Development News

If you’re a Northwest Philly resident looking to be a bit more green in your daily life, you're in luck. On Wednesday, May 8, the Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is hosting a community forum -- entitled "It IS Easy Being Green" -- focused on how residents and businesses can have a positive environmental and economic impact on their community.

The event is the second annual community forum sponsored by GUCDC, a relatively new organization dedicated to the well-being of Germantown.

"We planned the first forum specifically to introduce GUCDC to the community," explains GUCDC's Garlen Capita. "We wanted to answer the question, 'What does a CDC do?'"
 
According to Capita, that event was so successful that they decided to use the same format this year while shifting the focus to sustainability. Like last year's forum, this gathering is all about educating and disseminating information to the community.

"We want everyone who lives and works in Germantown to know that they have the power and the tools to improve the quality of life in their community," says Capita. "Hence the title, ‘It IS Easy Being Green.'"

The forum will begin at 6 p.m. with a "trade show" of organizations involved in sustainability and community issues. Participants include Awbury Arboretum, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Friends of Vernon Park, Kelly Green, PhilaNOMA, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, the Sustainable Business Network, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed, and Wyck Historic House and Garden.
 
At 7 p.m., a panel will foster a community discussion on the sustainability issues confronting Germantown. The moderator will be Robert Fleming, associate professor of sustainable design at Philadelphia University. Other panel members include Dwayne Wharton, director of external affairs at the Food Trust, representatives from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Christine Knapp from the Philadelphia Water Department.

Also on the panel will be Aine and Emaleigh Doley, sisters and co-organizers of the West Rockland Street Project. They are working with neighbors to revitalize their block using nothing but dedication, plants and trees, and some serious elbow grease.

"We want people to know that if Aine and Emaleigh can do it, they too can turn their neighborhood around," says Capita.

The event is free and open to all. It will be held at the Flying Horse Center (312-316 W. Chelten Avenue). Please RSVP to [email protected].

Source:  Garlen Capita, GUCDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Tacony, a planned community in Northeast Philadelphia, has a lot to offer -- great access to Center City, historic building stock and a traditional "main street" along Torresdale Avenue. Planners and community advocates are pinning the neighborhood's hopes on that commercial corridor. Thanks to the hard work of Alex Balloon, commercial corridor manager for the Tacony CDC, years of vacancy and neglect are giving way to rebirth.
 
Balloon has helped spearhead a number of initiatives in the past year, including tree plantings and a marketing campaign highlighting the great things Tacony and Torresdale Avenue have to offer.
 
The most ambitious effort is a Facade Grant Program, unveiled last year. The program operates in coordination with the Commerce Department's Storefront Improvement Program, providing business and property owners captial for exterior improvement projects. Many local communities take advantage of this program, but Tacony has a leg up.
 
"We are lucky enough to offer a grant that covers 85 percent of a project's cost," explains Balloon. "Typically, the Commerce Department's program offers 50 percent. The response has been encouraging. Over 20 businesses expressed interest. Since then, some folks have dropped out, leaving us with 17 storefronts that are part of our program."
 
The Tacony CDC worked with the business owners and the Community Design Collaborative to put together designs for the storefronts. The partners held a Design Day late last year to bring the two parties together.

Of those 17 projects, one is complete -- Sannutti Funeral Home on the corner of Torresdale and Princeton Avenues -- and another is under construction: DeNofa's Deli, one of the corridor's anchor businesses. So far, improvements have included removing aluminum, improving signage and windows, and working to reveal the historic character of the corridor's commercial buildings.
 
"There’s been a universally positive response," says Balloon. "DeNofa's owners say customers are already praising the improvements."
 
Fifteen more storefront improvement projects will begin in June of this year; those contracts are currently out for bid.
 
Ultimately, Balloon sees the storefront program as one piece in a larger effort to revitalize Torresdale Avenue. He hopes to leverage the relationships fostered with local businesses, assisting them with visual merchandising and improving product offerings.
 
"It takes more than design to revitalize a commercial corridor," says Balloon. "We need to do a better job marketing ourselves and the assets we have."

Source:  Alex Balloon, Commercial Corridor Manager, Tacony CDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

For Tim Patton, owner and founder of local nano-brewery Saint Benjamin's Brewing Company, it only took a year to find the perfect warehouse space in which to expand his small-scale operation. He ended up with a historic gem on North 5th Street -- the former Theo Finkenauer Brewing Company, built in the late 1800s.
 
"I was specifically looking in South Kensington for the brewery's permanent home," says Patton, explaining that the neighborhood's price points fit his budget. "[The site's] history combined with its location -- north of Northern Liberties and west of Fishtown -- drew me to the building. It was everything I wanted."
 
Kensington has a rich history as a center for brewing not just in Philly, but on a national scale. The neighborhood has changed since then, and so too has its brewing tradition: In the 1900s, many breweries left or closed for good.
 
In recent years, a resurgence in local beer culture combined with a plethora of vacant warehouse facilities has reignited the brewing tradition in a major way. Patton hopes his move is part of that movement. Once complete, the brewery will use organic and sustainable ingredients as much as possible. There will also be a 30-to-35 seat pub selling locally sourced foods on-site.

"I'm hoping to start construction this year and complete the brewery by fall," says Patton. "The pub will open shortly after that."
 
To get there, Patton is crowdfunding the restoration of the building's historic facade. He is using Lucky Ant and hoping to raise $20,000 in 21 days (the campaign ends May 8).
 
Lucky Ant offers specific rewards and deals to the local community in exchange for donations. In Patton's case, contributors will receive free merchandise, free food, major discounts and other perks.
 
Visit luckyant.com/saintbenjamins to donate.
 
Source: Tim Patton, Saint Benjamin's Brewing Company
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

When The Philadelphia School (TPS) opened its brand new Ellen Schwartz and Jeremy Siegel Early Childhood Education Center at 2501 South Street last September, the project received praise for transforming a neighborhood eyesore into a multipurpose space for students and community gatherings. The hype was channeled mostly towards the building's concept -- a country classroom in the city -- but now, after earning a LEED Silver rating, the project has solidified its sustainability bonafides.
 
TPS, a K-8 educational institution, was founded in 1976 in an old pie factory at 2501 Lombard Street. Local parents were concerned about families fleeing the city for better education opportunities elsewhere. Since then, the school has grown in leaps and bounds, expanding into the entire pie factory.
 
In the late 2000s, still in need of space, TPS looked to an adjacent South Street property with aspirations of creating an education campus for up to 450 students. Now complete, the Schwartz Siegel Building houses four ground-floor classrooms, two for preschool and two for kindergarten.
 
"The new campus is a physical translation of the school's progressive education philosophies," explains Tom Purdy of Purdy O’Gwynn Architects, the firm behind the design.
 
The campus features a 3,100-square-foot eco-friendly school garden, outdoor play spaces that are easily accessible from the classrooms, flexible-use L-shaped classrooms, working gardens, porches to bridge the gap between inside and out, a shared art room and lots of natural light.
 
"We feel we produced a really nice building," says Purdy. "We wanted to be a good neighbor, but still create something clearly different and modern."
 
Construction managers Wolfe Scott & Associates didn’t stop there with smart design principles. The school's sustainable strategies include a large stormwater retention basin under the parking lot, geothermal wells beneath the gardens that heat and cool the building, recycled and regional material usage and stringent waste management practices.
  
Source: Tom Purdy, Purdy O'Gwynn Architects
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

When Farmer’s Road Drive Thru celebrated its grand opening this past Sunday in Chadds Ford, it was the culmination of one of the region’s most ironic adaptive reuse projects. Housed in a former KFC, the new restaurant will feature familiar comfort foods but with a non-fast food twist: healthy, local and sustainably-sourced ingredients.

Courtney Rozsas, owner of Lotus Farm to Table in Media, is the woman behind the concept. She’s had the idea for a healthy fast casual drive-thru for quite some time.

"I've been looking for the perfect location for three years," explains Rozsas, calling the restaurant's site at the intersection of Routes 1 and 202 in Delaware County "the perfect fit."

Inside, a large mounted chalkboard proclaims, "Know where your food is from" and includes a list of the restaurant's purveyors. More than eighty percent of the produce used will be sourced locally, along with 100 percent of the meat and poultry.
 
Ryan Sulikowski, executive chef of Lotus Farm to Table, is overseeing the kitchen.

"I wanted to create a family-friendly restaurant focusing on familiar comfort foods presented in 'better for you' ways," explains Rozsas. "[Sulikowski] was brought on because he likes to take familiar flavors and add a twist."

Sulikowski's menu will feature upgraded takes on classics such as a Stadium Dog -- an all-natural grassfed beef hotdog, sodium-free sauerkraut and low-sodium yellow mustard on a rye pretzel hotdog bun. More out-of-the-box items include the Apple Sandwich, made with local cheddar, local organic American cheese, Granny Smith apple, raw honey and maple sourdough bread.
 
Other touches include an oatmeal bar at breakfast -- it does double duty as a homemade pickle bar at lunch and dinner -- and a build-your-own healthy bento box for kids. Sulikowski and Rozsas are also offering gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options.

"We're catering to individuals who are conscious of what they put in their body," says Rozsas. "We hope that's everyone!"
 
210 Painters Crossing, Chadds Ford, PA
Monday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sundays 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

Source:  Courtney Rozsas, Owner, Farmer's Road Drive Thru
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

William Penn's vision for a gridded five-square city may have laid the original groundwork for Philadelphia, but it was Edmund Bacon, another urban planner, who shaped much of the city as we know it today.

On May 16, writer Greg Heller will discuss Bacon at the Philadelphia Center for Architecture -- he is author of the first biography on this beloved yet controversial figure.

To people outside planning, architecture and urban enthusiast circles, the name "Edmund Bacon" might not ring a bell. And that's a shame -- as director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 1949 through 1970, he oversaw the planning and implementation of dozens of redesigned urban spaces, included the restored Society Hill, Penn Center and the shopping center at Market East.

Following his public office tenure, he became well known as an outspoken urban advocate. In 2002, at the age of 92, he skateboarded across LOVE Park to protest the city's ban on boarding in the park. 

In 2005, Bacon passed away at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy that extended beyond his professional accomplishments.

"When he passed away, there were a lot of interesting articles that came out about his life," says Heller. "It was clear people perceived him as something more than just a governmental figure. He was a local legend."

Heller didn’t want the biography to be "totally academic," acknowledging that despite his iconic status to some, there are many potential readers who are not familiar with Bacon. The biography begins with exploration of Bacon's significance to modern day Philadelphia. Heller then delves into his two-decade tenure as city planning director, a period of great change in urban areas and significant federal investment.

Heller also paints a personal portrait of a man determined to transform planning ideas into reality in Philadelphia. Heller spent a lot of time with Bacon, and saw his dedication firsthand.

When Heller was in college working on his thesis, he wrote Bacon a letter, hoping to gain insight into his research topic. After interviewing Bacon a few times, Heller was invited to take a year off from college to help the retired planner write his memoirs. Heller agreed.

"After he passed away in 2005, I was approached by a publisher to write this biography," adds Heller. That was in 2007. Six years later, the book is finished and the legend of Ed Bacon lives on.

6 - 7 p.m. May 16 at the Center for Architecture (1218 Arch Street); free but registration is required. The new book will be available for sale at the event and Heller will sign books after his talk.

Source:  Greg Heller
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

When it comes to stormwater management strategies, there's "smart" and then there's Camden SMART. The city's progressive strategy -- the acronym stands for "Stormwater Management and Resource Training" -- is a public-private partnership created to grapple with the area's severe flooding issues.

This week, SMART is partnering with the City of Camden to sponsor a series of events in honor of Earth Day 2013. Throughout the week (which runs through April 27), activities will enlist the community to help clean up, rebuild and strategize plans for a more sustainable Camden. Monday, the kick-off took place at Camden City Hall, where Mayor Dana L. Redd led a tree planting in honor of late Camden School Board President Aletha R. Wright.

Then, on Wednesday, April 24 at 10 a.m., folks from SMART are partnering with the Camden Board of Education to plant a rain garden at Pyne Poynt School, located in the heart of North Camden.

Other activities include a clean-up of Woodrow Wilson High School and Dudley Grange Park (Friday, April 26, 9 a.m. to noon), an environmental movie screening and several neighborhood greening events.

Earth Week is just the latest in a long list of milestones and triumphs for Camden SMART. Since 2011, the program has garnered numerous partners and major stakeholders, including the Coopers Ferry Partnership, the City of Camden, Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, the New Jersey Tree Foundation and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
 
In 2012, SMART received the 2012 New Jersey Governor's Environmental Excellence Award, in part for constructing 19 rain gardens throughout the city, an effort that has lead to 1.5 million gallons of stormwater staying out of the sewer system each year.

"Unlike Philadelphia, Camden isn't mandated by the federal government to control our combined-sewer outflows," explains Meishka Mitchell, vice president of the Coopers Ferry Partnership. "Instead, Camden SMART is a community-led effort to combat the city's serious flooding issues."

To continue its fight against flooding, SMART has a busy agenda for 2013, including more rain gardens, rain barrel systems for residents and separating stormwater pipes from sewer pipes in certain neighborhoods.
 
"With the city being recently certified through the Sustainable Jersey program, Camden is becoming recognized as a sustainable city," says Mitchell. "That's important because [stormwater management and environmental stewardship] is a paramount issue facing our city."
 
Source:  Meishka Mitchell, Vice President, Coopers Ferry Partnership
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

In an effort to soften the sometimes hectic Chelten Avenue commercial corridor, the business district is getting a makeover.

In March, we reported that the City Planning Commission (CPC), led by Northwest Community Planner Matt Wysong, was working to improve Germantown's primary business district. The planning staff completed the Central Germantown Business District Beautification Plan last September and now implementation details are emerging.

"We’re starting with a model block," explains Wysong. "It will be Chelten Avenue between Greene Street and Germantown Avenue."

First up will be the planting of mature street trees, a project run by the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department -- and coming out of their operating budget.

"The beautification improvements of the model block are meant to be the connector between Maplewood Mall and Vernon Park," explains Wysong, referencing two major neighborhood landmarks.

Street trees will also be planted along Greene Street this fall; that project is being managed by Germantown Tree Tenders.

Then, in spring 2014, the City will shift its focus directly to the Chelten and Greene intersection. The Department of Public Property will work with the Coleman Library to enhance its corner entrance.

"We want the library to be an example of what an open and transparent building is meant to be along the model block," says Wysong. "We’ll remove the existing fence and improve its curb appeal so people are more aware it's open."

The plan's most ambitious project also focuses on the Chelten and Greene intersection -- at the northwest corner, immediately adjacent to Vernon Park, CPC plans to renovate the outdated bus plaza. Due to its complexity, Wysong is saving this improvement for last (Summer 2014) and, because of cost restraints, CPC is hoping to turn the project into a DIY effort of sorts.

Parks and Rec will be tapped to supply soil and materials, and CPC is currently looking for partners to either donate funds or dedicate time and labor to help construct the new platforms. The new plaza will act as a gateway to Vernon Park (Mural Arts is also being enlisted in this effort) while providing a needed transit improvement and public space amenity for Chelten Avenue.

Source:  Matt Wysong, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

A new live-work development for educators is holding its official groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday in South Kensington, bringing the innovative development concept -- the first-of-its-kind for the region -- that much closer to reality.

Local developers Gabe Canuso and Greg Hill of D3 Real Estate (formerly of Brown Hill Development), in collaboration with their Baltimore-based partner Donald Manekin, are responsible for bringing the idea to Philly from Baltimore. Billed as an educational nirvana, the $35 million mixed-use development will offer Philadelphia teachers a 25 percent reduction in rent while commercial spaces will be outfitted for nonprofit, education-focused organizations.

According to Canuso, anchor tenant Teach for America has already committed to leasing 13,000 square feet of space. As for the rest of the 160,000-square-foot development -- which spans two buildings -- expect additional commercial space, over 100 apartments, shared amenity/break-out rooms, courtyards, a café and free parking.

When Oxford Mills opens in April of next year, it will be the first time Manekin has tested his concept outside of Baltimore. There, he has been successful creating a site-specific community of educators, providing the customized physical space necessary for such an ecosystem to take hold.

Canuso and Hill, who in the past have focused more on luxury properties, were looking to do more "socially conscious" work and were intrigued by the concept. "We loved the idea," says Canuso. "It helps support an industry of people who are doing great work."

The development team looked at over 20 buildings in the region before landing on the Oxford Mills site between Oxford and Jefferson Streets in South Kensington. One of the buildings, a former a textile mill, dates back to 1875; the other was built around 1915. Due to the site's history, the developers were able to land historic tax credits and new market tax credits. Those financial perks enabled the for-profit developers to follow through with the rent reduction guarantee for educators.

Canuso says that in addition to Teach for America, there has been exceptional interest in the other commercial spaces from education nonprofits, local schools and the School District. The response from the education community has been so positive that Canuso and Hill are already thinking of bringing the idea to West Philly in the future.

For now, Canuso and company are focused on getting the word out on Oxford Mills. The groundbreaking ceremony will include an appearance from Mayor Nutter along with music, food, drink, and performances and art work from local students.

Source: Gabe Canuso, D3 Real Estate
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

When the $43 million Kensington School for the Creative and Performing Arts (KCAPA) was completed in 2011, it became the first public school in the country to earn LEED Platinum certification (the highest designation under LEED). Fortunately, the school was just the first in a series of eco-friendly projects that have transformed nearly 20 acres of land adjacent to the Berks SEPTA stop in Fishtown.
 
Dubbed the "Big Green Block," the site is defined by Front Street, Frankford Avenue, Palmer Street and Norris Street, and includes the Shissler Recreation Center (nextdoor to KCAPA). Within Sustainable 19125 -- a New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) initiative to make the zipcode the greenest in the region -- the site was identified as a model location for green infrastructure and sustainable education.

NKCDC worked with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to develop a green infrastructure master plan for the block. Sold on the project's potential, the Department of Parks and Recreation and Mural Arts were quick to provide additional capital support through partnerships that have resulted in $2 million worth of investment overall.

Pedestrian pathways connecting to the Berks Market-Frankford Line stop, rain gardens, tree trenches, land stabilization, an improved sports field and educational murals have all been developed at the site. According to NKCDC's Shanta Schachter, these improvements have kept "90 percent of the site’s stormwater out of sewer pipes" -- and that's just from the first round of improvements.

For phase two of the Big Green Block, more than 60 residents participated in vision sessions to identify the community's needs. PHS translated the ideas borne from that process into a landscape plan. Through NKCDC’s ongoing strategic partnerships with the city and other stakeholders, phase two construction is underway.

The improvements reflect the space's history as a former rail yard -- new benches are being made locally to reference sealed railroad ties and the long-buried cobblestones from the site have been re-exposed. The vacant lot on the south end of the block is also being reimagined as a playfield for young kids and improved dog park, complete with additional seating and plantings.

Just weeks from completion, "the space already looks really great," says NKCDC's Diana Jih. "The improvements build off how the community user groups (Palmer Doggie Depot and Fishtown Athletic Club) we partnered with were using the site and adjacent land already.”

On April 20, NKCDC will hold a volunteer day from 10am-1pm to put the finishing touches on the playground and dog park. The day's agenda includes planting native species, and spreading mulch. The ongoing maintenance of the site is all volunteer run, so there’s a need for  as much support needed as possible.

No official ribbon-cutting date has been set, but NKCDC expects it will occur in early June. "The site will be open at the beginning of May," adds Schachter. 

Moving forward, even more improvements are planned. The site's basketball court will be reconstructed to better capture stormwater runoff from the rec center's roof and an improved spray park with education elements will be built thanks to Mural Arts and PWD.  

Source:  Diana Jih and Shanta Schachter, NKCDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The South Philadelphia High School campus features little green space and few outdoor play areas. This means that there are limited opportunities for hands-on learning outside of the classroom and few options for community gatherings.

To remediate the situation, the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association is partnering with the school to make the grounds more green and less gray. On April 9, they are launching a Greening Master Plan crowdsourced fundraising campaign. The organizers promise to transform the school's campus into a model of sustainability for both students and the community at large.

The campaign -- which is being hosted on Projexity.com -- aims to raise $26,300. That money will fund the planning process as well as a garden coordinator position at the school. Philadelphia-based design and engineering firm Roofmeadow will be in charge of developing a cohesive vision for the campus.

When completed, the renovated space will feature ground-level rain gardens, street trees, expanded vegetable gardens and a rooftop farm that will serve as an interactive educational platform. The salaried garden coordinator will maintain the improvements and lead programming for both students and the community.

According to Kim Massare, president of the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, the fundraising drive arose out of necessity. "The school yard is already informally used as a park in the neighborhood," says Massare. "The Master Plan will formalize that activity."

The fundraising campaign will last 60 days, and be followed by a one-month design process led by Roofmeadow. Once that work is complete, grants and other funding opportunities will be sought.

For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, click here.

Source:  Kim Massare, Lower Moyamensing Civic Association
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Flying Kite has been 'On the Ground' in Germantown for three months now, capturing a fluid snapshot of the neighborhood’s development scene. To put it simply, change is happening. Fast. Historic (often vacant) properties are being redeveloped, the area's rich housing stock continues to be refurbished and the commercial corridors are getting a facelift. 

"The neighborhood has come a long way in the past 20 years," says Noah Krey with Philly Office Retail, a local community-minded developer and Flying Kite's landlord in Germantown. "We’ve made leaps and bounds."

The proof is apparent -- we’ve covered a number of impressive projects changing the face of Germantown.

- The Waldorf School of Philadelphia is taking over the long-abandoned St. Peter's Episcopal Church at Wayne Avenue and Harvey Street.
 
- Germantown’s long-vacant YWCA site might finally be coming back to life as a mixed-use senior housing project.

- The Kendrick Mill building at 6139 Germantown Avenue has been rehabbed and now enjoys high occupancy rates -- tenants include local artists and designers.
 
- GreatnessIsInYou!, a local non-profit, is moving into the chapel at the abandoned Germantown Settlement Charter School on Germantown Avenue, with plans to utilize the space as a performing arts venue.
 
- The City of Philadelphia is actively implementing a series of beautification and streetscape improvements along Chelten and Germantown Avenues.

Krey believes these projects and many others (both private and public) are occurring all at once because of the neighborhood’s location -- investment on all sides of the area in the past 10 years is finally converging on Germantown. With the $33 million Wayne Junction SEPTA Station renovation underway, Krey thinks the neighborhood might get the push it needs to pass the tipping point.

Flying Kite’s current space at 322 W. Chelten is being shopped around to restaurant tenants (along with a space at 6734 Germantown Avenue). According to Krey, both locations have received a significant amount of interest.

Meanwhile, in Lower Germantown, Philly Office Retail is in negotiations with a major national tenant, hoping they'll move into 5847 Germantown Avenue, a 30,000-square-foot facility. "We’re a long way away -- and unable to divulge details -- but we hope to have a tenant for the property," says Krey. "It would be a major boon to Germantown."

These developments fit the development patterns taking hold in the neighborhood. Lower Germantown around Wayne Junction, with its large stock of warehouses and industrial buildings, is looking to become an office, industrial, medical and residential hub. Meanwhile, Chelten and Germantown Avenues are aiming for an entertainment district feel, complete with restaurants, arts venues and commercial properties.

"We’ll always invest in Germantown," says Krey. "There’s tremendous opportunity for growth." 
 
Source: Noah Krey, Philly Office Retail
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

This spring, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is bringing together prominent landscape architects and civic horticulture enthusiasts for a three-day conference showcasing Philly landscapes. The event will launch Friday, May 17 in Center City.  
 
The conference, Civic Horticulture -- which is being held in conjunction with the Cultural Landscape Foundation -- will feature nationally recognized speakers discussing how Philadelphia has used civic horticulture (a discipline that bridges aesthetics, economics and ecological systems) to successfully shape the city's urban resurgence.
 
"The conference builds off what we've done to transform the city's public spaces," says Drew Becher, president of PHS. "A lot of the speakers have never been to Philly, so this gives us an opportunity to show how other places can learn from our example."
 
Free expert-led tours will follow the conference. Dubbed What’s Out There Weekend, this series of tours will showcase more than two dozen significant examples of Philadelphia's standout landscape architecture, including hidden gems in Fairmount Park, on the grounds of the Rodin Museum and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  
 
The conference will take place in tandem with the unofficial unveiling of a draft form of PHS’s new civic landscapes plan for Philadelphia, developed with PennPraxis. The plan is the first of its kind in over 20 years.
 
"In the late '80s or early '90s, a plan was completed that laid out landscape projects in and around Center City," explains Becher. "More recently, we looked at the plan and said, 'Wow, we completed a lot of the projects.' We decided a new plan was needed."
 
The new plan, which is still months away from being completed, includes proposals that are divided into three categories: image makers, place makers and partner makers.

With place and partner makers, improvements will be made to specific neighborhoods or significant plazas -- this is where small moves and neighborhood partnerships can make a big difference. Implementing a pocket park or a streetscape improvement program are examples of work in this category.
 
Image maker improvements, meanwhile, aim to improve the look and feel of major transportation areas and corridors in the city. Areas of interest include Philadelphia International Airport, Amtrak’s northeast corridor rail line in North Philadelphia, Girard Avenue over the Schuylkill River, Vine Street in Center City and Broad Street from Passyunk Avenue up to Temple University.
 
For these corridors, improvements could include illumination enhancements, gateway and signage improvements, art and object installations, planting and surfacing improvements, or landform creations and creative screening.
 
"[At the conference in May], we will introduce the many ideas in the plan and begin to reach out to the public for feedback," adds Becher. "From there, we’ll put together a cohesive plan and begin its implementation." Extensive public outreach is expected to begin in earnest in September.

Source: Drew Becher, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

What do you get when the the American Institute of Architects Associate Committee fights hunger in Philadelphia? Colossal structures made out of canned goods, of course. Now in its seventh year, the CANstruction Competition asks local designers to create structures out of canned food, taking the idea of a food drive to new heights. Literally.
 
All the food used in the competition is donated to Philabundance, the Delaware Valley's largest hunger relief organization. Last year, the event provided over 87,000 meals to those in need. The 2013 installment looks to improve on that impressive feat -- 14 teams from across the region will display their works in the rotunda of the Shops at Liberty Place (1625 Chestnut Street) April 13 through 21.
 
The building starts on April 12, but teams have been hard at work planning their complex designs. There are certain restrictions: structures can be no larger than 10-by-10 square feet and no taller than eight feet.
 
"From there, it's up to the teams to decide how practical, tall and creative their structures are," explains CANstruction Event Chair Jared Edgar McKnight, an architectural designer.
 
Designs will then be judged on seven different categories.  
 
"We have awards for everything from structural integrity and aesthetic choices, such as best use of labels," says McKnight. "We also have fun awards like Best Meal, which looks at potential meals that could be made from each teams' structure of cans, and People's Choice, which is voted on by the public throughout the weeklong exhibition."
 
The awards will be given out at a reception on April 13 (tickets are still on sale) with all proceeds benefitting Philabundance.
 
"Internationally, this competition puts a spotlight on the issue of hunger in America and around the world," says McKnight. "Locally, the competition allows creative people in the Philadelphia design community the opportunity to make a difference and be catalysts for positive change in our own backyard."
 
Source: Jared Edgar McKnight, CANstruction Event Chair
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Already home to a growing stable of neighborhood favorites, Chelten Avenue recently welcomed another small business to the fold. Founded by Germantown resident and retired Philadelphia police officer Rita Butler, Chocolates by Esonkee is a gourmet chocolate and cupcake company.
 
Butler began making her specialty chocolates in 2005, starting with her signature "naughty nibbles" for bachelor and bachelorette parties (sold in partnership with her daughter’s company Riselng Events, LLC).
 
Over the next couple of years, the nibbles quickly became popular and demand for Butler's recipes increased.
 
"People started asking about her chocolates for other events," explains Risè Gravely, Butler's daughter and head baker at Chocolates by Esonkee. "She expanded to birthdays and celebratory occasions. Eventually, she became certified as a cake decorator and began offering those services as well."
 
In 2012, Butler successfully expanded the business to include themed cupcakes and mini cupcakes. About 6 months ago, Butler and Gravely decided it was time to put some permanence behind their business by opening a storefront.
 
"We scouted several locations along Chelten Avenue," says Gravely. "We wanted to be close to home and in a spot that fed off the high foot traffic along the corridor."
 
Eventually, the mother-daughter duo found their sweet spot, 245 Chelten Avenue -- a bus stop and several neighborhood institutions attract energy and customers. The bakery opened in early March. "It couldn't be a better location," says Gravely. "It’s just big enough and in the heart Germantown."
 
All goods at Chocolates by Esonkee are made with premium ingredients. Gluten and sugar-free sweets are available on request.

"So far, the response and support from the community has been really great," explains Gravely, adding that both she and her mother are particularly proud to add an African-American/women owned enterprise to Germantown’s local business arsenal. 

Source: Risè Gravely, Riselng Events,LLC; Chocolates by Esonkee
Writer: Greg Meckstroth