Moving Here : Development News

In 2008, the Delaware Valley Planning Commission (DVRPC) launched the Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia initiative to recognize the cultural significance and economic impact of historical small towns in the region. The program was designed to foster regional growth by promoting these communities as alternative places to live, work, patronize and visit. 

The DVRPC uses defining characteristics to determine which towns qualify, including character, culture and convenience. Ranging from colonial settlements to college towns, these hamlets showcase an alternative to suburban sprawl. 

Oxford Borough in Chester County is the most recent addition to the Classic Towns program. Less than two square miles in area, this close knit community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers seasonal events for residents and visitors. Nestled in an agricultural area halfway between Philadelphia and Baltimore, Oxford experienced a great deal of growth after the railroad arrived in the 19th century. It is currently well regarded for its walkability and family-oriented community.

"It's a small, unique community that we wanted to highlight because it offers a historic downtown in a wonderful rural community, which appeals to lots of different types of people,” said Alison Hastings from the Office of Strategic Partnerships at DVRPC. "Also, Oxford's business community recently started a main street program, which shows its civic commitment to reinvesting in downtown communities."

Once named a Classic Town, a locale enjoys benefits such as inclusion on the DVRPC's website, "Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia," and in the "Classic Towns Times"; inclusion in calendar listings and activities; and inclusion in promotions such as Plan Philly's Trolley Tour of Chester County's Classic Towns.

Because the program is entering its fifth year, the DVRPC is beginning an evaluation process to see if the designation is associated with economic growth. The evaluation may be somewhat skewed because of the 2008 recession; that said, preliminary findings indicate the program has had a positive impact.

“What we’re hoping to see is that housing values at least remained steady, instead of declining," says Hastings. "We believe that if each community gained one household due to the ‘Classic Towns’ program, it was well worth it."

The evaluation process should be completed in Spring 2014.

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Alison Hastings, DVRPC

A couple months ago, Flying Kite covered the opening of the glimmering co-working palace 3rd Ward in Kensington. The Brooklyn transplants hoped to graft their success up in Williamsburg onto a historic building in a changing neighborhood, offering desks for rent, maker classes and flexible spaces for a variety of creative uses.

Now, it seems founder Jason Goodman may have overextended his business. 3rd Ward announced late last week that they would be abruptly shuttering not only the Philadelphia space but the Brooklyn one as well. There will be no refunds for class tuition or co-working fees.

In Brooklyn, members are organizing to save their spaces (the building's owner seems amenable), but things are a little hazier in Philadelphia. 

As of this summer, 3rd Ward had already ceded management of their third floor coworking space to Impact Hub Philly, part of a global network of coworking spaces. According to a July story on Technical.ly Philly, 3rd Ward hoped this deal would free them up to focus on classes and events.

Impact Hub bills itself as a "member-driven community taking collaborative action for a better world." They are in over 60 locations around the world on six continents. Before the announcement, the organization was already planning to redesign the co-working space to line up with their philosophy. As of now, despite the demise of 3rd Ward, they are still operating. (Flying Kite publisher Michelle Freeman's company Witty Gritty Marketing & Events has space at Impact Hub Philly.)

"What has happened with 3rd Ward, which is very unfortunate, has nothing to do with us at Impact Hub Philly," says Impact Hub's Jeff Shiau. "Nothing has changed. We're still moving forward. Now we have the new possibility of, what can we do with the whole building?"

Fortunately, 3rd Ward didn't own the building -- they leased the space -- and Impact Hub Philly is in the process of reworking their agreement with the owner, extending their reach to the other two floors. Though they offer shared workspace, they don't consider themselves members of the coworking movement.

"We're not in the co-working market," insists Shiau. "We're here to really inspire and advance member success -- members who are really interested in building the good economy. They're interested in social entrepreneurship, and building good companies and organizations that can build a better world in some ways. The physical space happens to be a resource we believe in."

Meanwhile, despite the struggles at 3rd Ward, the Philadelphia co-working boomlet shows no sign of abating -- Transfer Station in Manayunk is currently crowdsourcing funds for a permanent location and there are rumors of another gestating co-working space in Fishtown, courtesy of a notable local brand.

It seems a safe bet that the gorgeous work 3rd Ward did updating the building will not go to waste. The space might even eventually foster exactly the kind of activity Goodman and his team hoped for -- events, community building, affordable and flexible workspace -- it just won't be under the name 3rd Ward.

LEE STABERT is managing editor of Flying Kite.

Market West is best known for its skyline defining office buildings such as the Comcast Center, the Mellon Center, and Three Logan Square.  Bustling by day with the 9-5 crowd, the area is also known to empty out by night as restaurants close up and office workers leave for home.  But flush new construction, high-end condos and apartments and even a relatively new Trader Joes, the area is quickly redefining itself as a 24-hour urban neighborhood. 

As of late, adaptive re-use projects have hit their stride, converting old office or hotel uses into residential apartments.  Developed by 806 Capital and Federal Capital Partners, The Arch, located at 1701 Arch Street, is the latest, and perhaps most impressive, renovation story Market West is telling.  Formerly known as the Robert Morris Building, the historic, beautifully ornate, gothic building is a true showstopper. 

Built in 1914 by the hotelier Rutherford Jennings, the building was later used for housing and academic purposes by the Philadelphia College of Bible.  Eventually, the structure was used to hold offices until 2007, when 806 Capital bought it, emptied it out, and planned to convert it into a hotel.  But when the recession went south, so too did 806 Capital's plans for a hotel.  Once Federal Capital Partners stepped in, a new vision was born, bearing the fruit of an apartment re-use story being told today.    

The 111 new apartments that now encompass the structure will enjoy all the grandeur of an historic building: refurbished domed ceilings, marble staircases, and terrazzo floors.  The units themselves range from$1,349 to a loftier $2,900, likely for one of the two-bedroom penthouses that have unparalleled views of Center City. 

If pre-leasing is any indication, it appears the market continues to be strong in Market West: according to Christy Metz, Director of Sales & Marketing for Scully Company, which is leasing the apartments. The Arch, she says, is now 70 percent leased and construction is ongoing.

"It’s exciting that this hot new property is leasing up as faster than we have apartments for people to move into, so we’re confident that the building will be sold out before the construction is complete," Metz says.

This success could be a result of targeting a wide audience and offering a fairly large price range in the apartments.

“Residents are from every walk of life and age range," Metz says. A grad student may be a neighbor of empty nesters, a leading corporate executive or even a small family. Tenants are not only attracted to the charm of the original details and modern amenities at The Arch but also the convenience and location.”

The first residents have already moved in, and more will be moving in soon, signifying the end to The Arch's renovation story.  But on a larger scale, The Arch is just one of many integral parts of Market West's transformation and rejuvenation story, much of which has yet to be told.   

Source: Christy Metz, Scully Company; Lorraine Gimblett, The Arch PR representative
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

A new report released by the Brookings Institution shows that Philly's access to jobs via public transit is relatively strong, but could be better. 

Brookings' study of 371 transit providers in the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas showed that nearly 75 percent of jobs in the country are accessible via public transportation.  Philly outperforms the nation in this category, with 80 percent of jobs in areas with public transit service.  This ranks Philly as the 22nd best performer overall, behind regional counterpart New York City yet ahead of Baltimore.    

But the region does considerably worse when looking at the labor access rate, with just over 22 percent of the population being able to reach their job within 90 minutes using public transportation.  This ranks the region as 54th best and is below the national average of 27 percent.  This shortcoming points to greater issues regarding transit provision, job concentration, and poor land use patterns. 

Philly's numbers were right on line with the average transit coverage in the Northeast, but fell behind Western cities such as Seattle and Los Angeles, where average coverage rates hovered around 86 percent.  The southeast metros scored the worst, with average coverage rates of 67 percent. 

While results by region varied significantly, when you break down the numbers and pit city vs. suburb, a clear national trend appeared:  urban cores have significantly higher transit coverage and jobs via transit than suburban areas.  And Philly isn't prone to this issue; whereas the city has 100 percent transit coverage, the suburbs stand at just above 74 percent.  While nearly 44 percent of city residents can get to work via transit in less than 90 minutes, only 14 percent in suburban locales can. This difference is the 10th highest among the nation's metros.     

And as more and more jobs suburbanize, this poses real problems for regional economic development as well as equitable access to decent jobs.  "The suburbanization of jobs obstructs transit's ability to connect workers to opportunity and jobs to local labor pools," the study noted. "As metro leaders continue to grapple with limited financial resources, it is critical for transit investment decisions to simultaneously address suburban coverage gaps as well as disconnected neighborhoods."   

More could be done to improve transit coverage in suburban areas, something that would prove financially burdensome given their sprawly land use patterns.  Instead,a regional focus needs to be brought to the importance of transit-oriented development, encouraging mixed-use development, and centralizing job pools to better promote the enormous transit assets Philly already has.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While bike sharing has caught on in American cities as large as New York City and as small as Hollywood, Fla., it has yet to catch on in any large way in Greater Philadelphia. While Montgomery County’s Pottstown and Camden County’s Collingswood do have bike sharing programs, they are two of a kind in the Delaware Valley. Despite the efforts of many, no such service exists in Philadelphia. However, various boroughs and cities in Camden County are looking to build off of Collingswood’s success and offer the first cross-county bike sharing service in the region in a project conveniently known as BikeShare.
 
The Camden County Division of Environmental Affairs is working with the national bicycle advocacy group Rails to Trails Conservancy to expand upon Collingswood’s popular bike share. BikeShare organizers currently have 250 bicycles, although many are in need of maintenance, says Jack Sworaski, the director of the Division of Environmental Affairs. Sworaski adds that a few of the bikes might be beyond salvage, in which case they’ll be used for parts. 

While Sworaski can’t give a definitive timeline, he says that “in the coming months, a few locations will be up and running" and anticipates more growth in the fall and next spring. He’s ambitious, as his overarching goal is to make BikeShare available for all Camden County residents. Sworaski says rates for joining BikeShare will depend on each individual municipality. For example, lower-income communities will have far cheaper rates to join than will affluent neighborhoods. This is to make the program accessible to all neighborhoods, regardless of wealth.

BikeShare will likely be used for recreation in some areas and commuting in other parts of the county. In more affluent  boroughs, Sworaski sees bicycles being used for fun by people who have access to private automobiles or the train. However, “for others, particularly in the City, where many residents do not own cars, a bike will provide the means to get to work, school, or other community events,” he says. The director makes sure to add that this will encourage an active lifestyle, benefit the environment, and save participants money, regardless of why they’re using BikeShare. 

The organizers of the bike sharing service are also working with Camden youth to repair their bikes and teach safety. Sworaski says the timing is ripe with summer around the corner. Also, BikeShare architects are working with the CYCLE program to teach children about bike safety and repair. This is a one-month program that will pair kids with trained bike instructors to make sure that they enjoy riding safely and know how to make repairs.  

Source: Jack Sworaski, Camden County Division of Environmental Affairs
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Photo courtesy of Evan Kalish

It’s a sleepy stretch of Bethlehem Pike that winds through Spring House, a small Montgomery County suburb between Ambler and Montgomeryville. A great deal of through traffic forsakes Bethlehem Pike to use the far faster Route 309 bypass, while too few people who do drive the Pike get out of their vehicles. With this in mind, Lower Gwynedd Township has embarked on a new campaign called “I like the Pike” to draw attention to Bethlehem Pike’s potential for redevelopment and build a sense of community among existing businesses.

One goal of “I like the Pike” is to highlight the recent streetscape improvements that are designed to make the Bethlehem Pike-corridor more walkable and green. So far, sidewalks and enhanced lighting have been installed on roughly half of the corridor, as part of a $1.5 million project, says Kathleen Hunsicker, the chairwoman of the Lower Gwynedd Board of Supervisors. Also, “walking paths have been built to connect adjacent residential neighborhoods to the Pike so residents can walk to eat and shop,” says Hunsicker.

Lower Gwynedd is also looking to make the community more sustainable by expanding Veterans Memorial Park, which can be found at the intersection of Bethlehem and Penllyn Pikes. As of now, a stone wall has been constructed that will include a sign welcoming drivers to Lower Gwynedd. Hunsicker adds that benches, a water fountain, flagpoles, and a rain garden will make the park a much more appealing place for those strolling along the Pike. It is expected to be completed by autumn of this year.

While walkability and parkland are important components to improving the corridor, attracting businesses is paramount. The Supervisors are most hopeful that restaurants and service businesses will be interested in moving into Spring House. As it always does, zoning plays an enormous role in the ability to lure commercial facilities. “The Township understands that developers might need some flexibility with zoning to brings projects to life,” says Hunsicker. In support of this idea, an ordinance is currently in front of the township planning commission that would provide some leeway in zoning.

“I like the Pike” also seeks to retain existing businesses that dot Bethlehem Pike, and create a semblance of community among them. Hunsicker says she hopes that a Lower Gwynedd Business Association will be formed as a result of the campaign. The campaign also looks to impel locals and visitors to frequent the businesses, such as Spring House Tavern, The Flower Shop of Spring House, and Born to Run shoes, along the corridor through the website. In other words, the campaign is intended to create “a buzz in the community” that lets everyone know “we are open for business,” Hunsicker says. 


Source: Kathleen Hunsicker, Lower Gwynedd Twp. Supervisors  
Writer: Andy Sharpe