classic towns : Development News

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

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

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

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

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

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: James Calamia, Roxborough CDC

While Philadelphia is known for many distinctions, far too many Philadelphians don’t realize that we lay claim to one of the largest urban natural wildlife refuges in the country. We’re not talking about Fairmount Park. In fact, we’re talking about the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, which sits peacefully in Southwest Philly and Tinicum Twp. amidst the roar of aircraft from the airport and the din of tractor-trailers from I-95. Now is an exciting time for the refuge, as it is finalizing steps to become even more sustainable and protect itself against flooding.

This week the wildlife refuge is completing an energy efficiency project. This means the Cusano Environmental Education Center will be getting new solar panels by the end of the week, according to Gary Stolz, the refuge manager. Stolz says that these solar panels, combined with the refuge’s existing sustainability efforts, means 80-90% of the facility’s power will be solar or geothermal. What’s even more interesting is that Heinz was able to pay for the recent batch of solar panels using internal funding.

Stolz also says that the refuge is almost finished with its efforts to protect against flooding. “We’re re-building the dike road along the Darby Creek,” he points out. He adds that the road, which has existed since the early Swedish and Dutch settlers, has been raised about three feet in the last couple of months. While Stolz confirms that the road still needs some cosmetic work, it should be completed shortly.

Finally, the refuge is working on repairing a boardwalk that was severely damaged last year because of Hurricane Irene. The boardwalk is currently inoperable due to safety issues, but it should be ready for action in about a month. 

The John Heinz Wildlife Refuge is a 1,000-acre preserve that is home to migratory birds, fish, deer, opossums, and even foxes. In addition to being one of the largest natural wildlife refuges in the U.S., it contains the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. The Cusano Environmental Education Center holds the pulse of the reserve, and is popular for classes and environmental fairs. Cusano is built mostly of recycled materials, such as beams from old shipyards.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Gary Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
?Photo courtesy of Michael Weaver 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of Dana Scherer

It’s a well-known fact that many low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia are food deserts, meaning there is no grocery store or other source of fresh foods nearby. The city of Chester in Delaware County must be the Gobi Desert of food deserts, as the entire city is currently without a supermarket. This is despite the recent construction of both a soccer stadium and a casino. However, this is about to change as Philabundance, with the help of the Delaware Valley Regional Economic Development Fund, recently acquired a building to open up a non-profit grocery store.

The grocery store will be called Fare and Square, and will be located on Ninth St., a few blocks south of Highland Ave. Lindsay Bues, a spokeswoman for Philabundance, reports that Fare and Square will sell both deeply-discounted and free food, and will accept and teach the community about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. “This model promotes food equality by offering a full range of food products at one convenient location on a regular basis while allowing people to maximize their purchasing power,” reports Bues.

Chester’s first grocery store is made possible through a $1 million grant through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This grant will comprise a good chunk of the $4.5 million price tag behind offering fresh food. According to Bues, the store will take up 13,000 sq. ft. and provide 30 new jobs, many of which will go to local residents. The store will likely open its doors in about a year.

Local and federal lawmakers are still trying to get a bigger supermarket to open in Chester, and it sounds like they might be close. Two chains that might be interested in opening are Shop Rite and Fresh Grocer, although nothing is firm at this moment. There’s no word on what will happen to Fare and Square when a larger grocery store does set up shop. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Lindsay Bues

Old theaters, churches, bridgs historic sites and cemeteries were among those earning 2012 Preservation Achievement Awards from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

The Preservation Alliance will present its Grand Jury Awards to 17 regional restoration and revitalization projects at its 19th annual Preservation Achievement Awards luncheon on May 8 at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building.

Danilo Vicencio of Vicencio Architects had two projects earn awards, including a property at 1824 Diamond Street and another North Philly project with Power House Development, Inc., at 431 N. 39th Street.

Also, the James Biddle Award, one of the Special Recognition Awards recognizing lifetime achievement in historic preservation, will go to West Chester University Professor Emeritus of History and American Studies Richard J. Webster. The distinguished teacher and author's books inlucde Philadelphia Preserved: The Catalog of the Historic American Buildings Survey.

"The range of award winners this year demonstrates the important role that historic preservation has in the economy of the Philadelphia region and the revitalization of neighborhoods," says Preservation Alliance Executive Director John Andrew Gallery in a news release.

Here's a full list of award winners:

GRAND JURY AWARDS
(project, address, owner, architect)

1824 Diamond Street
1824 Diamond Street, Philadelphia
Power House Development, Incorporated
Danilo Vicencio
 
2307 St. Albans Place
2307 St. Albans Place, Philadelphia
F. Scott Donahue
David S. Traub & Associates

431 N. 39th Street Triplex
431 N. 39th Street, Philadelphia
Power House Development, Incorporated
Danilo Vicencio

Arch Street United Methodist Church Window
55 North Broad Street, Philadelphia
Arch Street United Methodist Church
Atkin Olshin Schade Architects

Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul
18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
VITETTA

Curtis Institute of Music Lenfest Hall
1616 Locust Street, Philadelphia
Curtis Institute of Music
Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc.

George A. Weiss Pavilion at Franklin Field
233 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania
Crawford Architects

Independence Hall Tower
Independence Square, Philadelphia
City of Philadelphia
Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc.

Mariposa Food Co-op - Belmont Trust Company Building
4824 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia
Mariposa Food Co-op
Re:Vision Architecture

Medallion Garden
3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia
Laurel Hill Cemetery
KSK Architects Planners Historians, Inc.

PennDOT District 6-0 Bridge Rehabilitations
Cope's Bridge Strasburg Road (SR 0162) over Branch of Brandywine Creek
Hares Hill Bridge Hares Hill Road (SR 1045) over French Creek
Henry Avenue Bridge Henry Avenue (SR 4001) over Wissahickon Creek Lincoln Dr.
Rapps Dam Covered Bridge Rapps Dam Road (SR 1049) over French Creek

Saint Francis de Sales Church
4625 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia
Saint Francis de Sales Parish
Historic Building Architects, LLC

Shane Candies
110 Market Street, Philadelphia
Franklin Fountain LLC
Owners Re

Smithville Park Houses
8 & 9 Park Avenue and 34 Maple Avenue, Eastampton, NJ
Burlington County, Department of Resource
Conservation, Division of Parks
Wu & Associates, Inc.

Termini Brothers Bakery
1523 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia
Termini Brothers Bakery
Materials Conservation Collaborative, LLC

West Chester University Recitation Hall
35 West Rosedale Avenue, West Chester
West Chester University of Pennsylvania of the State System of Higher Education, Facilities
Design and Construction Department
Klein and Hoffman, Inc.

World Cafe Live at the Queen Theater
500 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE
Buccini/Pollin Group
Homsey Architects

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
THE JAMES BIDDLE AWARD 
for lifetime achievement in historic preservation
Richard J. Webster, PhD

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
for preservation in the public interest
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia

RHODA AND PERMAR RICHARDS AWARD
for service to the Preservation Alliance
Architectural Walking Tour volunteer guides

BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD
for exceptional contributions to historic preservation
Ruth and Mansfield Bascom

COMMUNITY ACTION AWARDS
for achievement by community organizations
Friends of Mt. Moriah Cemetery  For efforts to maintain and improve Mt. Moriah Cemetery

Strawberry Mansion CDC and Strawberry Mansion NAC  For successful efforts to retain the historic character of the Strawberry Mansion trolley barn

SPECIAL 100th ANNIVERSARY RECOGNITION
Bucks County Historical Society  On the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of Henry Mercer’s home, Fonthill

AIA PHILADELPHIA AWARDS
2012 AIA Philadelphia Landmark Building Award
Vanna Venturi House, Venturi and Rauch, 1962

The Henry J. Magaziner EFAIA Award
To be announced

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Francisville continues to be a hot neighborhood for development, situated between Center City and Temple University with convenient access to the Broad St. Subway. The latest construction will be a 35-unit condominium complex at 19th and Poplar by local developer Michael Loonstyn. Loonstyn received support from the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation (FNDC) and permission from the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) last week, and looks to be ready to start building in May.

Loonstyn, owner of MJL Properties, will be erecting a four-story condo building along 19th St. between Poplar and Parrish Sts. According to Loonstyn, there will be a 100-seat restaurant on the first floor with indoor and outdoor seating. At this point, Loonstyn is unsure of what kind of restaurant will be put in, although he said it will likely serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

The fourth level of the development will consist of roof decks, which promise an impressive view of Center City. “The property Loonstyn development is working on is at the highest point in the surrounding area,” points out Seth Trance, the design chair for FNDC’s Zoning Committee. He adds that it’s the acme of an area that includes all of Center City and much of North Philadelphia.

The developer re-assures the FNDC that the condo complex will be sustainable. It will include “green roofs, impervious pavers, and trees around,” says Loonstyn. In addition, there will only be 21 designated parking spaces for the 35 units, encouraging residents to use sustainable forms of transportation. To make up for the limited parking, Loonstyn has plans for bike storage. The new homes will also have a Route 33 bus stop right outside, which provides frequent service to Center City. Despite his interest in sustainability, the developer concedes that the condos will not be LEED-certified.

The development sits on an underdeveloped stretch of 19th St., not far from Girard Ave., Girard College, and St. Joe’s Prep. It is one of two triangles, created by the diagonal streets that set Francisville apart from other neighborhoods with grid streets, along 19th that are ripe for redevelopment. There is currently a forsaken building on the site. Loonstyn says he will have to “demolish the entire structure that currently exists.” Some reports have said the site is contaminated with lead, although the developer says he conducted a study that refutes that.

Loonstyn’s development was met with some questions about parking from FNDC members, but received an overwhelming 102 to 24 vote in favor from the community group. He expects to begin work on May 1, with construction lasting about a year. Each unit will take up 990-1,200 square feet. When the condos are ready for sale, Loonstyn anticipates a price tag in the high $100,000s or low $200,000s. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Michael Loonstyn

Like many South Jersey cities, Woodbury used to offer a thriving Main Street, punctuated by the G.G. Green Block. Dreamed up in 1880, The G.G. Green Block was a block-long building that served as an opera house, theater, and shopping destination for the Gloucester County seat. Yet, in 2001 the store that called the Green Block home shuttered, leaving the building to collect cobwebs for the next decade. Many observers thought the final straw for the building was the earthquake this past year, which caused inspectors to deem the building unsafe. Defying the odds, city officials may have worked out a deal to save the building.

As recently as this past autumn, all hope seemed to be lost for preserving the G.G. Green Block. City council members and code enforcement officers felt as though the building needed to be demolished because it was structurally unsafe and an eyesore. The state Department of Environmental Protection agreed, which many thought was the death knell for the historic building. However, mayor Ron Riskie says that the cost of demolition turned out to be pricey (around $1 million).

Stung by the high price of demolition, Woodbury once again looked at preserving and re-developing the Green Block. In late December, city council announced it had found an eager re-development partner in RMP Development Group. Mayor Riskie says the building could be preserved as mixed-use development. “If the current plan is followed, we would see retail space on the first floor, and living units on the second and third floors,” says an encouraged mayor. Of the new housing, 20 percent would be affordable, while the remaining 80 percent would be priced at fair market rates.

Understandably, the Woodbury community is excited by the chance to save the fabled building. “The community is overwhelmingly pleased,” reports Riskie. “We saved the ‘centerpiece’ of the City.”

While city officials and residents are hopeful that the proposed preservation and re-development comes to fruition, it’s not a guarantee. The mayor admits that funding for the re-development still needs to be settled, although he anticipates that the city would purchase the building for a dollar, and then transfer it to RMP. Unfortunately, past proposals of re-developing the building have failed, including a popular proposal just a year ago to turn G.G. Green into a performing arts center.

Source: Mayor Ron Riskie, Woodbury
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Unlike many other local colleges and universities, families of Swarthmore College students often have to go miles out of their way to find lodging. It's not uncommon for these families to have to stay as far away as the Airport area. However, if a proposed new Town Center continues on its path to fruition, those visiting the college or the borough won't have to skip town to find a bed. Swarthmore College has begun the re-routing of utilities to allow for Swarthmore Town Center West, which is a complex slated to include an inn, restaurant and lounge, and re-located campus bookstore. 

The idea of an inn in the borough of Swarthmore gets a lot of people excited, whether they're affiliated with the college or live in town. The college is endeavoring to build a 40-45 room inn, which would be open to anyone visiting Delaware County. "It's an idea that's been discussed and debated for a number of years," offers Marty Spiegel, Swarthmore Borough's town center coordinator. This will "draw more people into downtown (Swarthmore)," he adds. Spiegel  especially covets the increased pedestrian traffic he says this inn will generate.

While the inn has a lot of students and townsfolk talking, so too does the idea of a restaurant and lounge. Spiegel recounts that the community would like a restaurant that is a short and non-treacherous walk for residents, as well as an appropriate gathering place for people to meet and chat. The coordinator says the grades are still out as to whether the restaurant will be formal or casual, as the college is currently embarking on marketing studies to see what kind of eatery would work best.   

Currently, Swarthmore College is moving ball fields to potentially make way for the Town Center. Spiegel estimates that plans for the new complex will be ready for preliminary review and analysis in a few months. If all goes according to plan, he believes construction will commence in 2013, with a possible completion and opening date in 2014.  

If Swarthmore Town Center West does get approved, it could also result in a re-engineering of the Route 320 underpass by SEPTA's Swarthmore Station. "This brings added importance to that issue," says Spiegel, who is concerned about the dangers of existing traffic at the intersection of Swarthmore Borough and College, and the commuter traffic from the station. While the southernmost exit of the college, which stares the underpass down, would have to be removed for the Town Center, the new development would undoubtedly bring increased vehicular traffic. 

Spiegel wants to emphasize his wish that the new complex minimize the need to use a car. He explains that the development is "ideally suited" by being convenient to the center of the borough, the college and the train station. He envisions residents and students walking from the borough and the college to grab some dinner, and visitors taking the train to stay at the inn. 

Source: Marty Spiegel, Swarthmore Borough
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Map art by Alex Forbes

Don’t let Chester, Delaware County’s suburban location fool you; it’s a patchwork of neighborhoods afflicted by crime and poverty. Just in the past couple of weeks, Chester saw six people shot and a man commit suicide after a traffic stop by ingesting cocaine. With those woes in mind, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) recently undertook a study analyzing how a train station can connect fans of the Philadelphia Union soccer team that plays there, office workers, and perhaps even future Chester residents.

The DVRPC study, called the “Chester Riverfront and Community Rail Access Study,” researched how Chester’s currently struggling Highland Avenue Station can better serve residents, visitors, and workers. Presently, “Highland Avenue is one with (a) very low number of boardings (84 boardings per day in 2009) and might be considered a candidate for closure under other circumstances,” says Dr. Joseph Hacker, manager in DVRPC’s Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning.

Yet, the Union’s soccer stadium, PPL Park, stands in the way of closure, as does the recently built office complex Wharf at Rivertown. Due in large part to these destinations, DVRPC looked into rebuilding a station at Highland, or moving the station to one of two nearby locations, Townsend/Engle Streets or Flower Street.

Hacker thinks a rebuilt or relocated Highland Ave. train station could be a catalyst for some new housing development, which is something not often heard of in Chester. Specifically, Hacker points to Rivertown as an area that could be ripe for new housing. “It is my understanding that SEPTA would be eager to partner on a new station if there was a coterminous development supporting a new investment,” said DVRPC’s manager. “A $27 million investment (the cost to build a new station) is not warranted by the weekly soccer ridership.”

According to DVRPC, distance and accessibility to PPL Park and the Wharf at Rivertown are two of the greatest factors that went into the study. Accessibility is defined as “the legibility and the safety of the path between the station and the respective destination,” in the words of Hacker.

In fact, DVRPC’s current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) addresses the Chester study. Both the Flower and Townsend/Engle St. sites have improved pedestrian crossings over a freight line leading to the PPL Park and Rivertown programmed into the TIP. As for the Highland Ave. site, there is a TIP item concerning signage and streetscaping there, to make for a better walking environment.

While Chester continues to be plagued by high crime and low incomes, a train station might lay down the track for the resuscitation of the suburban city. While a rebuilt or relocated Highland Ave. Station would be a good thing for Union fans and office workers, it could be a marvelous thing for residents. 

Source: Dr. Joseph Hacker, DVRPC
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Thanks to the enthusiasm and financial support of West Central Germantown residents, commuters using the Tulpehocken Station can now feel the decades fly backwards as they wait for their train. That's because SEPTA finished the historical renovation of Tulpehocken Station, on the Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail line this summer.

With this in mind, it was not an easy process. From 1978 until recent years, SEPTA constantly told community groups that there was not enough money to repair the station. "From 1978 and on, the building was basically abandoned," says Jeffrey Smith, a man on a mission to preserve Germantown's history. In 1982, SEPTA even tried to demolish the building, although neighbors succeeded in thwarting that.

However, things began to look up in 2007, when the West Central Germantown Neighbors established a committee to salvage the building. This spurred the National Trust for Historical Preservation to come up with a grant to rehabilitate the station. The problem was the grant required a local match. However, "I raised $5,500 from neighbors and apartment owners," says a very proud Smith.

The final step that put the wheels to the rail of the Tulpehocken preservation was SEPTA's federal stimulus funds, of which SEPTA allocated $700,000 to the dated station. This enabled SEPTA to install 2 heavy-duty plywood floors using 60 percent of the structure's existing lumber, according to Smith. In addition, the station received a brand new roof. At this point, "the building was restored to historic standards," boasted Smith, who cited the station shell's approval by the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

With this long fought preservation, Smith is not quite satisfied. After all, it is hard for the man who bought the rights to Germantown's famed historic logo to rest on his laurels. "I'm trying to get a lease from SEPTA to make the building commercially viable," said Smith. Smith hastened to add that SEPTA has been a supportive partner throughout the recent process, pointing out the meetings he had with top SEPTA officials.   

Source: Jeff Smith
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Those of you who've lived in Greater Philadelphia for more than six or seven years will almost certainly be able to remember when the Chester County suburb of Phoenixville, which sits about 30 miles northwest of Center City, was anything but hip. The collapse of the steel industry in the mid-1970s, of course, seemed to be the beginning of the end for Phoenixville. But sometime around 2005, the town's main drag, Bridge Street, began sprouting with the signs of economic growth, including a wealth of boutiques, cafes and restaurants and the revitalized Colonial Theater.

"In six years, (Phoenixville) has gone 180 (degrees)," says Barry Cassidy, a project manager for The DeMutis Group, which wants to build a seven-acre mixed use development on a portion of the former Phoenix Steel site. "It went from nobody being down there except the drug dealers and prostitutes, to everybody (being) here. Even the drug dealers and prostitutes!"

According to Cassidy, the project, which is tentatively scheduled for an August groundbreaking, will include a 30,000 square-foot standalone office building, as well as 80,000 square-feet of retail space. Sitting atop the retail, meanwhile, will be 275 apartments. Cassidy also hopes to build an onsite parking garage and a series of condos he's referring to as work-life units, where a glassblower or a painter, for instance, could work in a street-level studio while also living in the back. "We're going to market those to craftsmen and artists," he says.

As for the specific types of businesses that might be occupying the site, Cassidy claims his group has adopted something of an arts and entertainment economic development strategy, and will be actively recruiting galleries, artists and craftsmen. All of them, no doubt, the sorts of businesses that will only serve to improve Phoenixville's artsy, up-and-coming reputation.

"We're like the crown jewel of sustainability here," Cassidy says of his development partners. "We're a lot different than the others."

Source: Barry Cassidy, The DeMutis Group
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Regardless of the fact that the Delaware Valley is nearly overflowing with historic older communities, it is nevertheless an unfortunate reality of the American mindset that if a town or suburb is newer, it's often also considered better.

That assessment, however, is one that the community planners at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission disagree with strongly. As a way to illustrate the imprudence of the newer-is-better philosophy, the DVRPC launched the Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia initiative in mid-2008, which still works to promote places like Media and Phoenixville as ideal communities in which to live and work.

And yet one of the DVRPC's newest community-building initiatives--the Strategies for Older Suburbs Roundtable Series--is bringing the region's various community leaders together in the very same room. After listening to ideas and suggestions from guest speakers, they're able to hammer out possible solutions for the very real economic problems hampering growth in their towns.

The general purpose of the roundtable series, says Karen Cilurso of the DVRPC, is to build relationships. "We find that sometimes communities can find a solution to their problems just by talking to their neighbor," she says. "And it (often) doesn't require millions of dollars."

The series' second event is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Feb. 9, at the DVRPC offices (190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor, Philadelphia). The guest speakers will discuss the topics of old media and new media, with the ultimate goal of helping community leaders understand how to most successfully promote their towns.

According to Cilurso, the discussions are informal, with the topics suggested by the participants themselves. "We like [the discussions] to be very free flowing," she says, adding that many of the roundtable participants "are people (who are) really in the trenches, trying to bring business and residents back to the region."

The Roundtable Series happens quarterly; following Wednesday's meeting, the next event is scheduled for May 13.

Source: Karen Cilurso, DVRPC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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If you should find yourself in a conversation about development with someone involved in the urban real estate industry, it's fairly safe to assume that the topic of agriculture won't carry much weight. But out in the rural expanse of Chester County, where farming is still an active way of life, the situation is actually quite complicated. "You often hear that buying a farm is really difficult," says Sue Milshaw, of the Chester County Economic Development Council. "And it is," she adds. "But it is possible."

Milshaw should certainly know, especially since it was her work, and that of her colleagues, that recently led to the Council being presented with an award from the state's Department of Agriculture. The award recognized the council's dedication to the agriculture industry, and especially its ability to secure loans for farmers interested in developing.

The Chester County Cheese Artisans, for instance, is a group that recently developed property with the help of the Council; they renovated a barn that's now used for cheese processing and aging, as well as goat-milking.

The Council also works to help finance people buying their first farm. And as Milshaw explains, some of the economic development programs that are now open to the farming industry--thanks to the CCEDC's work--are now being used by the area's Amish community as well.

"I think there was a mindset for a long time that agriculture was a business that could take care of itself," says Milshaw, when asked why so many financing programs have long been closed to would-be farmers. "And that's in spite of the fact that in a county like Chester or Lancaster or Berks, agriculture is a significant part of the economic picture there."

Source: Sue Milshaw, Chester County Economic Development Council
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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