Development News

The I. Brewster and Company art gallery and store will be moving from its current location at 2200 Market St. into the former site of the Please Touch Museum on the 200 block of N. 21st St. This will put the gallery and store close to the museum district on the Ben Franklin Parkway. When they do move shop, the store expects to be an interesting addition to the neighborhood.

The listing agents for the erstwhile Please Touch Museum site were Joe Muldoon and Chris Lange of Binswanger. Muldoon says the gallery and store will be fitting in its new location. "The use is similar to other Museums on and around the Parkway," praises Muldoon. He adds that the gallery will be much smaller than the Parkway museums. The realtor fully expects the neighborhood to appreciate the new use of the property.

I. Brewster is notable for its gargantuan inventory of Louis Icart paintings. Icart is a famed fashion sketcher who drew during the French Art Deco period. I. Brewster’s owner, Nathan Isen, actually wrote a book about Icart, which is now in its fourth printing. The gallery and store also features work from Andy Warhol, Marc Chagall, Jasper Johns, and a host of other artists. Altogether, I. Brewster contains over 40,000 works of art.

Muldoon says that the owners of the Please Touch Museum were a pleasure to work with. Even through a tough economy, which resulted in far less interest in the property, the museum remained helpful and supportive. Museum leadership was also cognizant that certain uses would be rejected by neighborhood groups, which made it even more difficult to sell the space.

The bottom line is I. Brewster’s move has the realtor and the museum upbeat. "This is one of those situations where everyone involved appears to have won," says Muldoon.  No word yet on when they will open, although they already have "moving" signs in the windows at their current outlet. What’s clear is that it is likely only a short matter of time before the Parkway area sees some more art.

Source: Joe Muldoon, Binswanger Real Estate
Writer: Andy Sharpe

If you’re going to be around the 63rd St. El stop this-coming Friday evening, you might witness a Carrotmob. However, you have nothing to worry about, even if you don’t like carrots.

This Carrotmob will be drawing attention to a struggling independent produce store by raising money through a mass purchase of its items. West Phillie Produce, which has struggled to find business since its opening in mid-2009 despite being located in a food desert at 62nd and Ludlow Sts., will be the beneficiary of the Carrotmob.

Former City Council candidate Andy Toy, who is now the director of the Retail Resource Network at West Philadelphia’s Enterprise Center, is one of the biggest promoters of West Phillie Produce. Toy heaps praise on the owner of West Phillie Produce, Arnett Woodall, who is really trying to make a difference in the neighborhood’s diet. Regrettably, Woodall has only had varying success in doing this. "Arnett continues to encourage neighbors to improve their nutrition habits, but old habits die hard," says Toy. "Some neighbors have still not visited (in) over 2 years."

To address West Phillie’s lack of business, various groups, led by the Enterprise Center, decided to team up and unleash a Carrotmob in the store. According to Toy, a Carrotmob is a "buycott" where a bunch of people shop at a given time from a particular business that has a sustainable, local, or socially conscious mission. The proceeds from a Carrotmob go toward the business, or toward some project that the business is embarking on.

In the case of West Phillie Produce, Toy says money raised from the Carrotmob will help finance new equipment and allow the store to continue giving away fresh fruit salads to local almsgivers. In addition, the Carrotmob will enable like-minded people a chance to network with each other and discuss how to encourage local, independent businesses and neighborhood nutrition.

The Enterprise Center has no qualms about aiding a local produce store against the threat posed by distant supermarkets. Toy points out that West Phillie Produce hires from the immediate neighborhood, is easy to access without a car, and is owned by someone who resides in the area. It also opened on what used to be an unsightly abandoned lot. The store doesn’t just sell produce either, as it offers nutritional smoothies, water ice, and juices.

This is the first Carrotmob to inundate Philadelphia, although an attempt was made in the past. The Carrotmob concept began in California, and has spread across the world. In addition to the Enterprise Center, participating organizations include the Food Trust, the Merchants Fund, and Sayre Health Clinic.

Toy is happy to assist the Carrotmob effort in Philadelphia. "We like the Carrotmob concept because it results in a real tangible outcome that benefits a worthy business," he proclaims. "We hope to replicate this effort in other neighborhoods across the City." As for the Carrotmob at West Phillie Produce, it’s scheduled to run from 4-7 PM this Friday.

Source: Andy Toy, the Enterprise Center
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Shop-a-holics with finer tastes are used to extravagant unveilings of new products or fashions at the King of Prussia Mall in Montgomery County. On Friday, the largest shopping mall on the East Coast hosted a different kind of unveiling.

Local politicians and mall officials were on hand at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for four new electric vehicle charging stations at the mall. The stations will allow drivers to simply pull up and plug in. Charging will be free during an introductory period, and prices will be established by 350Green, the EV charging service provider working with the mall. Starting  this month, mall shoppers will have access to a pair of Level 2 chargers at 208/420 volts (standard for all electric cars) located in front of Nordstrom in the upper level parking deck. Two more units are slated for installation on the upper level deck of the court near Bloomingdale's.

The self-serve stations, partially funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, are able to "top off" or "partially charge" an electric vehicle in anywhere from one to two hours. Electric cars are nothing new to King of Prussia Mall. The mall's public safety team uses an electric Gem Car, which operates on a 72-volt battery system.

More than a dozen new plug-in electric car models are expected to arrive on the market by next year, fueled in part by President Obama's goal to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

Source: King of Prussia Mall
Writer: Joe Petrucci

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) opened a new door for residents of Mantua last week with the opening of the Mantua Square public housing complex at 35th and Fairmount. Mantua Square is a much more modern, sustainable, and neighborhood-appropriate successor to the previous 18-story public housing tower that stood at the site. It didn’t take long for the Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities (PAHRA) to take notice, as they gave the PHA a “best practices” award for the development.

Michael Johns, the general manager of community design and development for PHA, describes why PAHRA appreciated Mantua Square so much. They liked that the “new facility fits into the overall character of the neighborhood,” says Johns. Johns adds that the award also reflects how the housing enhances the aesthetic of the area. The Authority is not surprised at these blandishments, as one of their main goals was to build public housing that jives well with the surrounding community. According to Johns, designers analyzed the existing brick pattern in Mantua, and drew up plans for the Square with that in mind.

Mantua Square also features some cutting edge sustainability features that are not seen in many other Philadelphia public housing developments. One of the most intriguing features is that the building has the capability to return unused electricity back into the grid. Photovoltaic solar panels capable of producing 200 megawatts of power annually are mounted on the roof. Finally, Johns says that environmentally sensitive stormwater management practices are being used.

Residents of Mantua Square can also exhale, as the Housing Authority has taken steps to make the complex safer. Johns describes the PHA’s strategy as “crime prevention through environmental design.” Some examples of this include where the PHA placed the doors on the units, more radiant lighting, and the large courtyard in the middle of the complex. Also, he points out that windows are placed on the sides, which enables self-policing for residents. This stands in stark contrast to the old high-rise public housing that sometimes proved a breeding ground for crime.

The PHA is hoping that they can learn some things about conserving energy from this new development. They are also collaborating with Drexel in an effort to examine how they can save money on electricity. Among the practices they’re considering implementing in other complexes is using solar energy. The Authority is hoping Mantua Square and their work with Drexel will serve as a guide for future solar energy collection.

Michael Johns and many others at the Philadelphia Housing Authority are hoping they can set a new precedent in neighborhood relations with Mantua Square. “We are showing the communities of Belmont and Mantua that government and the Philadelphia Housing Authority care,” says Johns. The statewide association of housing authorities has already recognized this. Now, all we need is for the residents of Mantua Square to take pride in this.  

Source: Michael Johns, Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Viridity Energy joined with Mayor Nutter to cut the ribbon on its new Center City office last week, located on the top floor of 10 Penn Center. Viridity is an up-and-coming renewable energy company most notable for working with SEPTA on rail regenerative braking and Jefferson Hospital on wind energy storage. Before the opening of the new office, Viridity was located in Conshohocken, about 14 miles from Center City.

The innovative energy firm is excited to now be located downtown. H.G. Chissell, Viridity’s strategic development director, is convinced that his company made a good decision in moving. He points out that employees, clients, and partners can get to and from New York and Washington D.C. much more quickly and easily from Center City. This improves the lines of communication between Viridity and its growing list of clients and partners. Along with this, Chissell says that many talented, skilled people are attracted to companies with a downtown address.

Another impetus to Viridity’s move is its expansion. "We needed more space because we expanded so quickly," says Chissell. The firm now employs forty people, and continues to make headlines. Chissell is especially eager to point out his company’s increased program development and network operations space at the new location. The office also offers ample conference, cubicle, and technology room.

"The management of the building has a commitment to sustainability in line with ours," praises Chissell. As a matter of fact, the high-rise was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold status. Below LEED Platinum, LEED Gold is the second highest sustainability designation. Some of the strategic development director’s favorite sustainable features of the skyscraper include its abundance of recycled content and outside air flow.

Some of the most notable clients include Drexel University, SEPTA, Jefferson Hospital, Con-Ed Electricity, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Meade. When Chissell mentioned ease and speed of traveling to New York and Washington, he may have been thinking about Con-Ed, which is New York City’s energy provider, and Fort Meade, which is located in the Baltimore-Washington area.

Chissell summarizes Viridity’s mission as a company that strives to make its clients and partners more aware of the electricity they use. "Viridity is taking consumers and turning them into prosumers," sums up Chissell. "Prosumers" are professional consumers who are knowledgeable about the production of the energy they utilize. As electricity continues to become more in demand, and Viridity continues its growth pattern, expect to see many more prosumers. 

Source: H.G. Chissell, Viridity Energy
Writer: Andy Sharpe

The Friends of Seger Park Playground have been feverishly looking for funds to make their park at 11th and Lombard Sts. a destination for Center City and South Philadelphia children. They’re looking to improve their play equipment and install a sprayground, both of which cost a handsome amount of money.

It looks like the playground will be able to move forward with its first phase of improvements, thanks to a $500,000 grant from the city. This is in addition to a $50,000 donation from Jefferson Hospital. Adrienne Kenton, co-president of the Friends of Seger Park Playground, predicts construction will commence during the summer of 2012. In the words of Kenton, one of the biggest changes will be that all of the play equipment will be moved into one area on the 11th St. side. This would include a “dedicated tot lot,” says Kenton, which would be tailor-made for kids who are "barely crawling."

The second component of the Friends of Seger’s dream is the repair of a water sprayground that currently doesn't work. The playground held a competition to create a design for the sprayground, which was won by six designers from Kansas. The victorious design is called Fluid Scape, and includes two walls, a bench, and over a dozen water jets. This is meant to be a complement to the other playground equipment for children. Regrettably, the Friends are still $350,000 short in their quest to raise enough cash for the sprayground. Kenton assures that she and her cohorts are busy trying to identify sources of funding.

Kenton underscores why it's so important that Seger Playground be amenable to children. "So many families are opting to stay in Center City," says the co-president. Indeed, Center City is seeing a noticeable amount of young families who want to raise children in the city. This, coupled with parents rearing young children a few blocks south in South Philadelphia, should ensure plenty of use for the renovated playground. Right now, the only thing sitting in the way is $350,000.

Source: Adrienne Kenton, Friends of Seger Park Playground
Writer: Andy Sharpe

If you're jonesing for a hamburger, you may soon have a new fix nearby. Jake's Wayback Burgers, which started in 1991 as a few ultra-popular burger shacks in Northern Delaware, recently opened locations in Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery Counties, and plans to open its first location in Philadelphia soon.

These locations include Northeast Philadelphia, West Chester, and Chadds Ford. Northeast Philadelphia will be the business' first foray into the city, and will be located at Welsh Rd. and Roosevelt Boulevard. According to Jake's the target opening for the Northeast location will be in two to three weeks.

Jake's Burgers has been a staple in New Castle County, Delaware, consistently garnering local awards. As Gillian Maffeo, the marketing director at Jake's, puts it, the restaurant has a "cult following" in the First State. The original location in Newark hasn't changed very much, as it still has just four tables inside, picnic tables outside, and the original hand-made burgers and milkshakes. These burgers and milkshakes have attracted the accolades of Delawareans, as they have repeatedly been voted the "best burger" and  "best milkshake" in the state by Delaware Today and Delaware News Journal readers. This is despite stiff competition from another old-fashioned burger joint, The Charcoal Pit.  

The restaurant is currently flipping burgers in Wayne, Willow Grove, Springfield (Delaware County), Exton, Kennett Square, and Pottstown. Some of these locations have only been open a few months, while others have been open for a couple of years. With this in mind, there are a number of locations that will be opening in the coming months.

Maffeo is most enthusiastic about the role Jake's plays in the surrounding communities. Individual restaurants do everything from "fundraising events to cancer and diabetes walks," said Maffeo. The marketing director added that some Jake's locations will be serving turkey burger dinners at local homeless shelters for Thanksgiving. She was also especially proud of the diabetes walk that employees at the Exton location participated in.

To emphasize the popularity of Jake's burgers and milkshakes, the restaurant has begun to feature a "burger of the month" and a "milkshake of the month." While hamburgers and milkshakes will always be Jake's most notable offerings, the restaurant has expanded its menu beyond just those. The burger joint now sells all-beef hotdogs, turkey burgers, various sandwiches, and salads.

Source: Gillian Maffeo, Jake's Wayback Burgers
Writer: Andy Sharpe

The opening of a new business in highly impoverished Camden is considered a notable accomplishment. The opening of a new art gallery in Camden is almost unheard of. That makes this week's opening of Gallery Eleven One, a "contemporary art studio and gallery," at 339 N. Front St. on Rutgers University’s Camden campus, such a noteworthy event. Gallery Eleven One is the product of artist William Butler, and his socially aware art, design, and clothing company, Thomas Lift, LLC.

Coming from Des Moines, Iowa, Butler deliberately chose to open his gallery in such a low-income city. After all, one of the main missions of his company is to help poor people of the inner city. To this end, Butler plans to donate at least 10 percent of Gallery Eleven One’s profits to socially conscious causes. Many of these beneficiaries are located within Camden, including Heart of Camden, which builds homes for financially destitute people, the Nehemiah Project, which focuses on removing blight through education and other means, as well as charter schools. Butler puts it succinctly when he says he wants his gallery to be "a small conduit causing a spark."

Gallery Eleven One is seen as a resource for Camden residents and Rutgers students alike. Butler is ardent about enabling everyone in Camden to be able to view his artwork. He has dreams of reaching out to charter schools to spread his art’s message to youth, and he also aspires to collaborate with other artists in Camden. Given the outcry about Camden’s shuttering of fire stations, it is a brush of irony that Butler opted to locate his gallery in a fully restored 1906 firehouse.

It is important to note that Butler is also looking to attract non-Camden residents and non-students to his gallery. Ads for Eleven One’s opening make prominent mention of how close the gallery is to Camden’s waterfront, making prominent mention of its proximity to Campbell’s Field and the River Line.

Butler gives some insight into what kind of artwork will be available at his gallery. He plans on featuring contemporary, abstract, and figurative pieces.

“There will be quite a variation in size, color, and feel,” says the artist. He gives a rough estimate of the range in size, which goes from 24x24 inches at the small end to 5x7 feet at the large end.

The buzz around Gallery Eleven One not withstanding, Butler and Thomas Lift, LLC plan to expand in the future. He’s looking at another abandoned firehouse in South Camden as a potential creative space for Camden residents. This would be a contrast with the Rutgers location, as South Camden is an exponentially rougher and lower-income neighborhood. Butler’s goal is to give "residents and visitors a number of access points" to art. However, this might be as far as a year away from opening. For now, Gallery Eleven One opens on Friday, with the opening reception spanning Friday and Saturday. 

Source: William Butler, Thomas Lift, LLC
Writer: Andy Sharpe

While a number of communities in the Delaware Valley were affected by flooding from Hurricane Irene and the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, Fairmount Park’s Wissahickon Valley saw some of the worst flooding. Yet, for as ferocious as the flooding was in the valley, the efforts to clean up flood damage have been just as intense. Friends of the Wissahickon, a mostly volunteer group, has been instrumental in the quick, yet toilsome clean-up.

Because of the lack of homes in Fairmount Park, the Wissahickon’s serious flooding didn’t garner as much media attention as other local flood spots. However, Kevin Groves, the volunteer coordinator at Friends of the Wissahickon, makes it clear that the park’s landscape was altered from the flooding.

"There was really serious erosion all over the park, and areas of Forbidden Dr. close to the (Wissahickon) creek were under water," reports Groves. Groves elaborates by saying that some segments of the popular hiking trail Forbidden Dr. actually caved in from the strength of the water. Also, Bell’s Mill Rd., a well-traveled artery between Chestnut Hill and Andorra, sustained some damage.

The sheer extent of the damage has failed to deter over a hundred people who have volunteered with Friends of the Wissahickon to help clean up the valley. Groves is clearly proud when he lauds the hundred or so volunteers who showed up for emergency repairs in the famous Valley Green section. In addition, individual dedicated volunteers with the Friends have taken the initiative to go out and conduct their own trail maintenance. 

Even a few weeks after the storms, there is still plenty of damage and plenty of interest in volunteering to fix the damage. This past weekend, about a dozen volunteers labored to take a trail that had partially washed away out of service in the vicinity of the Andorra Tree House on the western rim of the park. This included digging the trail up, mixing the dirt, and placing branches across the path to make it difficult to walk along. The volunteers were an interesting mix of park experts with Friends of the Wissahickon, Chestnut Hill College students, and one reporter.

The effects of tropical systems Irene and Lee have taught the Friends of Wissahickon and the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation one big lesson, which is that trails in the valley can and should be designed to better withstand stormwater. Groves says it’s noticeable how much better the trails that were re-designed to handle flooding held up after the storms. As flooding will never cease to be a threat through the Wissahickon Valley, this is an important lesson to grasp.  

Source: Kevin Groves, Friends of the Wissahickon
Writer: Andy Sharpe

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) is embarking on an ambitious plan to make it easier to get to and from the Delaware River. To do this, they have identified three connector streets that will receive bicycle, pedestrian, lighting, and artistic improvements. These streets are Race and Spring Garden Sts., and Columbia Ave. On Thursday, DRWC will unveil the enhanced sidewalks, lighting, and artwork along Race St.

One of the most eye-catching changes to the Race St connector beneath I-95, which runs between Columbus Blvd. and 2nd St., will be a 24-hour-a-day projection of the Delaware river on four LED screens. These screens will be hooked up to cameras along the river, which will capture every wave, boat, and aquatic animal, and be able to shift on account of lighting conditions. Tom Corcoran, president of DRWC, explained that this will be a technique to help bridge the gap between the river and the rest of the city. This river projection is the product of artists Richard Torchia and Aaron Igler, and was the winning entry in a competition by the city's Office of Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy.

Corcoran says that other updates to this section of Race St. include the installation of colorful "high-impact" lighting, the widening of sidewalks to better suit pedestrians, a more navigable intersection with the I-95 entrance, and the striping and painting of a bicycle lane on the north side of the street. The lighting and sidewalk improvements will be on display starting this week, while the roadwork and bicycle lane will be part of a second phase of work to be completed later. All of this is part of Corcoran’s dream to make Race St. an inviting, not intimidating, conduit to the Delaware River via foot, bike, or car.

While Corcoran is elated at the work being done with the Race St. connector, his vision extends beyond one street. The next connector between the river and the rest of the city that his corporation plans to improve is Columbia Ave., which leads to Penn Treaty Park and the river. Not wasting any time, this project is being done on a "rush basis," says Corcoran. This effort is a collaboration with PennDOT, and involves plenty of consultation with Fishtown neighborhood groups over artistic elements that capture the unique qualities of the neighborhood.

Similarly, the Waterfront Corporation plans to work with the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association (NLNA) to make the Spring Garden St. connector to the Delaware River more bicycle and pedestrian amenable, more luminous, and more artistic. Corcoran gives Spring 2012 as a probable start date for this. Another element of this project may be a push to get SEPTA to increase service frequency on routes that use Spring Garden St., including the Routes 25 and 43. Corcoran intimated that DRWC will make an effort to lobby for increased bus service, along with light rail service in the median of Columbus Blvd. in the coming decade.   

Source: Tom Corcoran, DRWC
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund (FPSF) will be the recipient of $1 million in Philadelphia Parks and Recreation funds to construct Paine’s Skatepark along the Schuylkill River Trail in Center City. This will give skateboarders a space to dot heir thing in Center City for the first time since they were banned from Love Park. Construction is expected to commence in Spring 2012.

Claire Laver, the executive director of FPSF, is committed to seeing skateboarders get a downtown location to practice their sport.

"Philadelphia has long been synonymous with street skating, but since the banning of skateboarding in Love Park, we have been without a centralized hub," laments Laver. "The skateboarding culture in this city hasn’t been the same since."

Laver is referring to then-Mayor John Street’s forbidding of skateboarding at Love Park in 2002.

Paine’s Park is slated to be by far the biggest skatepark in Philadelphia. According to Laver, there are currently skateboarding parks in Frankford, East Kensington, and Southwest Philadelphia, all of which are between 5,000 and 10,000 sq. ft. In contrast, the proposed park will be greater than 50,000 sq. ft., or more than five times as large as each of the existing parks. FPSF hopes that the size of the park will attract internationally acclaimed skateboarding events, including or comparable to the X Games and Maloof Money Cup.

Despite Paine’s primary function as a skatepark, Laver is confident the park will be useful for non-skateboarders as well. She brags that the park will include a panoramic observation deck with views of the Schuylkill River, Center City, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Also, the executive director envisions an amphitheater to support ceremonies for Ben Franklin Parkway events, concerts, and movie nights. Finally, she assures that the park will provide the one million people who use the Schuylkill Trail each year with a place to relax.

As with the recently built Penn Park, Paine’s Park aims to be a model for sustainability. This will include a unique watershed design that will lend itself to environmentally friendly storm- and groundwater control. Despite it being a skatepark, Laver also promises considerable green space. The park will also recycle some materials used in the building of other city projects. Fittingly, this includes "the installation of granite benches removed from Love Park years ago," adds Laver.

The Skatepark Fund makes its case for Paine’s Park from an economic standpoint too. Laver references a 2008 Econsult study, which indicates that Paine’s Park could rake in tens of millions of dollars in direct spending and recreational worth. One reason why this estimate is so high is because of the park’s connectivity to the trail, which means it's an easy walk or bike ride to the art museum, other points in Center City, or University City. Not only will skateboarders be welcomed back into Center City, non-skateboarders will welcome the increased revenue and connectivity.

Source: Claire Laver, Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund
Writer: Andy Sharpe

If you’re strolling along Lancaster Avenue between 35th and 40th Sts., you probably notice something looks different. In fact, you’re right, as Drexel University, the University City District, and other community groups have partnered on a two-month art exhibition running through Nov. 30 called LOOK!.

There are three main components to LOOK!, which are art displays in the windows of unused buildings, group art events in galleries or public spaces, and performances open to anyone. The most omnipresent of these components is the art that now adorns the fronts of vacant buildings. According to University City District’s Mark Christman, there are thirteen such displays. These displays speak to the corridor’s history as well as the resiliency of the community, and include audio and visual artwork.

Additionally, the opening night of LOOK! Featured some fascinating performances. This included a dance exhibition that wound its way down Lancaster Ave. called Dances for Imaginary Places Barely There. The troupe made sure to modify its dance routine depending on the unique culture of every block. The opening night also saw some theatrical shows, which examined American culture, mental illness, and burlesque.

The University City District believes the success in organizing LOOK! is a great sign for the Lancaster Avenue corridor.

"The fact that community members, landlords, neighborhood institutions, and artists were able to successfully collaborate on a project of this scale is clearly a strong sign of the broader commitment to continue to transform the Avenue," says Christman. "Lancaster Avenue is clearly a great ‘main street’ in the making."

Christman builds on the "main street" theme by lauding the neighborhood farmers’ market, nascent galleries, cafes and dining establishments, and fencing academy. He says it only made sense to run a community arts show given how much is already going on with the avenue. While Christman is unsure as to whether LOOK! will ever be done again, he did say that community groups will make sure to analyze how art can beautify public space.

When the involved organizations announced they were seeking artists to participate in mid-July, they received an overwhelming response. Despite giving artists just three weeks to submit proposals, they received about 200 requests. Christman acknowledges how creative many of the proposals were, but says "we ultimately put together a panel that included representatives from neighborhood institutions, community members, and even two Pew Fellows."

Source: Mark Christman, University City District
Writer: Andy Sharpe

These are exciting times for Center City’s 1650 Arch Street, which has just completed some sustainable renovations, and is looking at becoming even more environmentally friendly. After all, what would you expect from a high-rise building that houses the Philadelphia regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)?

Thanks to the recently completed remodeling, 1650 Arch Street is now Energy Star certified. Some of the renovations that led to this designation include the installation of energy-efficient chillers, which regulate a building’s temperature, humidity and ventilation. Also energy-efficient lights were attached on the inside and outside of the building. Finally, the EPA is financing a high-tech air filtration system that maximizes the amount of fresh air in the high-rise, according to Drew McGowan, the leasing agent with Jones Lang LaSalle, which is responsible for leasing office space at 1650 Arch.

Yet, the building’s owner is not quite satisfied with 1650’s sustainability just yet. The final phase of the sustainability project will commence shortly, giving the tower more energy-efficient elevators. "The new elevators are designed to use less power and will operate faster and more efficiently, so there is less waiting time for building occupants," says McGowan. Once these elevators are installed, Jones Lang LaSalle and the renovation architect are confident the building will be able to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status for 2012. 

Jones Lang LaSalle also blends sustainability with art in the renovations. The remodeled lobby, which acts as a literal and figurative centerpiece for the re-design, features a sculptural landscape of recycled objects across the city of Philadelphia by environmental artist Tom Deininger. “Thematically, the found objects recycled into art represent the refreshed image of 1650 as an iconic piece of modern architecture, as well as the building's sustainability efforts," says McGowan.

Source: Drew McGowan, Jones Lang LaSalle Real Estate
Writer: Andy Sharpe

One Tuesday every month, a bunch of techies, wannabe techies, and people who freely admit they don’t know much about current online trends get together to discuss and learn how to use social networking for social good. This is Philly Net Squared’s Net Tuesday, which has been gaining more and more steam since its inception in May 2008, not to mention bringing an ever growing number of community groups, non-profits, and businesses into the same room.

While it’s difficult to pin down a precise mission for Net Tuesday, founder Seth Horwitz has a general mission for his monthly meetings. “I think of our mission as helping Philly area folks to share our knowledge, passion and concerns around using emerging social web tools for making the world a better place,” explained Horwitz.

Some of Horwitz’s favorite Net Tuesdays have been the “social web samplers,” which consist of informal audience presentations on any on-line social media topic they feel is germane. This leads to fifteen short periods where audience members can elaborate on noteworthy aspects of the audience presentations.

For community groups, non-profits, and businesses, the “crowdsourcing change” Net Tuesdays are especially pertinent. During these meetings, two or three area groups present their on-line social media strategy to the audience, and then receive feedback on what they’re doing right, what they’re doing wrong, and what they’re realty doing wrong. Groups that have volunteered to crowdsource their on-line presence include the Philadelphia Police Athletic League, The Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Painted Bride Art Center.

Philly Net Squared thrives in its use of Facebook, Twitter, and Meetup.com. Horwitz sees two ways in which Facebook enables the Net Tuesdays, which are disseminating information about events to a broad audience and allowing attendees to RSVP. “Twitter also helps to promote the events, and it also enables us to maintain a backchannel during the events, which- combined with our Internet stream- enables us to engage with people not in Philly,” said Horwitz. Finally, Meetup.com has been a reliable RSVP source, as well as a means for members to better connect with each other.

Source: Seth Horwitz
Writer: Andy Sharpe

For one week in mid-October, pedestrians and bicyclists on Christian and Catharine Streets in Southwest Center City will be able to breathe a little calmer. This is thanks to the South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA), which will be implementing creative traffic calming techniques as part of their Better Blocks Philly celebration for DesignPhiladelphia.

While it would be a stretch to say all the details have been worked out by now, Katie Winkler, a design coordinator for Better Blocks Philly, was able to give a rough itinerary. In short, the event will raise awareness of safer streetscape and neighborhood design policy and local businesses, aiming to even the playing field between cars, pedestrians, and bicycles. Winkler says raised mid-block crossings will make it easier for pedestrians to cross streets, bump-outs will be constructed at intersections to slow down vehicles, and the installation of new signage will make sure motorists are aware to share the road.

Winkler is also aiming to beautify Southwest Center City. “We will be having trees generously donated to us from the new Tree Philly Program of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, as well as other planted material from Greensgrow Farms and County Line Nursery,” says Winkler. Additionally, the neighborhood will offer more sidewalk lounge space by crafting a parklet at 17th and Christian Sts -- similar to the recently opened one near Clark Park in West Philadelphia.

Another important component to Better Blocks Philly is the rehabilitation of unused building space. Winkler currently has two or three spaces in mind that she wants to turn into short-term cafes or shops. As well, a coalition of 30 craftspeople and thinkers called PhillyWorks plans to set up an open studio and/or think-tank space. Also, a group called Cartographilly might set up a space to showcase its Philadelphia mapping project.

Inspiration for Better Blocks Philly comes from a variety of different places. According to Winkler, Philadelphia Park(ing) Day, where parking spots across the city sprouted into one-day parks, was a weighty inspiration. Also, inspiration was gleaned from other U.S. cities including Seattle, Portland, and especially Dallas. Believe it or not, the Texas bastion was where the national Better Block movement originated. SOSNA is acting as the "project head," while Wallace, Roberts, & Todd is the "lead design coordinator" and Brown and Keener Urban Design is the "lead event programming and sponsorship coordinator."

Source: Katie Winkler
Writer: Andy Sharpe