Kensington/Port Richmond : Development News

From the outside, the Hatchatory looks like just another vacant warehouse, blocking views of the river in this once-bustling hub of East Kensington. You might not notice its shining gates, upcycled from steel that formerly covered each window; or the fresh coat of paint upon its windowsills. The bright orange door might catch your attention—a dazzling point against bricks and mortar. However, even if you did notice the door, you probably wouldn’t realize the weight of its symbolism—a happy meeting of old and new—or imagine the incredibly creative things happening behind it.
 
Billed as a “unique workspace for interesting small businesses and interesting people, the building at 2628 Martha St. houses 26 workspaces and dozens of maker-types who bring an artisan approach to manufacturing of all kinds.
 
Just a few weeks ago, Flying Kite took a peek inside at one of the Hatchatory’s tenants, the custom denim and leather goods makers at Norman Porter Company.
 
Fancy Time Studio is one of the Hatchatory’s other interesting makers. The recording studio is owned and operated by producer Kyle "Slick" Johnson, who has worked with bands such as Cymbals Eat Guitars, Rogue Wave, Wavves, Modest Mouse and Philly's own Creepoid. Beth Beverly uses her space at the Hatchatory to create alternative millinery and sculpture with natural fibers and ethically sourced fur and feathers. Another creative business that has set up shop there is Great Graphics, a screen printing business started by two Tyler School of Art graduates 30 years ago. It provides service to artists and commercial clients on fabrics, metal, wood, plastic and glass.
 
Built in 1895, the Hatchatory’s walls first housed a soap and a caulk factory. After about a century, the plant closed, ending its manufacturing days. But six years later, in 2003, Gerard Galster Jr. bought the property. Instead of demolishing the building, he asked his friend Russell Mahoney, a recent grad with a master’s degree from Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, to make it useful once again.
 
“When you knock down a perfectly good old building to put in a new ‘green’ one, all of its static carbon is released into the atmosphere. That’s a true crime in sustainable design,” Mahoney says.
 
The superintendant l’extraordinaire also operates his own design collective and workshop, Broken Arrow, at the Hatchatory. He admits that it is less expensive to replace old with new, but his team at Broken Arrow is dedicated to making it cheaper and more practical. They apply this practice to everything, including old desks from the soap factory days, which they refurbished for the Hatchatory’s workspaces.
 
Mahoney’s team has adapted those workspaces to modern loft units with original exposed brick, beams and hardwood floors. Each is equipped with state-of-the-art ductless heating and cooling systems and floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the rooms in natural light.
 
Common areas in the Hatchatory are also repurposed for maximum use. Recently its garage space hosted WAMB, a Fringe Festival performance that took advantage of the wide-open space by draping circus rings and hoops from ropes on the rafters. The third floor open area provides a perfect space for tenants to exhibit art and sell products, and down the hall Mahoney is working on a communal area with couches and a kitchen.
 
Source: Russell Mahoney, The Hatchatory
Writer: Nicole Woods

It’s no secret that vacant land is a serious problem in Philadelphia, particularly in sections of North Philadelphia where years of neglect and abandonment have left physical scars to the area’s built environment.  There are numerous organizations, non-profits and city efforts that combat the issue; in Kensington, a group of grassroots organizers and residents have taken a particularly aggressive approach.

At H Street and Westmoreland, the green, lush Phoenix Community Park now sits on what was once considered a vacant lot.  But the land wasn’t always considered so -- a large, abandoned horse blanket factory once stood here. Five years ago, the facility turned to ash in a 7-alarm fire that also spread to 19 homes nearby. Thankfully, no one was killed. 

Shane Claiborne, a longtime neighborhood resident, was particularly affected by the blaze – his home was completely destroyed.  But instead of bemoaning his circumstances, he and other neighborhood activists decided to turn the tragedy into a neighborhood asset. 

Through his non-profit The Simple Way, a Christian community services group, the group raised money and acquired the land where the rowhouses once stood, turning the lots into community gardens.

But across the street where the factory burnt down, loose dirt whipped across the neighborhood like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie.    

Claiborne says the city’s laissez-faire attitude about remediating the eyesore encouraged residents to fix the problem themselves.  Through donated time and funds, local volunteers earned a year-to-year lease of the lot to turn it into a park.  In no time, they cleaned up the site, placed used painted tires around the perimeter to demarcate the space and renamed it Phoenix Community Park.

Through these efforts and thanks to The Daily News bringing light to the subject, the city took notice and started putting resources towards The Simple Way’s efforts, even though the lot was still technically publicly owned. 

At a time that marked the five-year anniversary of the factory fire, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society planted grass and trees at the site and installed a wooden fence around the perimeter.  The now iconic painted tires are still there, complete with a large and in charge mural on a nearby building wall. 

With this momentum behind them, and nearly 1,000 signatures to boot, Claiborne and others now want the space officially designated as a City park.  No more year-to-year lease.  Unfortunately this is easier said than done; since the site is not officially designated as a park, a very real threat remains that the lot could be sold off to private interests for development. 

“We are thrilled by the greening of this lot,” explains Claiborne, “but we also have a ways to go on making it a permanent park.  We need it officially recognized by Parks and Rec.” 

Doing so would protect the lot from development and formalize the City’s role in maintaining the space.  It would also allow the community to make improvements in more meaningful ways.  “A ‘park’ designation would allow us to build on new additions like playground equipment without the fear that it could all be squashed and developed with the year to year agreement,” says Claiborne.

Mayor Michael Nutter has recommended that the Parks and Recreation Department take over nearly 500 acres of land for park space.  Claiborne believes Phoenix Park should be part of this initiative and hopes the Mayor and others hear Kensington’s simple, to the point message on the matter. 

“We want it to be permanent, and have hundreds of neighbors who agree.”

Source: Shane Claiborne, Neighborhood Organizer, Founder of The Simple Way
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Thanks to community activists and the New Kensington CDC, the Kensington Soup Society, at 1036 Crease Street, is now listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. The designation is the latest example of a successful bottom-up approach to preservation where community members have driven the process forward, completed the labor-intensive work and research, and submitted appropriate documentation to the Philadelphia Historical Commission. 

According to Ben Leech, Director of Advocacy with the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, those involved with the nomination process asked for the Preservation Alliance's help to drive the process forward. "We ran a 'How to Nominate' workshop in Fishtown last year, and this was one of the buildings identified by the community as being a priority for designation," said Leech. "We then helped the New Kensington Community Development Corporation complete the nomination, which was reviewed and approved by the Historical Commission in March of this year."

The history of Soup Societies is particularly pronounced in Philadelphia where, in 1805, a man by the name of James Ronaldson opened the Southwark Soup Society. It was the first charity of its kind that fed the "deserving poor" and became the model for modern soup kitchens. In time, soup societies became important community anchors in working-class neighborhoods across Philadelphia. The Kensington Soup Society, erected in 1870, was the city's longest-running soup house until it closed in 2008. It is one of the last surviving soup kitchen buildings left in the city, and was the only one not already listed on the Philadelphia Register.

According to Leech, the Kensington Soup Society building is now better equipped to celebrate its storied tradition and continue its role as a community anchor for years to come. "The building's inclusion on the Register will ensure that redevelopment will be sensitive to the historic character of the building's exterior features, and will not regulate use or interior alterations."

While Leech is currently unaware of any immediate redevelopment plans for the site, if future plans involve apartments or other income-generating uses, listing on the Register could help finance historically sensitive rehabilitations. But for now, residents can rest assured their architecturally and culturally significant Soup Society will not face the wrecking ball anytime soon.  

Source: Ben Leech, Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

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

Greater Philadelphia is rapidly becoming more of a hub for urban farming and community-supported agriculture (CSA). Just look at the recently expanded Mariposa food co-op on Baltimore Ave., the active Kensington Community Food Co-op, and the Creekside Co-op groundbreaking in Montgomery County. Another organization that hasn’t received as much publicity is West Philadelphia’s Neighborhood Foods, which is transitioning from just an urban farm to a CSA and is teaming up with other local food venders at Rittenhouse Square.

Neighborhood Foods will be using three different sites in West Philadelphia this year to cultivate fresh food. The main site is Polselli Farm, a two-thirds acre lot at 53rd and Wyalusing at which the group has been farming snce 2010, according to Dylan Baird, the business manager. He adds that his organization annexed two smaller farm sites last year, and will be growing from them starting this year. One site is the popular Walnut Hill Farm, which thrives in the shadows of SEPTA's 46th St. El stop. 

Baird is excited to announce that his urban farm will also feature a CSA this year, which he claims is the city’s first urban farm-based CSA. Members of this CSA will enjoy locally-cultivated fruits, vegetables, and grains, with all proceeds being returned to Haddington, Walnut Hill, and other sections of West Philly. According to Baird, the CSA will run for 22 weeks from the middle of May to October, and more include very affordable prices. Neighborhood Foods is currently looking for members.  

The CSA is now working with other local food sellers at the Rittenhouse Square Farmers’ Market every Saturday. "We are broadening beyond just urban farmed produce and we will be incorporating all kinds of Philly produced products," says Baird. Some examples of this include canned goods from South Philly’s Green Aisle Grocery, bread from West Philly’s Four Worlds Bakery, and jellies from Fifth of a Farm Jams. 

Proceeds from the Rittenhouse stand enable Neighborhood Foods to continue to grow and sell fresh food at a steep discount in West Philly. "Our business model is such that we sell our food at a premium around the city so that we can subsidize the price of food at our community farmers market as well as our community programs," says Baird.  

Neighborhood Foods is a product of The Enterprise Center CDC and Urban Tree Connection, and features produce that is grown naturally and without chemicals. Baird says that the urban farm benefits from a large local population of senior citizens, who understand the value of fresh vegetables from their early years in the South. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Dylan Baird, Neighborhood Foods

Photo courtesy Neighborhood Foods     

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   

Despite being a short owl’s flight away from Temple University, the West and South Kensington and Norris Square neighborhoods in Eastern North Philadelphia have been afflicted with the urban ills seen in other inner-city neighborhoods. Not oblivious to this, Associacion Puertorriquenos en Marcha (APM) has set out to re-define the communities. One way in which they’re looking to do this is by partnering with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) on its Eastern North Philadelphia quality of life plan, "Our Community, Our Ideas."

APM and the City Planning Commission are studying the neighborhoods between Lehigh and Cecil B. Moore Aves., 9th and American Sts., and a small sliver of Ludlow, according to David Fecteau, the Commission’s community planner who’s tasked with studying the area. He adds that this study comes at an appropriate time, as the city is applying for a $30 million federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant for the area. So far, PCPC and APM are reaching out to community members, a process that has included “well over 200 residents and other stakeholders,” says Fecteau.

PCPC is working closely with the enterprising neighborhood group APM to truly understand the region they’re studying. APM is focusing on seven areas, says Jennifer Rodriguez, the deputy vice president for Programs and Sustainable Communities. The areas are:

• Income and wealth 
• Economic development
• Education
• Leadership
• Healthy environment and lifestyle
• Arts and culture
• Children and youth

APM’s focus areas are modeled after the Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI). Rodriguez says that one impetus for these particular concentrations is that a third of land in their coverage area is vacant. APM hopes to develop this vacant land, without forcing existing residents out. “The neighborhood wants a diverse community of mixed incomes and family make-ups,” says Rodriguez. 

It should surprise no one that environmental sustainability is playing a large role in PCPC and APM’s study. Rodriguez says APM is already partnering with the Water Department, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), and the School District to provide rain barrels at local schools. Finally, she says that a new transit-oriented development (TOD) will break ground on April 10 along 9th St. at the Temple University Regional Rail station. APM makes it clear that use of and development around rail and transit nodes will be closely studied by the City Planning Commission. 

Sources: David Fecteau, Philadelphia City Planning Commission and Jennifer Rodriguez, APM
Writer: Andy Sharpe

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    

For years, the neighborhood around Kensington and Allegheny (K&A) has been pockmarked by drugs, vacant property, and homelessness. That has not deterred local filmmaker Jamie Moffett, who’s spearheading an effort to transform vacant properties into owner-occupied homes. Moffett is the pioneer behind Kensington Renewal, which is looking to raise enough money to begin its home ownership mission.

According to Moffett, Kensington Renewal has already identified its first property to resuscitate. "There's an 'abandominium' on Rand St we're ready to purchase & rehab," says Moffett with a glint of pride. This part of Rand St. is mere blocks away from Potter Street, where the producer spent seven years spent living and he currently owns an office across the street from. These blocks are the heart and soul of Kensington, just a short jaunt from the Allegheny El stop.

Kensington Renewal’s biggest priority is raising money to start its campaign of putting Kensington residents into houses. To do this, Moffett is actively seeking donations and selling t-shirts. Moffett calls this "crowdfunding" a house, and is actively using the Internet to raise money. He offers supporters the chance to donate using Helpers Unite and through PayPal on his own website. Also, the filmmaker has partnered with the arts non-profit Positive Space to generate money through film, photography, and gallery showings. 

Moffett is beyond passionate about the transformative effects home ownership could have on Kensington. "Home ownership correlates with crime statistics; the higher the home ownership, the lower the crime," he says, citing a University of Nebraska study. He explains that this is because homeowners are more financially and socially invested in maintaining their properties and neighborhoods.  

The filmmaker’s target market for home ownership is Kensington residents who’ve never previously owned a home. These are locals who Moffett believes have been victimized by slumlords, who let profit get in the way of maintaining rental properties. He’s also taking a stand against redlining, which has caused banks and mortgage companies to flee the area. Finally, he hopes to educate the Kensington citizenry about the responsibilities associated with home ownership. 

The mission to encourage home ownership in Kensington has received support from other community groups and government officials. Moffett commends the New Kensington CDC (NKCDC) and Impact Services for imparting information to the campaign. He also points out the district Councilwoman, Maria Quinones Sanchez, as well as the 24th District police and L&I have expressed support for Kensington Renewal.    

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Jamie Moffett, Kensington Renewal

Photo: Jamie Moffett

The Philadelphia Zoo might be the nation’s oldest zoo, but it’s ahead of its time when it comes to sustainability.

The zoo began work a few months ago on a new LEED-certified, indoor children’s zoo called the Hamilton Family Children’s Zoo and Education Center, which will house animals hard to find at U.S. zoos. In addition to rare animal breeds, the zoo hopes to include animals that are currently, or are likely to be, affected by climate change.

The zoo is planning to offer a panoply of exotic animals for children, some of which will teach lessons about environmental decay. "There will be a great variety [of animals], providing opportunity for our youngest visitors to engage with animals," reports Dr. Andy Baker, the zoo’s chief operating officer. These animals will represent rare breeds of livestock, sheep, goats, and miniature horses. According to Baker, the youth zoo will also emphasize animals affected by climate change, such as Australian parakeets, tropical butterflies and fish, high-elevation frogs, ants, and even dreaded rats.

The Hamilton addition will include the first LEED-certified zoo building in Pennsylvania. Baker is excited about the zoo’s environmentally friendly approach to teaching children. First of all, he says the project will be sustainable because it will re-use an existing structure, the former pachyderm house. While some new structures will have to be built, they will come equipped with green roofs. Third of all, the children’s center will include a "significant geothermal field" for heating and air conditioning, says Baker. Finally, the facility will utilize rain gardens, and re-use graywater for restrooms.

Baker also hopes to make the new children’s zoo accessible to all types of children, including those with communications and physical disabilities. "Signage will include pictures for autistic kids," says Baker. He also assures that Braille and sign language will be made available for children who are visually- or aurally-impaired. The children’s zoo and education center will also be situated near the entrance of the zoo, which makes it more convenient for children in wheelchairs. Baker makes sure to add that this is part of the zoo’s "tremendous ambition" to enable children to interact with animals.

Expect the Hamilton Family Children’s Zoo and Education Center to open in April, 2013. Baker believes construction will wrap up late this year or early next year, with the remaining few months devoted to opening preparation. Sustainability as it relates to animals and humans will be a central theme, as Baker promises it will include lessons on how people can recycle and use water and energy efficiently.

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Dr. Andy Baker, Philadelphia Zoo

Hope St. between Palmer and Cecil B. Moore in South Kensington is currently cloaked in abandonment, aside from the trash and weeds that call the block home. Yet, the street may finally live up to its name, as Independents Hall, the popular Philly coworking space, is looking to construct a sustainable cohabitation space between Hope and Howard Sts. This house, called a "K'House,” just received the blessing from the South Kensington Community Partners neighborhood group at a meeting on Thursday, and now awaits an endorsement from the local city councilwoman and the City Planning Commission.

Indy Hall has teamed up with the noted sustainable construction pioneers Postgreen Homes and the architectural firm Digsau to build the K'House. Postgreen plans to build six housing units, designed for both romantic couples and roommates. Each unit will come equipped with its own kitchen and living quarters. Yet, the real story lies in all the shared space between the units, which will be comprised of an industrial kitchen and dining area, a media center, a basement, and a roof deck with a Center City vista. 

As with other Postgreen projects, sustainability will be a guiding principle in the construction of the K'House. This means the house will include "super insulated walls, triple pane windows, Energy Star appliances, high efficiency HVAC, low-flow water fixtures, [and] low VOC [Volatile Organic Compounds] everything,” says Chad Ludeman, the president of Postgreen. Ludeman adds that the location was purposely chosen for its proximity to SEPTA's Berks El stop and walkability. Thus, along with the sustainable elements on the inside, the house will also promote sustainable transportation.

Postgreen and Indy Hall feel as though South Kensington is an ideal neighborhood for the K'House. Ludeman, who lives in the community himself, says that residents can walk to either Northern Liberties or Fishtown, or take a relatively quick train ride to Center City and University City. In addition, "this neighborhood is very much an up-and-coming fringe neighborhood that has passionate residents, both old and new,” points out Ludeman. Finally, Postgreen's president lauds South Kensington for its safety and affordability.

The developers' recent experience with the South Kensington Community Partners only served to bolster their morale in the community. Ludeman is happy to report that the preponderance of feedback from the meeting was supportive or neutral of the K'House, even though the plans call for further density with no further parking. There were some queries about street lighting and fallback plans if the K'House hits a snag, as residents wanted to see the developers' maintain a long-term presence in their neighborhood. Indy Hall's Alex Hillman says that they will continue to listen to their neighbors.

Ludeman is happy with the reaction from the Community Partners, but is already tracing the Postgreen's and Indy Hall's next steps. He says they will next pursue the support of their local councilwoman, Maria Quinones Sanchez, and the City Planning Commission. After that, he anticipates going in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to get a variance for type of use, a shortage on the open space requirement, and lack of parking. For those of you looking for a place to live, the good news is Indy Hall is still accepting applications to join the K'House.

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Sources: Chad Ludeman, Postgreen Homes and Alex Hillman, Independents Hall

For those who drive on or around I-95 in Port Richmond and/or Fishtown, it's time to face the inevitable. After decades of shin-splintering abuse from cars, trucks, and buses, the highway and its surrounding streets will have to be re-constructed. This construction has already begun on Richmond St, which is a popular highway detour and neighborhood street in Port Richmond.

PennDOT's ambitious efforts to improve Richmond Street are now underway. Elaine Elbich, PennDOT's project manager for the highway re-construction, says that Richmond St. will be made more practical to drive, bike, or walk along, and more beautiful to look at. She says the street will be widened to accommodate one auto lane in both directions, one bicycle lane in both directions, and a center turn lane. This work is necessitated by new access points to I-95 from Richmond that will be built during the course of the interstate's overhaul.

Elbich also points out that Richmond St.'s aesthetic appeal is a top priority of the transportation department. This includes enhanced lighting and the planting of new trees. There will also be an intriguing public art component to this, which the Port Richmond community insisted upon. Elbich says the community decided to showcase the fabled Cramp heavy metal shipyard building, which ironically was demolished to make way for a new highway interchange with Richmond. According to the project manager, PennDOT is working with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation to identify an artist.

PennDOT is currently in the very preliminary stages of its work on both Richmond St. and I-95. At the moment, they're removing the SEPTA trolley wire and boring through soil at the site of Conrail bridges that will eventually be replaced. As for the interstate, Elbich says that construction will commence in early autumn at the earliest. The highway lane closures that drivers despise might go into effect early next year, although they will be confined to overnight, weekend, and possibly off-peak midday periods.

Chuck Davies, PennDOT's assistant district executive for design, underscores just how hungry the highway is to be re-constructed. "There are long-standing safety problems on the highway connected to the geometry of interchanges,” advises Davies. Furthermore, the age of I-95 is a driving force behind the need for repair. Davies points out that some of Southeastern Pennsylvania's most severely structurally deficient bridges rust along 95.

The good news for motorists is that PennDOT will have multiple avenues of keeping drivers informed during the construction on Richmond St. and I-95. The department maintains a website called 95revive.com, which features primers on the various stages of the project, current construction, traffic conditions, and a construction newsletter. Also, drivers, or better yet passengers, can call 511 to receive traffic information. For those drivers who don't have hands-free phones, variable message boards, travel time readers, and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) will be employed on I-95.

Sources: Elaine Elbich and Chuck Davies, PennDOT
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Food and energy cooperatives have certainly gained steam in the Delaware Valley in the past few years. Odds are you’ve heard of Weaver’s Way Co-op in Northwest Philadelphia, and you may have even heard of Mariposa and the Energy Co-op. Yet, there’s one you may not have heard of that’s working with federal and city lawmakers to pump up the clout of local co-ops. This co-op is the Kensington Community Food Co-op (KCFC), which was founded in 2008.

One of KCFC’s top priorities is to get the United States House of Representatives to pass the National Cooperative Development Act, according to Peter Frank, the vice president of KCFC and the campaign coordinator of the movement to pass the act. While this is national legislation, Frank is unequivocal that the passage would be a great thing for the Philadelphia-area. “Philadelphia also has a good 'co-op infrastructure' in place to support further co-op development,” says Frank.

This would explain the November launch of the Philadelphia-area Cooperative Alliance (PACA). Along with KCFC, the Alliance counts members from Weaver’s Way, Mariposa, the Energy Co-op, and credit unions. Frank says PACA is orchestrating a cooperative conference at Drexel University in June, which is being organized by the grandson of former mayor Richardson Dilworth on Drexel’s behalf. One of PACA’s first tasks will be to work with Philadelphia City Council to pass a resolution recognizing the social and economic windfalls of cooperatives in the city. 

KCFC’s Vice President is so passionate about the National Cooperative Development Act and PACA because of the positive impact they can have on Kensington. For one thing, KCFC has been looking to open up its own grocery store for some time now, but has not had the funds to do so. The proposed bill could turn the key for this grocery store. Going beyond just KCFC, Frank lauds cooperatives as a chance for decent jobs, vital grocery and banking services, and a means of keeping money in and around Kensington.  

The myriad local benefits of cooperatives justifies why local representative Chaka Fattah wrote the Act, while fellow local Reps. Allyson Schwartz and Bob Brady co-sponsored. Specifically, the bill would provide capital funding for co-ops, along with free technical assistance and training, says Frank. The bill was officially introduced to the U.S. House as H.R. 3677 a couple of weeks ago. No word on when it will go up for vote.

Source: Peter Frank, Kensington Community Food Co-op
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