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Still hope for City Council passage of zoning code re-write by year's end

Philadelphia’s Zoning Code Commission unveiled a new timeline that they hope will lead to a modernized zoning code during a six-hour public hearing in front of City Council. The public certainly got to weigh in, as 40 different people signed up to testify, split into thirteen panels of three or more people at a time.

The barrage of public comment not withstanding, the Zoning Code Commission (ZCC) announced its strong desire to pass a new zoning code in City Council by the end of the year. Perhaps no one is more eager to see a new zoning code before the year’s end than Eva Gladstein, the Executive Director of the ZCC. Gladstein is cautiously optimistic about the odds of success. "A number of members of City Council expressed their interest in passing a new zoning code before the end of the year, and we believe that while the timeline is tight, it is achievable," says Gladstein.

From the look and sound of the hearing, City Council members and public testifiers -- including community group leaders, developers, and environmentalists -- support most parts of the zoning code update. However, there are a few sticking points among City Council and the public that might impede the ZCC deadline.

Councilman Bill Green, who many believe may run for mayor some time in the next decade, has raised many of the questions and concerns on City Council. He clarified his concerns by releasing a set of 10 amendments that he feels are necessary for the proposed zoning code re-write. At the hearing, Green complained that his office had not received a revisable copy of the zoning code proposal. Both Gladstein and Alan Greenberger, Acting Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and a member of the ZCC, claimed they did send the document. 

One of Green’s concerns is that the proposed zoning code does not adequately restrict potentially harmful industry from going into residential neighborhoods. Some of the community groups present seemed to agree with this, as well as other aspects of Green’s amendments. Another complaint, voiced by the East Falls Community Council, was that there was insufficient, albeit improved, participation from community groups in the re-write.

With this in mind, the politicians and the public seemed ready to proceed with an improved zoning code. Speaker after speaker seemed to delight in commending the ZCC for its hard work in drafting sorely needed zoning reform. Even hesitant City Council members, like Green and Brian O’Neill, acknowledged that the zoning code needed to be modernized. Thus, it's not if, but when the zoning code reform will pass. Many hope it will be by year’s end, but that’s not a guarantee.

Source: Eva Gladstein, Philadelphia Zoning Code Commission
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Penn Park opens as a sustainable gateway between University and Center Cities

Last week, the University of Pennsylvania made an effort to bridge the gap between itself and Center City by opening a newly-constructed 24-acre park. Penn Park, which combines a former postal service parking lot with university property, is bounded by Walnut and South Sts. to the north and south, and rail tracks to the east and west.

One of Penn Park’s most notable qualities is the opportunities it provides for pedestrian connection to Center City. According to Anne Papageorge, Penn’s Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services, the park is "knit together" by three pedestrian bridges. One bridge connects the park with Walnut St. just past the Schuylkill River, while another bridge enables pedestrians going to or coming from downtown to access the park from the South St. bridge.

Another of Penn Park’s accomplishments is that it transformed a parking lot into something sustainable. Papageorge was proud to list some of the park’s environmentally friendly components, including "cisterns, energy efficient lighting, and native plants." What this means is that 548 local trees were planted in the park, all of which can be irrigated using recycled rainwater from cisterns. Also, energy-efficient lighting should save the park 300,000 watts of energy per hour. 

Penn Park is expected to become a pivotal part of Penn’s athletic system. The park is graced by three multipurpose NCAA-worthy fields, including one that seats 470 spectators, as well as 12 tennis courts, which can accommodate another 200 sports fans. Steve Bilsky, Director of Athletics at the university, believes the park is a leap forward for athletics. "Because it's a park, more and more people will visit the athletic facilities," says Bilsky. He adds that it will be a worthwhile, albeit contemporary, addition to the famed Palestra and Franklin Field.

The park cost $46.5 million, paid for by the university and donors, and created 233 local jobs. Penn celebrated the park’s opening last Thursday by offering everyone a free picnic with hotdogs and soda and setting off fireworks at dusk. Onlookers on the Walnut St. bridge were treated to an up-close showing of the fireworks, which were set off from a parking lot below. In keeping with the theme of connecting with Center City, the fireworks were also clearly visible from the Schuylkill River Trail.
  
Source: Anne Papageorge, University of Pennsylvania
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Living city: OLIN Studio's plans for Brewerytown wins design competition

In an International competition to create a truly sustainable city--the Living City Design Competition--a Philadelphia-based landscape architecture firm held its own with an innovative redesign of the often-overlooked Brewerytown neighborhood.

OLIN Studio earned the “Cities that Learn” award for their Patch/Work design entry this past spring. The award highlighted the project’s sensitivity to the cultural realities of the existing neighborhood and the emphasis on social equity. Indeed, the team chose the Brewerytown neighborhood in part because it already had such a strong cultural identity. The Patch/Work design that won the award utilized the historic industry that Brewerytown was built upon as well as its proximity to public transit and the open space of Fairmount Park to create a design that opened access to green space and urban agriculture. Though the plan itself was hypothetical, OLIN Director of Research Skip Graffam believes this sort of plan for Philadelphia, and in Brewerytown especially, is, if not entirely pragmatic, something the city can definitely take steps towards in the future.

The Living City Design Competition had a set of very stringent guidelines pertaining to greenspace and sustainability. Graffam stated that one of his team’s main goals was "not to destroy anything that was already there," so the design played off of the existing structures of the Brewerytown neighborhood. Aspects of the winning design included retrofitting and renovating existing row homes with solar panels and turning empty lots into agricultural and pedestrian areas.  An emphasis on reintroducing industry to the area and easing the commute to green spaces and local agriculture incorporated a plan to refurbish an existing brewery as space for local agricultural commerce. Open-air locavore markets were sprinkled throughout previously abandoned lots. The team gave the transformation a 25-year timeline, in which economic incentives would encourage the changes. Graffam suggested such measures as tax incentives for green, environmentally friendly building.

Graffam says, "Specific criteria wouldn’t work everywhere, but changes in the spirit of the competition could definitely be implemented everywhere."

Source: Skip Graffam, OLIN Studio
Writer: Nina Rosenberg

Name this place: Your chance to help shape public space outside 30th St. Station

Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is the second busiest train station in the country, but you wouldn't know it by the sparse pedestrian traffic on adjacent Market Street, a spot surrounded by two historic buildings and within 1,200 feet of more than 16,000 jobs. While a steady stream of cars zip in and around 30th Street Station, there is little to recommend hoofing it anywhere but to a friend's idling car.

That is poised to change with the transformation of the station’s outer parking lane along Market Street into a 40-foot wide sidewalk. The project, expected to be completed by Labor Day and a collaboration of Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, the Planning Commission, the Streets Department, Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, and a host of University City institutions, is part of a broader PennDot initiative.

The University City District also sees this project as a foundation for the creation of an inviting and animated public space, one that would provide amenities like abundant and comfortable seating, sun and shade, and trees and plantings. In the spirit of public placemaking, UCD is holding a contest to name Philadelphia’s newest public space. The winner gets a $500 gift certificate to Amtrak and pretty rare bragging rights.

To enter, submit your suggested name, reasons for choosing it (up to 150 words), your name, phone number and email to [email protected] by midnight on Sept. 30. A winner will be chosen by a 10-person jury that has yet to be selected. Winner will be announced on or around Oct. 19.

If you’re looking for hints – UCD's work on this space will be informed largely by the Project for Public Spaces’ "lighter, quicker, cheaper" placemaking interventions. According to a news release issued by UCD, a future phase of development that would include food kiosks, plantings and a permanent buffer from Market Street is likely. First, however, movable tables and chairs and seasonal plantings will set the stage. Also envisioned are activities that will draw people to the space, like yoga classes or music performances.

Source: Lori Klein Brennan, University City District
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Philly's long-proposed park in the sky, Reading Viaduct, gains traction with design study

The design firm Bryan Hanes Studio has begun to embark on a study that could make a long-supported but perpetually stalled Philadelphia project move forward. This study is examining how to design a park on the abandoned railroad tracks up high on the Reading Viaduct in the city's Callowhill neighborhood.

Specifically, the design study concerns the SEPTA-owned portion of the tracks. This is actually just a spur of the viaduct, as the rest is owned by the Reading Company, which has left the rail business and now dabbles in film in California.

The group that has perhaps been the most vocal in support of developing a park is the Callowhill Reading Viaduct Neighborhood Improvement District (CRVNID), which is effusive in its praise of a park. "A park would make the neighborhood more livable," points out John Struble, a cofounder of the Reading Viaduct project with CRVNID. "There is no green space and no park in our neighborhood, (so with this) people can enjoy the outdoors."

This design study is the second phase of examination for the proposed Reading Viaduct park. A year ago, an environmental impact study gave a favorable review to the idea of a park. According to Struble, the design study, which is financed by the William Penn Foundation, is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Struble, who calls himself a "neighborhood advocate" eagerly pinpoints other cities like New York (the High Line in Manhattan's Lower West Side) that have succeeded with similar parks. "This caught on in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Atlanta."

The one shortfall of the Reading Viaduct park proposal is that funding sources have not currently been confirmed. Struble did make sure to add that Poor Richards Charitable Trust might provide some capital. Despite the financial question mark, it looks like Philadelphians might be looking up in the sky for their newest park.

Source: John Struble, CRVNID
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Germantown Regional Rail station finally treated to historic preservation

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

Art in the Air set to return to Center City skyline

In a few weeks, PECO and the art technology outlet Breadboard will once again collaborate to brighten the Center City skyline. This year, PECO will showcase up to three works of visual artistry each Friday from September through December as scrolling artwork atop its building, says Ben Armstrong, Senior Communications Specialist at PECO. This is known as "Art in the Air," and this is the second year it's been done.

What is even more exciting is that PECO and Breadboard have upped the ante this year by putting in a cash incentive for visual artists. In addition to having their message displayed on PECO's building, artists will now be competing to win $1,000 for the "best in show" message, says Armstrong. The winning artist will also have their display featured for a prolonged period in January. Submissions for September are due by Aug. 23 (more submission info here).

PECO and Breadboard are looking to build off of their success last year with "Art in the Air." Last year's visual feast began on July 4 to commemorate the 34-year anniversary of PECO's scrolling messages, the one-year anniversary of PECO's adoption of LED lights, and Independence Day. From then on, the display ran on Fridays through out the year, ultimately featuring "over twenty local artists," said Armstrong.

PECO's LED lights enable the electricity provider to provide this visual art show. "The old lights limited us to 72 characters; letters, numbers, and spaces," said PECO's Communications Specialist. "LED lights let us use full animation and colors." Indeed, the PECO building has become quite colorful and animated in the two years since it switched to LED lights.

PECO has provided the top of its building at 23rd and Market Streets as a place for local non-profits and community groups to spread their message since 1976. Along with that, PECO also uses its scrolling marquee to provide energy-saving tips for customers and tourists alike.  

Source: Ben Armstrong, PECO
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Fairmount Art Center expands to Queen Village location

Good news for aspiring artists in South Philadelphia and Center City, as Queen Village is about to usher in a new art center. The Fairmount Art Center will be opening up a second location in September, calling it the Queen Village Art Center. It will be in the old Philadelphia Aids Thrift Store location on the 500 block of Bainbridge St.

"Courses include diverse media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, knitting, sewing, ceramics, mixed media, and decorative arts," says director Jill Markovitz. The new center will include 3,000 square feet of space, four studios, a kitchenette, and lounge and gallery areas.

"Queen Village will also feature a full after school program with walking pick up at all area schools," says Markovitz. Children will be able to come to the center for anywhere from one to five days a week. Along with art, children can also receive homework help and reading and game time.

This is welcome news for students at local schools, such as the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and the Academy at Palumbo. Markovitz sees the incoming Queen Village Art Center as a great place for children. She envisions a place where kids can come for school art, camp, and birthday parties.

Source: Jill Markovitz, Fairmount Art Center
Writer: Andy Sharpe 

Meet the parklet, Philly's newest public space effort

It's a park that fits in a pickup truck. Philadelphia's newest public space initiative, The Parklet, made its debut on Aug. 4 in University City. Flanking the sidewalk on 43rd Street at Baltimore Avenue, the 40-foot long decked platform functions as a highly flexible seating area that takes the place of about three parked cars. The seasonal structure, made of Trex, steel and wood, can be disassembled into its 4'x6' component parts and loaded into the back of a University City District truck.

"West Philadelphia in general is open to innovation and new ideas," remarked State Representative James Roebuck, on hand for the dedication. The Parklet experiment is slated to continue, with three more planned in spaces to be determined. According to designer Jules Dingle of the Center City firm DIGSAU, the next one will be on Lancaster Avenue, but the others have not yet been sited.

The intersection of 43rd and Baltimore is heavy with pedestrian traffic, thanks to Clark Park. The popular Green Line Cafe, with its own outdoor seating, is at the same southeast corner as the Parklet, and  the new seating appears to be an extension of the cafe, but officials were quick to point out that the Parklet is open to the public. "It really is a front porch in many ways," said Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler. The design quotes elements of the new Race Street Pier, added Prema Katari Gupta, UCD Director of Planning and Economic Development. The Parklet idea originated in San Francisco and New York, and UCD put a Philadelphia spin on an imported idea, according to Gupta.

At a cost of $10,000 in materials and a design fee that adds about 10 percent to the total, the Parklet is a quick and easy way to create convivial space. Designer Dingle explained that while the configuration of the present parklet is meant for cafe tables and chairs, potential add-ons include bike racks and fixed tables and benches, which may figure in to future versions.

Source: James Roebuck, Rina Cutler, Prema Katari Gupta, Jules Dingle, UC Parklet
Writer: Sue Spolan

PHOTOS by Ryan Collerd

Transforming Philly's waterfront, one public comment at a time

Consider it crowdsourced city planning. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's Master Plan is open for public comment until August 26. Since June 13, when the summary report was released, Master Planning Manager Sarah Thorpe says about a hundred comments have come in, and the entire effort has been a significant public process. "Urban planning has changed a lot over last 30 years," says Thorpe. "Today, people are very interested in how the environment develops. We are addressing different problems and a different demographic."

Essential to the new master plan is access. It's not your 18th century waterfront model. When I-95 was built, the Philadelphia stretch of the Delaware river was an aesthetically bereft industrial zone best left to longshoremen. Interstate 95 is a huge barrier, says Thorpe of the 1960s era public works project that was once considered a beneficial rampart. "People didn't want to live next to a sugar factory or a coal yard." Now, she says, the highway keeps residents from what they want. The main point of the DRWC's master plan is to make 95 less of an impedance.

Philadelphia 2035, the citywide planning effort, is underway, but Thorpe says the waterfront couldn't wait. While there are actually 47 streets that cross over or under the interstate, "it's more of a perceived barrier in peoples' minds."

The new plan creates connections in two ways, says Thorpe: by adding destinations to  the riverbank, and by making connections more attractive through lighting and landscaping. Several early action projects, the Race Street Pier and Washington Avenue Green, were completed during the Master Plan design phase as a way to give the public a glimpse of the future.

As far as feedback, Thorpe says comments have ranged from overarching issues like density, boat access and parking, to small problems like typos in the document. After the August 26 deadline, Thorpe and team will compile public input, make judgement calls on priority, and expect to release the final revised version in October. But, stresses Thorpe, it will be a living document, subject to accommodation and change.

Source: Sarah Thorpe, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Sue Spolan

Center City's newest skyscraper seems set for construction after appeasing skeptics

Philadelphia might very well get its newest skyscraper next month. At least this is what the Chicago development firm John Buck Company says. In fact, it looks like everything is a go for John Buck's proposed 34-story apartment tower at 2116 Chestnut Street.

While support for the tower is relatively widespread, not every supporter is thrilled with the design of the skyscraper. One group that is skeptical about the design is the Center City Residents Association. The association is especially critical of the developer's change in design, pointing to a garage that's being proposed as a negative. "We wanted it to be wrapped in active use, but they removed this with the re-design and added a garage," said Center City Residents Association president Adam Schneider.

With this doubt in mind, Schneider expressed appreciation at how John Buck dealt with interested parties. While they initially seemed reluctant to work with neighbors, "they shifted into a cooperative mode," said Schneider. He attributed the initial reluctance to simply not being used to Philadelphia's level of community involvement. With this in mind, Buck Co. refused to speak to us until September.

Another group that lauded the developer's willingness to work with community members was the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. "I would like to express appreciation to the John Buck Co. for earlier contribution commitments made to support the needs of the adjacent churches and to a community project selected by CCRA (Center City Residents Association)," says John Gallery, the executive director at the Preservation Alliance.

Interestingly, the Preservation Alliance was initially one of the most opposed groups to the tower, on the grounds that it would result in the razing of the historic Sidney Hillman Medical Center. They were actually in the process of appealing city Historical Commission and Zoning Board of Adjustment decisions that paved the way for the skyscraper. However, they were heartened by Buck's cooperation with neighborhood and preservation causes, and decided to drop the appeals in December, 2010.

Thus, for a city that hasn't seen a new skyscraper since the Comcast Center, it looks like Philadelphia is about to get a little taller.

Source: Adam Schneider, Center City Residents Association
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Nest looks to nurture young families' thirst for activity, fun and learning

Not long ago, six close friends read in the Philadelphia Business Journal that the number of people raising kids in the city had absolutely exploded over the past ten years. It was certainly a good bit of news to discover, especially considering the friends' new business idea: A 12,000-square-foot Center City destination known as Nest, where children and their parents can play, learn, exercise and grow both intellectually and creatively.

Philly's young families, of course, are the ones who'll ultimately be deciding if the new space is a necessary city addition. The first test will happen on Aug. 11, when Nest--something of an ultimate jungle gym, playground and fun zone for the 6-weeks to 6-years set--opens its doors to the public at 13th and Locust streets in Midtown Village.

According to Stephanie Edwards of Skai Blue Media, which is handling Nest's PR, the six friends behind the venture had grown "tired of schlepping their kids all over the city to attend a music class here, a mommy and me class there and a birthday party yet somewhere else." They figured that combining the best of various kid-friendly locations into one massive fun-and-education zone would be a can't-miss proposition.

Nest, for instance, will offer a bevy of classes: early enrichment, dance, pottery, art, cooking, and more, all led by area experts. A cafe for the grown-ups, along with a portrait studio and a children's salon, will also be onsite, as will as a 3,000-square-foot play space for the younger children, and a toy and clothing boutique selling unique, design-friendly items.

And given that one of Nest's founders is Scott Caplan, a co-founder of Sweat Fitness, visitors to Nest can probably also expect lots of color, lots of positive attitudes, and most likely lots and lots of crowds.

Class enrollment begins Aug. 9.

Source: Stephanie Edwards, Skai Blue Media
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.


A Center City bus shelter grows greener

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

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.

Philadelphia's city-wide skateboard park master plan gets air

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

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.

Art expansion: Bucks County's Mercer Museum opens a multi-million dollar wing

Located in Bucks County's Doylestown for nearly a century now, the Mercer Museum is so highly regarded as a cultural and historic institution that it was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. For decades, schoolchildren, amateur anthropologists and tourists from throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond have studied the many thousands of handmade tools and cultural artifacts on display there--all of them objects that were created prior to the Industrial Revolution.

But because the museum has literally run out of space, and has no room for traveling exhibits, the Mercer has seemingly always had the unfortunate reputation of being the sort of place visitors experience only once in a lifetime.

"A lot of people would say, 'Oh, I visited you in fourth grade, and I haven't been back since,'" says Gayle Shupack, a museum spokesperson. "So we really needed to give people a reason to come back again and again, to visit us," she adds.

That reason, it turns out, is a new $12.5 million, 13,000-square-foot wing that is being unveiled to the museum-going public on June 18. And although a series of traveling exhibitions have already been booked to appear in the new addition, the wing's inaugural show will actually be a rare exhibit featuring items from the Mercer's own 40,000-piece collection. Some of them have never before been publicly shown.

The new wing is also a green-friendly space. Recycled blue jeans were used as insulation, for instance, and the restrooms feature water-conserving fixtures. "It was our chance to come up to the 21st century," Shupack says.

A 1,000-square-foot education space known as the Learning Center will also be located in the new wing, and the changing exhibition gallery clocks in at 3,500 square feet. During the wing's opening day, the first 100 visitors to the museum, says Shupack, will be admitted free-of-charge.

Source: Gayle Shupack, Mercer Museum
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.
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