has long been synonymous with street skating, but since the banning of skateboarding in Love Park, we have been without a centralized hub," laments Laver. "The skateboarding culture in this city hasn’t been the same since."

Laver is referring to then-Mayor John Street’s forbidding of skateboarding at Love Park in 2002.

Paine’s Park is slated to be by far the biggest skatepark in Philadelphia. According to Laver, there are currently skateboarding parks in Frankford, East Kensington, and Southwest Philadelphia, all of which are between 5,000 and 10,000 sq. ft. In contrast, the proposed park will be greater than 50,000 sq. ft., or more than five times as large as each of the existing parks. FPSF hopes that the size of the park will attract internationally acclaimed skateboarding events, including or comparable to the X Games and Maloof Money Cup.

Despite Paine’s primary function as a skatepark, Laver is confident the park will be useful for non-skateboarders as well. She brags that the park will include a panoramic observation deck with views of the Schuylkill River, Center City, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Also, the executive director envisions an amphitheater to support ceremonies for Ben Franklin Parkway events, concerts, and movie nights. Finally, she assures that the park will provide the one million people who use the Schuylkill Trail each year with a place to relax.

As with the recently built Penn Park, Paine’s Park aims to be a model for sustainability. This will include a unique watershed design that will lend itself to environmentally friendly storm- and groundwater control. Despite it being a skatepark, Laver also promises considerable green space. The park will also recycle some materials used in the building of other city projects. Fittingly, this includes "the installation of granite benches removed from Love Park years ago," adds Laver.

The Skatepark Fund makes its case for Paine’s Park from an economic standpoint too. Laver references a 2008 Econsult study, which indicates that Paine’s Park could rake in tens of millions of dollars in direct spending and recreational worth. One reason why this estimate is so high is because of the park’s connectivity to the trail, which means it's an easy walk or bike ride to the art museum, other points in Center City, or University City. Not only will skateboarders be welcomed back into Center City, non-skateboarders will welcome the increased revenue and connectivity.

Source: Claire Laver, Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund
Writer: Andy Sharpe

One Tuesday every month, a bunch of techies, wannabe techies, and people who freely admit they don’t know much about current online trends get together to discuss and learn how to use social networking for social good. This is Philly Net Squared’s Net Tuesday, which has been gaining more and more steam since its inception in May 2008, not to mention bringing an ever growing number of community groups, non-profits, and businesses into the same room.

While it’s difficult to pin down a precise mission for Net Tuesday, founder Seth Horwitz has a general mission for his monthly meetings. “I think of our mission as helping Philly area folks to share our knowledge, passion and concerns around using emerging social web tools for making the world a better place,” explained Horwitz.

Some of Horwitz’s favorite Net Tuesdays have been the “social web samplers,” which consist of informal audience presentations on any on-line social media topic they feel is germane. This leads to fifteen short periods where audience members can elaborate on noteworthy aspects of the audience presentations.

For community groups, non-profits, and businesses, the “crowdsourcing change” Net Tuesdays are especially pertinent. During these meetings, two or three area groups present their on-line social media strategy to the audience, and then receive feedback on what they’re doing right, what they’re doing wrong, and what they’re realty doing wrong. Groups that have volunteered to crowdsource their on-line presence include the Philadelphia Police Athletic League, The Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Painted Bride Art Center.

Philly Net Squared thrives in its use of Facebook, Twitter, and Meetup.com. Horwitz sees two ways in which Facebook enables the Net Tuesdays, which are disseminating information about events to a broad audience and allowing attendees to RSVP. “Twitter also helps to promote the events, and it also enables us to maintain a backchannel during the events, which- combined with our Internet stream- enables us to engage with people not in Philly,” said Horwitz. Finally, Meetup.com has been a reliable RSVP source, as well as a means for members to better connect with each other.

Source: Seth Horwitz
Writer: Andy Sharpe