design : Development News

A master plan for the Delaware River, to be revealed at last

Flying Kite Tuesday, June 07, 2011

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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Hova haven: Jay-Z buys into NoLibs with The Lighthaus

Flying Kite Tuesday, June 07, 2011

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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With the Quads, the PHA adds 100 new units for the disabled throughout the city

Flying Kite Tuesday, June 07, 2011

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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On the Parkway, a new destination for kids where intelligent play is the focus

Flying Kite Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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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With 4 Squared, more eclectic living comes to Northern Liberties

Flying Kite Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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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In East Falls, Philadelphia University's new academic facility will encourage collaboration

Flying Kite Tuesday, May 24, 2011

It might seem impressive enough that Philadelphia University, which was founded in the late 1800s as the Philadelphia Textile School, has chosen to encourage a new form of academic collaboration among its design, engineering and commerce students. According to Debbie Goldberg, the university's director of media relations, "It became clear that collaborative, real-world learning, infused with the liberal arts, are critical skills for our students--as well as competencies that employers need."

It was exactly that philosophy that eventually led the university to create the new College of Design, Engineering and Commerce (DEC), which will be launching in time for the fall 2011 semester. The overarching goal, explains Goldberg, is to "push students to think beyond the boundaries of existing disciplines, and (to) focus on market-driven innovation through teamwork, collaboration and connections with industry partners."

In an effort to put the full force of its economic strength behind the new collaborative college, Philadelphia University is constructing a stunning, $20 million, four-story building, which will be encircled by a perforated metallic structure intended to act as a sun-control screen. The college's design studios, classrooms and workshops will be housed in the new building, which is being designed by the Shepley Bulfinch firm to achieve a LEED-silver designation. Groundbreaking is scheduled for June 10, 2011.

And although the building's forward-thinking exterior design will almost certainly be its singular most attention-grabbing feature, the interior is also being specially designed to encourage collaboration. Instead of housing permanent offices, for instance, removable walls and rolling furniture will be placed throughout. Currently, the 38,500-square-foot building is expected to be complete in the fall of 2012.

Source: Debbie Goldberg, Philadelphia University
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Technomads and co-housing: Living differently with the aid of technology

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 19, 2011

A mere five or ten years ago, the relatively simple practice of telecommuting--working from home instead of from a traditional office--was seen as a fairly revolutionary concept. But thanks to the multitude of productivity-enhancing tools that technology has made possible--smart phones, netbooks, Skype, email--members of the so-called creative class have increasingly been transforming not only how and where work gets done, but also how and where life itself gets lived.

During the April 25th installation of the Junto, "a monthly meet-up of hot topics and local issues" organized by the South Philly web design firm P'unk Ave, those very concepts--living and working just about anywhere, with the help of technology--will be discussed, debated, and possibly even expanded upon. (Reception at 6:00pm; discussion at 7:00pm.)

Past P'unk Ave Juntos have explored topics ranging from art criticism to the future of the Free Library. But the upcoming "Rethinking Shelter" Junto will explore the ideas of alternative housing, including cohousing, in which multiple families live together, and even multibasing, a practice in which travelers can share numerous homes in varied locations for short periods of time. "It's not like staying in a hotel," says DiMasi of multibasing, "and it's not like crashing on someone's couch."

The philosophy of the technomad--a knowledge worker who takes advantage of technology to live like a nomad--will also be discussed.

Two founders of Philly's uber-sustainable Postgreen Homes firm will be on the event's panel, and as DiMasi explains, although cohousing was originally based around the idea of family, "one of [Postgreen's] proposed projects is a co-housing place in Fishtown that will be more focused on the young and urban."

"We've had some really interesting discussions," says DiMasi of past Juntos, which have been ongoing since 2006. "And sometimes you don't even know that you care about this stuff!"

Source: Geoff DiMasi, P'unk Ave
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Rutgers-Camden to build city's first new student housing complex in over 20 years

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 12, 2011

If the announcement had been made in just about any other university town in the nation, the news probably wouldn't have raised more than an eyebrow or two. But regardless of the fact that a branch campus of Rutgers University resides there, Camden, N.J., is certainly not thought of as a university town. On the contrary, this struggling urban area located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia has been consistently ranked as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the country.

And that's essentially why the latest announcement from Rutgers-Camden was so surprising: On Feb. 8, the school's Board of Governors approved the construction of a 12-story, $55 million facility where 300 graduate students will be housed. The 161,653-square-foot building will be home to 102 separate units, many of which will be three- and four-bedroom apartments. Roughly 7,000 square feet of retail space will exist on the ground floor of the building, which will be fully owned by Rutgers. This will be the first student housing built on the Camden campus since 1989, when the Rutgers-Camden Tower was constructed specifically for undergrads.

According to Rutgers-Camden publicist Mike Sepanic, the project was a direct result of the campus' increasing enrollment numbers; 6,337 students enrolled during the fall 2010 semester, a record high for the school, where the majority of students live off-campus. And as the school's chancellor, Wendell Pritchett, explains, "These new housing facilities will allow New Jersey to retain some of its brightest graduate students, while attracting other students to our state, where they will be more likely to remain and contribute to our economy upon earning their degrees."

The building, which will be constructed on the 300 block of Cooper Street, and which is being designed by Northern Liberties-based Erdy McHenry Architecture LLC, is scheduled to be occupancy-ready by August, 2012.

Source: Mike Sepanic, Rutgers-Camden University
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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High-rise down, LEED-certified up: PHA remakes North Philly's Norris Apartments

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) has most certainly had its fair share of self-imposed problems and struggles recently. March 25, however, was an especially positive and exciting day for the organization, thanks largely to the implosion-by-wrecking ball of a high-rise at North Philadelphia's Norris Apartments, a public-housing facility that is now in the process of being fully replaced with a LEED-certified housing complex.

Located just outside Temple University's campus in North Philadelphia, the Norris Apartments were constructed in the 1950s, and as one area resident rightly commented during a video that was posted on Philly.com, "That building's been there too long. It looks like it's gonna fall anyway!"

Indeed. And according to the stunning architectural renderings produced by Blackney Hayes, the Center City East firm responsible for building the complex that will replace the high-rise, the new Norris Apartments will be quite unlike anything else in the immediate area. The development's 51 units, for instance--a mixture of two-story and three-story walkups and townhomes--will be arranged in the shape of a square. A small pocket park will sit in the center of the development, and with the help of a new Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) pilot program, the park will also be specially designed to keep excess rainwater from entering the city's sewer system.

What's more, the new units will come complete with all the trappings of green development: low-flow plumbing, Energy Star appliances and windows, and solar roof panels, to mention just a few. These apartments are modern, sustainable and affordable, says Michael Kelly, the PHA's Administrative Receiver. "That makes it a win-win for the residents and the environment."

The new Norris Apartments are scheduled to be complete by spring 2012, at which point the PHA will consider the feasibility of constructing more new units on or near the site.

Source: Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Showtime in Market East: Newly expanded Convention Center is officially open for business

Flying Kite Tuesday, March 01, 2011

It's hard to believe that the $787 million expansion of Center City's Pennsylvania Convention Center has only been moving forward for a little over three years now. But on March 4, one of modern-day Philadelphia's most monumental economic growth facilitators will officially open for business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. And on March 9, when the International Flower Show kicks off inside the Convention Center's existing building, the 3,000 attendees of the NASPA convention will be simultaneously holding court inside the building's newly expanded section.

In other words, two events that will almost certainly encourage serious economic activity here will be taking place inside the Convention Center at the same time next week. The expansion, it's worth noting, has increased the size of the PCC by 62 percent; it now clocks in at a jaw-dropping 1 million square feet, and it's expected to have over $140 million in economic impact annually.

After all, as Jack Ferguson, CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, says, "The Pennsylvania Convention Center is the hospitality economic engine that drives Philadelphia. Now with this world-class venue, an expanded center is generating a greater buzz about Philadelphia as a destination throughout the nation. This will attract more events, meetings, conventions, tradeshows and businesses to want to invest here."

As Ferguson rightly points out, an economic upper-hand isn't the only important aspect of the expansion story; there are also the substantial bragging rights. The new center, for instance, will be home to the largest ballroom in the Northeast corridor (55,400 square feet), as well as 528,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space. Of course, words alone can't really do justice to the new Broad Street Atrium, or the multi-story glass entrance that will greet visitors at the building's Broad Street entrance. Click here and here to experience them yourself, online.

Source: Liz Sullivan, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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University City Innovation Collaborative's development plans to offer more for West Philly talent

Flying Kite Tuesday, March 01, 2011

It's certainly no secret, at least to those of us who call Philadelphia home, that the University City district has for many years now been the proverbial nucleus of an incredibly well-connected and highly knowledgeable cluster of medical, science and academic professionals. But unfortunately, the area's so-called 'Eds and Meds' leaders have never fully succeeded in branding their community as one of the nation's most important research centers. That perception--or rather, the lack thereof--may soon be changing, thanks to the work of a newly-formed group calling itself the University City Innovation Collaborative.

The group is being headed by the University City Science Center; the nonprofit University City District; and the Science Center's development partner, a Baltimore company known as Wexford Science and Technology.

The aim of the group, according to Stephen Tang, the Science Center's CEO, involves making University City a world-class innovation center along the lines of similar regions like Cambridge, Mass., and San Francisco's Mission Bay district. And yet what sort of development that will actually entail still remains to be seen, because as Tang explains, "This is all a work in progress; the project doesn't really finish until April."

Part of what the project will almost certainly involve, however, aside from more spaces where innovation can take place, are recreational facilities. "You have to have amenities that allow creative people to be with like-minded people for extended periods of time," Tang says. "So that means retail, it means entertainment, it means after-hours places. All those things need to come together."

Tang is also quick to point out, however, that while "it's important that we have facilities, it's more important who's in those facilities, and for what reason. We need to foster better collaboration between organizations and institutions," he offers. "And that's not only to tell the story, but to build a better story as well."

Source: Stephen Tang, University City Science Center
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Planning Commission reveals first draft of Philadelphia 2035, a blueprint for the future of the city

Flying Kite Tuesday, February 22, 2011

When you consider the fact that Philadelphia is so often referred to--especially by pundits and bloggers who closely follow urban planning issues--as a near-perfect incubator for what could easily become a model for the next great American city, it's hard to believe that the zoning code here hasn't been updated since 1960. But this past Tuesday, Feb. 15, was a truly historic day for the City of Philadelphia. That was the day the city's Planning Commission released its first draft of Philadelphia 2035, a wide-reaching, long-term plan for the very future of the city. A PDF version of the plan, which clocks in at a whopping 216 pages, can be downloaded on the Planning Commission's website and on its Facebook page.

The next steps in the journey of the Philadelphia 2035 plan include a mid-March discussion among Planning Commission members, which will then lead to mid-April revisions, and hopefully, a final version in mid-May. An event to celebrate the release of the document is scheduled for early June. Come March 1, meanwhile, a website for the city-wide plan will launch at phila2035.org, and on March 23, an open house will be held at the Center for Architecture, during which the public will be encouraged to participate and ask questions.

The plan itself explores three different strategies, or themes, that the PCPC hopes will help to guide Philadelphia into the future. Once the plan--which looks at everything from public transit to the development of public spaces such parks and the waterfront--is considered complete, the commission will create even more detailed plans covering the 18 distinct districts of the city.

The commission is currently soliciting the public's opinion of its plan; anyone interested in joining the conversation is encouraged to send feedback via email to [email protected].

Source: Philadelphia Planning Commission
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Philadelphia retail gets a much-needed dose of 'happy chic'

Flying Kite Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Wander through the front entrance of the recently-opened, two-story Jonathan Adler emporium at 33 N. 3rd Street in Philadelphia's Old City district, and what you'll find--amongst the quirky pottery and the furniture and housewares, which have something of an upscale Urban Outfitters vibe about them, and which Adler himself likes to refer to as 'happy chic'--is essentially a bricks-and-mortar metaphor for the current economic state of the city.

Adler's entree to the Old City retail scene, was, after all, seen as something of a surprise--albeit a very pleasant one--to the cadre of local bloggers and journalists who covered it. A Philadelphia Inquirer article by Flying Kite contributor Caroline Tiger, for instance, mentioned that a number of "home-and-design stores in Philadelphia [went] belly-up in 2010," including the store that previously occupied the space where Jonathan Adler now sits, Foster's Urban Homeware.

But thanks to the season he spent as a judge the Bravo's reality TV show Top Design, Adler--who still considers himself more of a potter than a retailer--occupies a slightly more rarefied public space than the boutique owners who were forced to close their doors last year. His celebrity status, in fact, may very well play an important role in keeping his Old City boutique in the black while the economic strength of the city, hopefully, continues to creep ever upward.

"We have long been interested in having a presence in Philadelphia, and were thrilled to find a fabulous space in Old Town," says company spokesperson Starrett Zenko. "We are thrilled to be there!"

And Philadelphia, quite clearly, is just as thrilled. Here's to hoping we all feel the same way this time next year.

Source: Starrett Zenko, Jonathan Adler
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Construction begins at the new beginning of Philly's Museum Mile

Flying Kite Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Ask just about any tourist in Philadelphia to name one of the city's many museums, and it's quite unlikely they'll mention the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, regardless of the fact that it is the nation's oldest art museum and school. And that's partially why, after many years of planning, PAFA has finally begun construction on an outdoor civic space that will be known as Lenfest Plaza.

The Plaza's official groundbreaking ceremony took place on Feb. 2. It revealed the stretch of Cherry Street between Broad and 15th that will soon be closed to traffic and developed with a slew of urban amusements open to the public. The Plaza will feature an upscale restaurant, for instance, which will go into PAFA's Hamilton Building. It will be home to an outdoor exhibition of rotating artwork. There will also be a very welcome series of curved benches, and then, of course, the piece de resistance: a 53-foot-tall paintbrush designed by the pop artist Claes Oldenburg, the bristles of which will be illuminated like a torch.

According to Marsha Braverman, PAFA's Executive VP of Marketing and Communications, the idea to create the plaza initially came about after PAFA's purchase of the Hamilton building; it was agreed upon by the board that a plaza would naturally unite the school and museum buildings. "The idea (now)," says Braverman, "is when the conventioneers (at the newly expanded Convention Center) leave the front door, we're their first stop. And then if you walk down Lenfest Plaza, that leads right to the Parkway. So we're saying that we're really the start of the Museum Mile."

Construction of the $7.5 million Lenfest Plaza, which was designed by the local Olin landscape architectural firm, is expected to be complete this August, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for October.

Source: Marsha Braverman, PAFA
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Sustainable renovations and an iPad in every guestroom coming to Hilton�s Inn at Penn

Flying Kite Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Outside of the aviation sector, the hospitality business has long been one of the travel industry's worst offenders in terms of overall non-sustainability. The Hilton Hotels Corporation, however, is currently in the midst of a multi-million dollar attempt to permanently alter that perception with a sweeping round of sustainable renovations. What's more, travelers staying at Hilton's Inn at Penn property in West Philadelphia will soon have a chance to experience a number of the company's eco-friendly initiatives first-hand.

Probably the oddest and most attention-grabbing sustainable effort was a recent upgrade to the uniforms sported by the hotel's front-desk staff. Each uniform was manufactured from approximately 25 recycled plastic bottles, a process that reduces harmful air emissions. The housekeeping and food staff will be outfitted with the uniforms in the coming months.

Along with the hotel's staff, the 238 guestrooms and suites will also be undergoing sustainable improvements soon. An energy-saving system known as LightStay, for instance, will be installed; it calculates and analyzes heat and energy use in the hotel's guestrooms, thereby reducing carbon output, waste output and water use. According to Mark Ricci, a director of corporate communications for the hotel group, "All of this ties into Hilton Worldwide's commitment to environmental sustainability."

And although guestrooms and suites will also soon be fully renovated with everything from ergonomic chairs to luxury bathrooms with Euro-style showers, it's not unlikely that the new iPads--one for every room--will ultimately prove to be among the most popular of the hotel's upcoming enhancements. Hilton's Inn at Penn will be the first hotel in the city to offer the popular tablet computers, which will be used as remote controls, and as a way to access hotel services and information.

Source: Mark Ricci, Hilton Worldwide
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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