Neighborhood Innovation : Development News

It's probably safe to say that most of the regular Flying Kite readers among you are by now familiar with Philadelphia2035--the comprehensive plan to create a blueprint for the city's future development. But you're probably not yet familiar with the recent plan to do something relatively similar--albeit on a much smaller scale, and without a catchy name--in five different West Philly neighborhoods.

Early last week, the People's Emergency Center held a kick-off event to celebrate the upcoming year-long process, which is known simply as the Neighborhood Plan, and which will focus on the Belmont, Mantua, Mill Creek, Saunders Park, and West Powelton neighborhoods. "Make Your Mark," as the party was called, was organized as a way to give area residents a chance to do just that: West Philly locals, for instance, scribbled various suggestions for area development and community-growth facilitation on a giant banner. ("More affordable housing!" "Jobs!") According to the PEC's Kira Strong, the banner will be traveling to all the planning meetings and public events that the PEC plans to host over the course of the year.

As for the $100,000 that will actually fund the year-long planning process, it came from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation, whose mission involves improving the quality of life for those living in low-income areas.

And now? The real work of urban planning begins: There will be door-to-door resident surveys, Strong says, but also a listening booth where residents can leave audio comments and feedback for the planners. (Look for it at the Lancaster Avenue Jazz and Arts Festival on July 16.)

Once the year of planning is over, of course, a significantly larger chunk of funds will be needed to actually implement the plan. But in the meantime, says Strong, "We're really trying to engage residents and other stakeholders, to make sure this is an exciting planning process with some real energy."

Source: Kira Strong, People's Emergency Center CDC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Pop-up retail is a trend that doesn't seem to be losing any steam whatsoever, but recently, in a formerly vacant lot at the corner of 20th and Market streets, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) unveiled a temporary pop-up concept of its own: PHS is referring to it as a pop-up garden, and although it was a year in the making, the garden is already slated to close with a celebration on October 24, which is also this year's National Food Day.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of partners like the William Penn Foundation and Independence Blue Cross, the 32,000-square-foot garden has become an example of the reuse of urban green space at its finest. PHS hopes the garden will raise awareness of its City Harvest program, which grows fresh produce for neighborhoods that don't have much access to fresh vegetables, as Alan Jaffe of the PHS puts it.

In addition to providing locals with a serene environment in which to enjoy a quiet respite from city life, the new garden offers workshops on topics ranging from organic pest control to container gardening, as well as scientific programming by the Franklin Institute, outdoor fitness classes, and more. Visitors to the temporary garden will also have a final chance to experience "�colibrium," Temple University-Ambler's sustainable building and gardening exhibit that was created for the Philadelphia International Flower Show.

What's more, PHS has big plans for all those veggies grown in the new garden: They've partnered with six well-known local chefs of popular nearby restaurants, who are "going to be getting the vegetables and herbs from the garden and creating signature dishes with them," says Jaffe. Proceeds from those dishes will benefit the City Harvest program.

Open to visitors every Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 2 p.m., a complete listing of all pop-up garden happenings is available online. 

Source: Alan Jaffe, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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In Center City Philadelphia, it wouldn't normally be much of a surprise to stumble upon a public bus shelter that had been modified--with graffiti, for instance--by someone other than a SEPTA employee. But visitors who passed by one particular bus shelter across from City Hall on June 14 were privy to a truly unusual spectacle: They had a front-row seat for the installation of the city's first green-roof bus shelter, which was designed and donated by a local green roof provider known as Roofmeadow.

The now-permanent green roof was installed "as sort of a small symbol of a larger effort in the city," says Roofmeadow's Jane Winkel, referring to Philly's Green City, Clean Waters plan. The plan is a series of municipal-led initiatives that are aiming to remove pollution from the city's creeks, rivers and urban landscape.

According to Winkel, the first goal of the bus shelter project is nothing more than pure education. The idea, she says, is to familiarize average citizens with green roof technology, which is quite a bit simpler than you'd probably figure: The modern aluminum design, for instance, is actually a prefab kit of parts that can be assembled to replace the roof of any standard bus shelter. What's more, in addition to creating something of a mini-environment for urban wildlife, the design also aids in the management of rain water--the roof actually limits the amount of pollution that would otherwise find its way into streams and rivers.

While the green roof installed on the bus shelter across from City Hall was Philadelphia's first, Roofmeadow plans to continue teaming up with the city to roll out approximately twenty more within the next year. "We were very happy to offer our services pro bono," adds Winkler, "and we will definitely remain involved in the installation of the others."

Source: Jane Winkel, Roofmeadow
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Even if you don't happen to be a skateboarding enthusiast, there's still a decent chance--assuming you've lived in Philly for any amount of time--that you're familiar with our city's legendary status among skateboarders worldwide. What you might not be aware of, however, is that a local nonprofit organization known as Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund (FPSF) is currently in the process of reviving and growing the skateboarding scene here, and in a very major way.

Near the end of May, FPSF, which is "dedicated to the advancement of skateboarding in the Greater Philadelphia region," according to a recent press release, made public an ambitious 31-page master plan for the future of Philadelphia's skatepark development.

The plan was created in partnership with the city's Parks and Recreation Department, and was completed by the Center City-based Friday Architects/Planners. According to FPSF's Claire Laver and Josh Nims, it's only the first phase of a study that will eventually see $11 million spent on the planning and construction of somewhere between 30 and 40 skateboarding spots throughout the city and the surrounding region.

"It's our goal to continue working on this, and to eventually create a plan that covers every corner of the city," says Laver. "But we have a lot of projects on our plate with this first phase."

The master plan's first phase focuses exclusively on sites in the west and southwest regions of the city, and according to Nims, one of the first projects involves the skatepark at McCreesh Playground, which will see further development this summer. The Miles Mack Playground is also mentioned in the master plan, as is the Rose Playground in Overbrook.

In the meantime, FPSF is sponsoring the international Go Skateboarding Day on June 21; among other area skate spots, both Miles Mack and McCreesh will host events.

Source: Claire Laver and Josh Nims, Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been working for quite some time now on what it's referring to as a "master plan" for the future of development along a six-mile stretch of the Central Delaware Riverfront, from Oregon to Allegheny avenues.

And now -- finally, after months of waiting -- the public is being invited to experience the final presentation of the plan at 6:30 p.m. on June 13, in the Pavilion at Festival Pier. "What we're going to be showing," says DRWC president Tom Corcoran, "is a plan that makes parcel-by-parcel recommendations as to what our consultants believe would be the best use of all that land."

Along with comments by Mayor Nutter and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Alan Greenberger, a 45-minute Power Point presentation will be revealing a host of hugely exciting potential plans for the riverfront, including a wetlands park with marshes and aquatic life in South Philly, somewhere between Mifflin Street and Washington Avenue. Other possibilities include an aquatic theme park at Penn's Landing, as well as a longer-term plan to complete a deck over I-95 from Front Street to the waterfront, in between Walnut and Chestnut streets.

"Part of what will make this plan achievable," says Corcoran," is that it's had a tremendous amount of citizen input, and it's not being done by a group of planners working in a vacuum."

This presentation, by the way, will be the last chance for the public to provide feedback. So in other words, if you have any interest whatsoever in the development that will soon be taking place along the Delaware -- and especially if you'd like your voice to be heard -- this is an event you really shouldn't miss.

Source: Tom Corcoran, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Not long after some members of the creative class in Philadelphia began referring to the city as the sixth borough of New York, a crackerjack New York real estate developer by the name of Dawanna Williams decided to enter the market here. If her name sounds familiar, that may be because her inaugural Philadelphia project, a seven-story low-rise condo building in Northern Liberties known as L'eau (pronounced "low"), was so unusually high-profile.

The rapper Jay-Z was the project's solitary financer, but as the Cityspace agent Michael Garden explains, "It hit the market right when everything was tanking." And although some of the 1,400-square-foot 2BR/2BA units came on the market in the $600,000 range, says Garden, "everyone referred to the building as 'Lou.' Which is not the French word you want on your new building!" he adds, with a laugh.

Once the market slowly began to right itself, however, Williams and Jay-Z chose to give NoLibs real estate another shot. They changed the name of their $8 million building, which sits at 603 N. American St., and which now has FHA financing, to the Lighthaus. They made a few minor upgrades, including a concierge desk in the lobby. And this time, they seem to be succeeding, thanks in large part to the price-downgrade: The 24 units -- each with soaring floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal either the city or the Delaware River--are now listed between $377,000 and $488,000. Which isn't an unreasonable price, especially considering that Erdy McHenry--the same group responsible for the nearby Piazza at Schmidts--was the building's architect.

The Lighthaus, says Garden, "makes a statement in terms of contemporary architecture" in the city. "We're starting to turn towards an architectural challenge (in Philadelphia)," Garden adds. "We should encourage that."

Source: Michael Garden, Cityspace
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Imagine being handicapped without the aid of a full-time caregiver. Chances are, you'd probably live with a family member--someone who could help with essential tasks like bathing. But what if living with family wasn't a viable option? Sadly enough, there are a surprisingly large number of disabled adults who find themselves in that very situation. A hospital or an institution, then, is often their only option.

It was with such disabled adults in mind that the Philadelphia Housing Authority recently decided to develop the Quads: Twenty-five separate handicapped-accessible buildings, each constructed on a formerly vacant lot somewhere in the city, and each boasting four separate efficiency-style apartments. Naturally, the units are specially designed to accommodate the unique challenges of their tenants: "People with minimal to moderate care needs," according to a PHA press release.

According to the PHA's Michael Johns, some of the tenants who now live in the units were young people who'd previously been living in nursing homes, because they had no other options. "I think the young fellow that was at the opening (of the Quads) said it best: Now he doesn't have to have anybody help him bathe himself. So the idea," Johns adds, "is to give a level of independence for folks that are either wheelchair bound or have mobility impairments."

Tenants with significantly more serious disabilities, however, are looked after at the Quads as well, thanks to a common area in each building where care providers can work with their patients.

The 25 initial buildings -- all of which include a vertical lift and front porches on both floors -- officially opened for business on May 25. By the end of July or August, Johns says, 20 additional Quads should be complete. In total, construction will cost $14.4 million, nearly 90 percent of which will be covered by stimulus funds.

Source: Michael Johns, Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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A few years back, Marcus Presley and the North Philadelphia organization for which he works, the Women's Community Revitalization Project, began to grow increasingly frustrated with the large concentration of blighted vacant lots in the neighborhood. As a result, the WCRP decided to commission a land-use plan. And as Presley explains, the results of the plan were more than shocking.

"We realized that 25 percent of the land in our neighborhood is vacant," he says. "And 25 percent of that land is owned by the city."

The problem with having city-owned land in your neighborhood is that the city is essentially obligated to sell it to the highest bidder. In other words, the chances of a pocket park or a children's playground being built there are decidedly slim. And that's why Presley, along with fellow activist Nashanta Robinson, launched the Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land earlier this year. One of the group's initial goals, says Presley, was to "talk to as many (political) candidates as (possible) about the idea of establishing land bank legislation in Philadelphia."

To put it simply, Presley and Robinson want "to pass a law that gives communities control of vacant land in their neighborhoods." The way that actually happens -- city council would need to help create a Philadelphia Land Bank, which would parcel out land to community groups -- is a bit more complicated. Here in Philly, it may or may not ever happen.

In the meantime, Presley's group has already begun its own land trust, and is hoping to have 40 units of affordable housing built on land it owns at 5th and Diamond streets. Adds Presley: "We're really trying to push council to get to work on crafting a bill that could benefit people all over Philadelphia."

Source: Marcus Presley, Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Along with their parents, the stroller set was out in full force last Saturday in the Art Museum district, where a celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony ushered in the opening of FreePlay on the Parkway. Known as a pocket park, FreePlay is located on the south side of the Parkway between 21st and 22nd streets, on the plot of grass that was formerly known as Calder Park. The $70,000 project was the collective brainchild of two Logan Square women, Catherine Barrett and Christine Piven, who dreamed of having a small, nontraditional park space where parents and children alike could enjoy creative and unstructured leisure time.

The result is a space that looks almost nothing like a traditional American playground. The centerpiece is an octagonal sandbox that was designed to incorporate interactive play. And next to that is a space filled with dozens of squishy, blue foam blocks that children can rearrange into an infinite number of combinations. The opposite side of the park is home to a concrete ping-pong table. And during the day, tables and chairs arranged throughout the park will encourage conversation and impromptu games of chess.

There's also a bevy of good news for grownups: Summer programming at FreePlay has already been scheduled, and includes yoga and art classes for adults and kids; a monthly outdoor reading series; tai chi lessons; and even ballroom dancing performances.

Perhaps even more exciting, though, are Barrett and Piven's plans to create other similar parks in the underutilized pockets of the city. And considering that Mayor Nutter, who made a brief appearance at the ceremony, is an unabashed supporter of FreePlay, there's a decent chance that may actually happen.

"This is a very, very exciting project," he said. "Let's figure out how to get maybe 20, 25 more of them, all around the city of Philadelphia."

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Play In Between

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It's been a long time since contemporary real estate has been considered a new construct in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, which first began experiencing pangs of gentrification in the late 1980s. Today, however, the contemporary plots of real estate dotting the neighborhood are a sure sign that NoLibs has finally graduated from under-the-radar hot spot to fully fledged Mecca of creativity.

One of the most recent neighborhood developments, a collection of four modern and gleaming townhomes known as 4 Squared, is currently in the midst of construction on the 800 block of North 4th Street, near the popular Honey's Sit-N-Eat restaurant. Starting at an eye-popping $789,000, these 2,600-square-foot homes by Callahan Ward are most definitely "considered to be the top of the market, and the most desirable project in the neighborhood right now," according to CITYSPACE Realtor Michael Garden, who's representing 4 Squared. The 20-foot wide homes will feature two-car garage parking in the rear, tons of natural light, a gourmet kitchen with high-end appliances, and a fourth-floor loft with access to a deck offering jaw-dropping Center City views. As Garden likes to say, "It's really gracious living."

As anyone who lives in the area surely realizes, the pace of contemporary townhome construction doesn't seem to be letting up in Northern Liberties, regardless of the current state of the market. A townhome and condo project known as N.3 Homes is being built a block away from 4 Squared, for instance. And at 211 Brown Street, the second phase of a similar project called Twenty2 is now underway.

So what makes 4 Squared any different? "It's clean, it's modern, and it's stylish," says Golden, "but it's warm and inviting. And I think that's something we need more of in Philadelphia."

Source: Michael Garden, CITYSPACE
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been working to design and develop their namesake river's waterfront for well over two years now, although the recent afternoon of May 12 was one of the agency's most important days yet. At 2 pm that day, a press conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Mayor Nutter kicked off, and the long-awaited Race Street Pier was finally -- and officially -- opened to the public.

Located along the length of Pier 11, which sits just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge, the one-acre waterfront park was designed by James Corner Field Operations, a world class landscape architecture and urban design firm that was also responsible for the stunning High Line park in New York City.

As the DRWC's Master Planning Manager, Sarah Thorp, is quick to point out, "[The Race Street Pier was] designed to be a very spectacular place, both during the day and at night." The park, in fact, has its own extensive lighting system embedded in the pavement. The transformation in the park from daytime to nighttime, Thorp says, is simply spectacular.

Of course, The Race Street Pier is only one small example of what DRWC has in store for the city. The organization's currently-in-progress master plan, which will reveal all the upcoming waterfront development being planned between Oregon Avenue in South Philly and Allegheny Avenue in the north, will be unveiled on June 13. (Watch this space for more information.)

In the meantime, though, Thorp is encouraging everyone to take full advantage of the city's newest waterfront treasure. "The (designers) have done an amazing job creating a really different kind of place for Philadelphians," she says. "This is a really different park -- it's unlike any other in the city."

For more information about the park and its upcoming events, click here.

Source: Sarah Thorp, DRWC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The downtown business improvement organization known as the Center City District has been working to improve the experience of an afternoon spent wandering along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for well over a decade now. But as the organization's CEO, Paul Levy, explains, the Parkway has always had one major downfall. "(It's) a wonderful cultural district," he says. "(It's) perfect in postcards, and great to drive on. But it's always been seriously lacking in pedestrian amenities."

And that's one major reason why Levy and the CCD have decided to seriously transform Philadelphia's 35-year-old Sister Cities Park, which is located on Logan Square. It's also just one small aspect of the $19.9 million renovation of the Parkway that will also include the forthcoming installation of the Barnes Museum, and the upgrading of the Rodin Museum.

Constructed in 1976, and located directly in front of the Cathedral-Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Sister Cities Park was originally intended to celebrate Philadelphia's relationship with its 10 international sister cities, which include Florence, Tel Aviv, and even Douala, Cameroon. But as Levy points out, "If you ask 99 percent of Philadelphians, 'Why is it (called) Sister Cities Park, and what does it say about sister cities?' there was virtually nothing (informational) there--just some names on stones."

In order to rectify that situation, a series of educational signs will be installed at the park. A fountain will also be added, with various plumes of water representing each of the sister cities. Landscaping and a set of benches will surround the fountain, and a garden designed especially for children's play will be constructed nearby.

The $4.6 million project, Levy says, which is expected to open in the spring of 2012, was funded by an especially wide range of donors, including the Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn Foundation.

Source: Paul Levy, Center City District
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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If you were lucky enough to live on the 800 block of Percy Street in South Philly, you could literally walk out your front door, pour the contents of a bottle of tap water onto the newly-paved street, and then watch as the water slowly began to be sucked up by the street itself, until it eventually disappeared altogether.

That's what happened, at any rate, during a recent press conference that was held on Percy Street's 800 block, which is now home to the city's very first porous street--a street that allows water to soak through its surface, in other words, thereby eliminating the pollutants found in storm water from entering the sewer system.

The street is one of the first initiatives of the Water Department's 25-year-long, $2 billion Green City, Clean Water program, which was itself the result of a directive from the EPA, which insisted that the city fix its combined sewer overflow (CSO) problem. CSO is an unfortunate situation during which sink and toilet water mixes with storm water in local rivers during periods of heavy rain.

According to the Water Department's Joanne Dahme, both the PWD and the Streets Department will be monitoring the effect of Percy Street's porous surface street over the next few years. And as Dahme explains, storm water capture is only one of the benefits of such a surface.

"It seems to have a lot of positive qualities," Dahme says, of the porous surface. Ice is said to melt quicker, for instance, thanks to the warmth of the soil underneath, which also makes snow removal easier. And although the installation of the street was about 10 percent more expensive than it would have been with regular asphalt, the city is already hoping to install many more porous streets in the coming years.

Source: Joanne Dahme, Philadelphia Water Department
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Mayor Nutter first introduced Philadelphia's ambitious Green 2015 initiative, which aims to add 500 new acres of accessible green space to the city by the year 2015, he made it perfectly clear that the goal couldn't possibly be achieved by the efforts of municipal entities working alone. As it happens, Lucy Kerman, who works as Drexel's Vice Provost for University and Community Partnerships, felt exactly the same way when she first heard about Green 2015. "We also felt it was really important that the universities around the city step up to the plate," she says.

And so Kerman and her colleagues at Drexel approached the city's Department of Parks and Recreation with something of a partnership proposal. The idea, as she explains it, was partly to help the department in greening parts of the Mantua neighborhood, which surrounds Drexel. But it also involved lending to the city the intellectual expertise of Drexel's Environmental Engineering department, which is particularly interested in sustainability issues.

According to Kerman, Drexel sees the partnership as both multifaceted and long-term, and on April 18, an announcement on the university's campus officially introduced the partnership, and spelled out some of its goals, which include the giveaway of 200 trees to Drexel employees living in Philadelphia.

Three area playgrounds--including Miles Mack Playground, where members of the partnership recently planted 28 trees--will also be greened and otherwise improved. Drexel's environmental engineering students, for instance, will be creating new storm water treatment systems for the parks. And students in the school's Interior Design department will be studying ways in which playgrounds can be created "that support not only children's play, but children's learning," Kerman explains. What's more, the partnership will be heading up a number of 'greening days' that will take place throughout Mantua in the coming months.

"You know, it's really a win-win-win-win," says Kerman.

Source: Lucy Kerman, Drexel University
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The 800 block of Markoe Street in West Philly has long held a reputation for being one of the most unkempt and dangerous stretches in its neighborhood, which is also home to the sprawling Lucien E. Blackwell public housing project. And yet unfortunately, when the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) built the Blackwell project back in 2000, the money ran out before the 800 block of Markoe Street had a chance to experience any renovation of its own.

But instead of simply forgetting about the 800 block, the PHA chose to hold a sustainable design competition for young architects; a handful of firms submitted their own ideas about how the block could best be saved. The Center City-based Jibe Design won the competition, and when additional funds were finally made available to build on the block, they won the design contract as well.

According to Jibe Design's founder, Juliet Whelan, Jibe most likely won the competition because hers was the only firm that proposed a renovation of the original homes, as opposed to trashing them and then starting over. "Once you tear down these buildings," Whelan says, "I think you've already taken several steps back in sustainability."

Last year, Jibe Design's plan was also honored with a national award for design excellence by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). And two weeks ago, a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site celebrated the project's completion and welcomed its new residents. In all, 17 homes were rehabilitated and six new homes were built atop formerly empty lots. Jibe's uniquely modern design allows natural light to stream into nearly every room in the new homes, and Energy Star appliances are used throughout. "I think this street feels like Philadelphia," says Whelan. "It feels like a nice mix of modern and old. I think it's a success."

Source: Juliet Whelan, Jibe Design
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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