Old City / Society Hill : Development News

There are some richly exciting things happening with Center City residential, commercial, and transportation development, but there are also areas that beg for improvement. This was one of the takeaways from last week's panel, "The Next Cycle of Downtown Development," held by the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation (CPDC).  The program was moderated by CPDC and Center City District executive director Paul Levy, and featured executives at Liberty Property Trust, Brandywine Realty Trust, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT), and the Parkway Corporation.

Levy delivered opening remarks that ought to have provoked optimism. These remarks served to preface the release of the Center City District's "State of Center City Report," which is expected this week. Levy defines the "Center City core" as being the neighborhoods between Vine and Pine St., while he ambitiously defines "Center City extended" as being the communities between Girard Ave. and Tasker St. Levy reports that residential prices in the "extended" Center City zone are quite healthy, with the average value being $310,446. 

The opening remarks contained more points of pride for those who live, work, take classes, shop, or play in the extended downtown. Levy saysthis area is second to only New York City in terms of the number of "cultural institutions." He adds that the hospitality sector is performing strongly in Center City, as job growth in this field "is outpacing the suburbs." Finally, Levy is ecstatic that sustainable transportation is becoming a more and more appealing alternative to driving for downtown inhabitants, as 74% of Center City "core" residents commute to work without a car.  

While the executive director's remarks accentuated the positives in both the core and extended parts of Center City, they also drew attention to the area's bleeding of high-rise office jobs. Levy says that 39% of private sector jobs in Center City are in office buildings, which is the highest percent of private sector employment. Even with population growth in Philadelphia and its suburbs, these Center City offices continue to lose jobs, even while offices in Radnor, Great Valley, and elsewhere are gaining positions.

After Levy wrapped up his report, the executives on the panel began discussing how the city can draw more office jobs. John Gattuso, the senior VP and regional director at Liberty Property Trust, hinted at a new office high-rise to be proposed within the next couple of years. He also mentioned that Three Franklin Plaza, which currently houses GlaxoSmithKline, will be undergoing a "significant" $30 million renovation, with the installation of new bathrooms and elevators, for when Glaxo moves out. This anticipates the building at 18th and Race "will be coming to market in 2014," says Gattuso.   

Joseph Coradino, president of PREIT, also imparted some nuggets of hope on the audience. While he spent considerable time talking about PREIT's suburban development, such as at the Cherry Hill Mall, he also said good things were in store for PREIT's Gallery at Market East. He said Philadelphia Media Network's move to 8th and Market coupled with the new digital sign allowance for Market East could signal a rebirth for the beleaguered strip. He expressed a desire to "activate The Gallery at the street level," which would mean opening sidewalk cafes at the mall. 

Sources: Paul Levy, Central Philadelphia Development Corporation; John Gattuso, Liberty Property Trust; Joseph Coradino, PREIT
Writer: Andy Sharpe

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

Franklin Square celebrated the opening of its sixth season with a ribbon-cutting for The Pavilion at Franklin Square.

One lucky tot, Jason McKenzie, got to be the first person to have a party in the pavilion, as he celebrated his third birthday with Ben Franklin (aka Ralph Archbold).

Officials from Historic Philadelphia, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, the William Penn Foundation (which funded the pavilion), and Starr Restaurants (which owns SquareBurger on the square) were on-hand. Check out our previous coverage here.

-- Andy Sharpe

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   

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 Master Plan for the Central Delaware is one of 27 projects to be honored with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award. The award recognizes excellence in architecture and urban design and is the profession's highest honor.

A news release cites the City of Philadelphia's plan for striking a "strong balance between urban design and economic reality, proposing both public and private development to transform and regenerate six miles of waterfront,"

Priority sites along Spring Garden Street, Penn's Landing and Washington are seeing work first. Phasing and funding of new parks, trails, transit and connections to existing neighborhoods were praised as a "practical implementation strategy."

Cooper Roberts & Partners led an impressive team in developing the plan, including KieranTimberlake, OLIN and H&R&A. The plan takes into account goals and objectives developed through extensive civic engagement led by PennPraxis, and the plan was adopted by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation last June.

Source: Laurie Heinerichs, DRWC
Writer: Joe Petrucci

I-95 is one of the country’s most prolific highways, running between Maine and Florida. For the most part the highway runs uninterrupted, except for a small gap in the Trenton, NJ-area. With this in mind, a movement to remove the highway from the Delaware River waterfront landscape between the Ben Franklin and Walt Whitman Bridges is gaining steam. The idea of reclaiming the city’s waterfront by removing the highway, or merely burying it, was discussed at the Re-Imagining Urban Highways forum last week at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

Speakers at Re-Imagining Urban Highways came from across the country, and represented the municipal, academic, and journalistic spheres. They include Aaron Naparstek of the transportation planning website StreetsBlog, Peter Park of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Thomas Deller of Providence, RI’s Department of Planning and Development, and Ashwan Balakrishnan with the South Bronx River Watershed Alliance. They discussed successful and current efforts to remove urban highways around the world, and the realized and potential benefits of removal.  

The final two speakers were Diana Lind, the editor in chief of Next American City, and Andrew Stober, the Chief of Staff for Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, both of whom gave a local perspective. Lind was the chief proponent of creating a dialogue about removing or burying I-95, as she cited other highways and arterials that motorists could detour on to avoid the highway. Unfortunately, some of these highways are as far away as South Jersey and the western suburbs. Lind revealed that she’ll be circulating a petition to PennDOT in favor of altering I-95 this week.  

As one of the most influential people in Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, Stober had one of the evening's more interesting points of view. While willing to discuss the merits of burying or removing I-95, he concentrated on other improvements that could be made to the city and region’s transportation network. Stober’s main focus was on mass transit, which he called “an incredible endowment from previous generations.” He showcased the city’s proposals for Columbus Blvd., which include a light-rail line running down the median.

Stober preferred to concentrate on transit access because it “gives us more bang for the buck than dealing with the highway.” The chief of staff also lamented the unwillingness of some state and federal lawmakers to fund transportation and infrastructure, given that it’s not a glamorous topic for many voters. He cited the multitude of constituent feedback to puppy mill legislation, and compared it to the relative silence from voters on transportation legislation. Apparently, bridges and trains will never be as cute as pug and Labrador puppies.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Andrew Stober, Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Utilities

Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran have just expanded their empire on 13th St. in Midtown Village with the opening of Jamonera, a Spanish tapas bar, this past Sunday. Jamonera, located between Chestnut and Sansom Sts., will serve small and medium-sized plates, wines, and sherries, inspired by the duo's recent travel to Southern Spain. The restaurant will be open for dinner and post-dinner patrons.  

The opening of Jamonera at 105 S. 13th St. solidifies Turney and Safran's imprint on the entire block. They began with a home and gift store called Open House at 107 S. 13th back in 2002. Since then, their passion for the street and Midtown Village has gushed forward with the opening of five other stores and restaurants. At 101, there's Grocery market and catering, while 106 houses Lolita, a Mexican dining option. 108 is home to Verde, a jewelry and gift shop, while 110 finds Barbuzzo, a Mediterranean bar.

Jamonera offers a wealth of culinary options, with all the flair you'd expect from Spain. "Guests can expect to enjoy banderillas of olives, boquerones and guindilla peppers, and crispy calasparra rice with heirloom pumpkin," says Valerie Safran. Other menu items include lamb skewers and cucina. Safran says the tapas plates run from $4 to $36, and are all meant to be shared. 

While the food options are sure to elicit salivation, the drink options are equally impressive. "We've selected a group of wines that we believe are the best expression of Spain's terroir, with earthy reds and bright, crisp whites ideally suited to sipping alongside the varied flavors of the food," describes Safran. Along with the wines, Jamonera serves an enviable selection of sherries.

Both Safran and Turney bemoan the former lack of a genuine tapas restaurant in Midtown Village. They highlight the rich flavors and relaxed atmosphere that accompany tapas restaurants. To best mimic the vibe of a Spanish tapas bar, the entrepreneurs teamed up with Urban Space Development. Together, they decided to festoon the tapas bar with Rioja-colored wood and reddish lighting. They also installed old-fashioned mirrors and intricate wood chandeliers.

The owners are proud of all the work they've done for their block of 13th St. "We love that we've helped transform 13th Street into a destination for the city," says Safran. She points out that the neighborhood was deemed far from appealing by many when she and her business partner opened their first business, but has come a long way. The entrepreneurs' love of their street is palpable on-line as well, where they run a website called "We love 13th Street," which helps link their panoply of stores and restaurants.

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Sources: Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney, Jamonera

Have you ever been strolling one of Center City's five squares on a frigid winter's day or a sweltering summer's day and suddenly had an urge for air conditioning or heat? If so, the group in charge of Franklin Square may have heard you. Historic Philadelphia Incorporated (HPI), which maintains Franklin Square, just broke ground on a pavilion that will provide protection from the elements and offer heat and air conditioning. The pavilion could be open as soon as New Year's Eve, depending on -- what else -- the weather. 

Cari Feiler Bender, who has been responsible for communications for Franklin Square since 2004, says the pavilion will be relatively small at 36 ft. by 36 ft. It will serve a variety of purposes, many of which are connected to it being indoors. First of all, the building will serve as a respite from extreme temperatures, rain, snow, and sleet. It will also act as "a flexible event space," says Bender. This could include presentations from historical re-enactors dressed as Ben Franklin or Betsy Ross as part of "Once Upon a Nation." HPI will provide audio and light hook-up, along with tables and chairs. 

The pavilion will also likely be available for birthday parties, wedding receptions, and other fetes. Bender elaborates by saying Stephen Starr would be a likely candidate to cater events in the pavilion. Starr has run SquareBurger in the park since 2009, which is the only permanent eating establishment inside any of the city's original five squares. Recognizing that not every birthday or wedding will be celebrated on a sunny 70-degree day, Bender emphasizes that this pavilion will accommodate year-round occasions. 

The construction of the pavilion will entail minimal disruption to the square's flora. Bender says there are a few large trees in the vicinity of the building site. "None of them will be removed or altered," says Bender. She reminds people that, while HPI takes care of Franklin Square, the city's Department of Parks and Recreation owns Franklin Square. The last thing Parks and Recreation would want to do is hew any trees. 

This pavilion will likely serve to further set Franklin Square apart from its peer parks in Philadelphia. In addition to SquareBurger, it already lays claim to a carousel, miniature golf course, and a memorial to deceased police officers and firefighters. All this for a square that many thought was left for dead just a decade ago.

Source: Cari Feiler Bender
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 

Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU) and SEPTA have completed a six-month pilot of skip-stop service on the Route 47 bus between South Philadelphia and Center City. They were hoping to speed buses up by having them stop for passengers every other block, instead of stopping at every block. However, supporters did not see the time savings they were hoping for, and in fact found some buses ran more slowly. As a result, they have re-established the bus stops that were taken away. 

Six months ago, the city and SEPTA were dreaming about allowing the Route 47 bus to run seven or more minutes faster, which would enable a bus to make an extra run. Fast forward to the pilot, and the reality was a bus that ran almost two minutes quicker at the most, according to Ariel Ben-Amos, a planner in the MOTU. This was on the northbound side, which saw more time savings than the southbound side. Unexpectedly, southbound service was 1 minute, 12 seconds slower during the afternoon rush hour with the skip-stop service, says Ben-Amos. At other times of the day, the removal of stops only sped the southbound bus up by about a minute.

The Office of Transportation and Utilities has a few explanations for why the service alteration didn't work as well as expected. The Route 47 traverses a "very dense neighborhood with lots of blocks we have to stop at because of stop signs," recognizes Ben-Amos. The planner also blames seemingly omnipresent utility work, which delayed the route by forcing buses to detour. Ben-Amos elaborates by saying there was a detour along the route at some time about every other day.

Another factor to the reversal on the Route 47 pilot was changing rider and community group reactions. Ben-Amos says that some riders noticed a faster trip on their bus, but others did not. This dampened rider support for the pilot. At the beginning of the pilot, there was weighty support from community groups along the bus route. However, at least one civic association expressed skepticism about the removal of a few stops later during the pilot.

Stop consolidation was a major part of the city and SEPTA’s test, but it wasn’'t the only change in service. They also decided to depart buses every six minutes from their terminus at Oregon Ave.'s Whitman Plaza, regardless of what time it was. This change is also being done away with. However, other elements of the pilot are being retained, such as the change in trash collection times to avoid delaying buses during rush hour, backdoor loading at 8th and Market Sts. during the afternoon rush period, and the moving of the 8th and Walnut Sts. stop to the far side of the intersection. 

Another component that will be retained is the newfound cooperation between the city and SEPTA. For decades, it looked like city transportation officials and SEPTA couldn’t get on the same page. Ben-Amos says he’s especially happy that this has changed. This cooperation will again be on display as the city and the Authority work on traffic signal priority for select bus and trolley routes.

Source: Ariel Ben-Amos, Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities
Writer: 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

Federal Donuts opened last week to a frenzied following in the Pennsport neighborhood of South Philadelphia. It's an eclectic restaurant that specializes in donuts, fried chicken, and coffee. That is, if you can get in early enough to get your hands on their food and drink.

The opening week was an important lesson in just how hungry Pennsport denizens, Philadelphians, and even suburbanites are for fried chicken and donuts. Astonishingly, Federal Donuts ran out of chicken by 12:55 p.m. every day during their first week, even though they originally planned to be open until 8 p.m. each day. The donuts also proved ultra popular, as both the hot sugared and filled donuts sold out before noon most days last week.

The new restaurant generally sells the hot sugared donuts between 7 and 10 a.m. Monday through Sunday, if they don't run out. Flavors include Indian cinnamon and vanilla-lavender. They sell the filled, or "fancy," donuts all day, until they run out. These flavors are comprised of key lime, nutella-pomegranate, and chocolate-raspberry, to name a few. They start selling fried chicken around noon, which includes Korean-style glazed chicken and crispy chicken. The chicken is prepared by renowned chef Michael Solomonov.

According to Bob Logue, one of the owners of Federal Donuts and Bodhi Coffee, the restaurant fills a void in Pennsport and the city. "The neighborhood was dying for something great," explains Logue. He adds that an establishment combining donuts, fried chicken, and coffee in the city was "elusive" before his shop opened. Logue justifies the crazed popularity of Federal during its first week by saying that it appeals to long-time Pennsport residents, yuppies, and people all across the city and even suburbs.

So far, it seems like things have calmed down to some degree this week. On Monday, fried chicken was still being offered until 1 p.m., which gave famished customers a little more time. Also, donuts lasted a little longer on Monday. "We're still selling out, but at a nicer pace," says a less frenetic Logue. Absent were the long lines of the previous week, although a steady stream of new and returning customers enlivened the shop.

Given the enormous success of Federal Donuts so far, Logue has dreams of expanding. "Federal Donuts is dedicated to the growth of a new industry in Philadelphia," he asserts. Logue says he would like to expand, although it will take some time. He's especially hopeful to add some fryers, since that's currently the biggest limitation to making more donuts and chicken. The fact that talk of expansion has come up so quickly is a great sign for the shop. In just a week, Federal Donuts has become a hit in Pennsport and Philadelphia.        

Source: Bob Logue
Writer: Andy Sharpe

PHOTOS: MICHAEL PERSCIO

The Friends of Seger Park Playground have been feverishly looking for funds to make their park at 11th and Lombard Sts. a destination for Center City and South Philadelphia children. They’re looking to improve their play equipment and install a sprayground, both of which cost a handsome amount of money.

It looks like the playground will be able to move forward with its first phase of improvements, thanks to a $500,000 grant from the city. This is in addition to a $50,000 donation from Jefferson Hospital. Adrienne Kenton, co-president of the Friends of Seger Park Playground, predicts construction will commence during the summer of 2012. In the words of Kenton, one of the biggest changes will be that all of the play equipment will be moved into one area on the 11th St. side. This would include a “dedicated tot lot,” says Kenton, which would be tailor-made for kids who are "barely crawling."

The second component of the Friends of Seger’s dream is the repair of a water sprayground that currently doesn't work. The playground held a competition to create a design for the sprayground, which was won by six designers from Kansas. The victorious design is called Fluid Scape, and includes two walls, a bench, and over a dozen water jets. This is meant to be a complement to the other playground equipment for children. Regrettably, the Friends are still $350,000 short in their quest to raise enough cash for the sprayground. Kenton assures that she and her cohorts are busy trying to identify sources of funding.

Kenton underscores why it's so important that Seger Playground be amenable to children. "So many families are opting to stay in Center City," says the co-president. Indeed, Center City is seeing a noticeable amount of young families who want to raise children in the city. This, coupled with parents rearing young children a few blocks south in South Philadelphia, should ensure plenty of use for the renovated playground. Right now, the only thing sitting in the way is $350,000.

Source: Adrienne Kenton, Friends of Seger Park Playground
Writer: Andy Sharpe