entrepreneurship : Development News

Whether you call the neighborhood Southwest Center City, Graduate Hospital, or G-Ho, one thing that’s not debatable about the blocks immediately to the southwest of Center City is the amount of new and rehabilitated housing that has sprung up in the past few years. Metro Impact Homes is a large reason why this neighborhood’s housing stock has improved. Metro Impact has been building rowhouses and condominiums between 16th St. and Grays Ferry Ave and between Fitzwater and Kimball Sts. for the past few years, and is getting bolder with its scope.

One intriguing project that Metro Impact is currently working on is Montrose Court around 25th and Grays Ferry, mentions Steve Shklovsky, the head of the development firm. Here, Metro is hoping to construct 11 luxury rowhomes with roof decks, green roofs, and garages. "My goal is to transform what is now the worst block in the neighborhood into one of the nicest," says Shklovsky. As development is rarely easy, some neighbors are protesting because of the proposed size of the rowhome yards. This means Metro will need a zoning hearing in a couple of weeks. The new development should start around $400,000.

Another planned Metro Impact development that’s brewing a lot of buzz is the opulent Fitz4 on Fitzwater St. betwixt 16th and 17th. Like the previous development, Fitz4 will feature roof decks and garages, and will be built on what currently is a forsaken intersection. According to Shklovsky, A total of four homes are being drawn up for Fitz4, with two being corner properties. The homes will be far from cheap, as prices are expected to begin in the $700,000 range.

Metro’s proposed new development should only serve to add an exclamation point to the firm’s existing development in Southwest Center City. One of Shklovsky’s proudest developments is at 1910 Christian St., which is a six-unit condominium development. What makes the developer so proud? "The south side of that block is one of the only in the (neighborhood) which had all matching facades and heights," exclaims Shklovsky. Perhaps it was this attention to blending in with the rest of the block that resulted in every condo unit being put under contract within 30 days.

Shklovsky is very content with developing in Southwest Center City, even though his office is in Southampton, Bucks County. He cites the neighborhood’s proximal location to the Rittenhouse Square area and University City as a reason why he’s so enamored. He quickly adds that many of his buyers are doctors and medical students who can appreciate the convenient access to the Penn health system. His primary complaint about the neighborhood is that there isn’t enough commercial space. The developer is sure to mention that he hopes to eventually move his offices to the city. 

Source: Steve Shklovsky, Metro Impact Homes
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Philadelphia's most notable farmer's market will get a little bigger in 2012. Come April, the Reading Terminal Market will be ready to unveil space for four to five new vendors, a demonstration kitchen, multi-functional event space, and expanded restrooms, according to general manager Paul Steinke. The expansion will catapult the back of the market, known as the eastern end, into the spotlight. It comes on the heels of the opening of Molly Malloy's, which has proven a popular gastropub.  

Steinke is quick to point out the cornerstone of the soon-to-be expanded market, the Rick Nichols Room. This event space "will feature a permanent, museum-quality exhibit on the history of the market," promises Steinke. The space is named in honor of recently retired local food critic Rick Nichols, who wrote about all things edible in Philadelphia for 15 years. The space is being created in conjunction with the Philadelphia History Museum at the Atwater Kent. The space will double as a meeting and party zone, available for rental by groups.

Reading Terminal currently has no shortage of applications from businesses that want to take advantage of the new vendor space, assures Steinke. He says the market is looking for businesses that complement the "culinary and ethnic diversity." It looks like no decision has yet been made on new vendors. The market also promises to double its restroom capacity and provide cooking classes and chef presentations when it finalizes its expansion.

One of the greatest challenges in expanding the market has been maintaining the building's historical character. To make sure this happens, the market put the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia's Eugene LeFevre in charge of the renovation. LeFevre has specialized in renovating classic buildings, including the Mellon Independence Center and the Morris House Hotel, for 25 years. Steinke underscores the added difficulty of working on a historic building. "You never know what you're going to find when you work on a historic building," he says.

While the current expansion of the eastern portion of the market is indeed exciting, many would like to see the Reading Terminal expand on the other side of Filbert St. Steinke recognizes this, and says the market has been in talks about taking over the property across Filbert. The property is owned by the city's Redevelopment Authority. Despite these talks, there are no solid plans for the market to venture across the street at this time. It looks like the Reading Terminal Market will have to conduct one expansion at a time. From now until April, that expansion will be the eastern wing.  

Source: Paul Steinke, Reading Terminal Market
Writer: Andy Sharpe

After a frenetic year-and-a half that has witnessed the emergence of twelve new businesses in Brewerytown, Girard Ave. is expected to get some more fresh additions. Businesses planning to open in Brewerytown include a taqueria, a pop-up art, jewelry, and clothing store, and a Bottom Dollar food market. 

According to David Waxman and Aaron Smith of Brewerytown developer MM Partners, plans to build a Bottom Dollar food market in front of Brewerytown Square at 31st and Girard are generating the most buzz. While the site remains an empty lot, Waxman, a co-managing partner at MM Partners, says work on the site should start soon. The project was first presented months ago, but has been slowed by the location‘s history as a brownfield. Bottom Dollar is looking to build an 18,279 sq. ft. market with 94 parking spots. 

The next shop to open will be the pop-up store Amazulu, which will be ready for business this holiday season. Smith, the director of property management at MM, sings the praise of Amazulu, which will sell a panoply of African influenced items. These crafts include clothes and jewelry for all ages and sexes, paintings, sculptures, furniture, and even masks. Amazulu currently has a location in the Reading Terminal Market. 

Another welcome addition to Brewerytown will be a taqueria. Smith says that the Mexican restaurant will be "very authentic, relatively affordable, and healthy." Smith and Waxman say this taqueria will serve as a contrast to some of the other restaurants on Girard Ave. in terms of offering a scrumptious and healthy dining option. MM Partners predicts that this taqueria will open during late winter or spring next year.

While locals are largely happy with the recent influx of new businesses, some still hope for more. Waxman and Smith say a neighborhood named Brewerytown really deserves a brewery. Specifically, MM Partners would like to see a nanobrewery make its home around Girard Ave. To back up their words, the developers say they’d be willing to help extensively with zoning and other issues.  

Sources: David Waxman and Aaron Smith, MM Partners
Writer: Andy Sharpe

After seeing a good deal of businesses close, and an influx of banks open, it looks like the Chestnut Hill section of the city is back on the road to retail and dining diversity. In fact, a number of new businesses have opened along Germantown Ave. so far this year, with many more planned. It even looks like the crown jewel at the top of the Hill, the former Borders Books, might soon open a new chapter.

Eileen Reilly, the Chestnut Hill Business Association's retail recruiter, is pumped to talk about the new businesses opening along the avenue. Earth, an eclectic store that sells garden-infused jewelry, candles, and even garden supplies tilled the soil when it opened in March. The owner of Earth, Doug Reinke, proceeded to open Linen, a bedding, bath and baby supply store in May. Not satisfied, Reinke opened a rug and lighting store called "Room Service" earlier this month, a few blocks away from the other two stores.

Reilly also boasts about a couple of "pop-up" stores that will set up shop at the old Magarity Ford dealership in time for the holiday season. One such store is Fete Noel, which is a one-of-a-kind store that vends everything from antique furniture, to toys, to prestigious jewelry, to photography. This "pop-up" store will be open for six days, beginning on Nov. 10th. Another "pop-up" store is Bali to Bala, which returns after an ultra successful debut in Chestnut Hill last year. Bali to Bala features Indonesian arts and crafts, and aims to spread awareness about Indonesian culture.

Yet, according to Reilly the list of stores and restaurants slated to open in Chestnut Hill in the next few months is even more comprehensive. The Iron Hill Brewery is currently being built where clothing stores used to be, with Reilly saying it will open right before New Year's Eve. With this in mind, the big story in Chestnut Hill will continue to be the local independent stores that are opening. A woman's apparel store called Indigo Schuy is expected to open within the next few months, while a locally themed fine dining establishment called Heirloom will begin serving up duck, seafood, and other items.

What many are anxiously looking at is the old Border's Books site at the intersection of Germantown Ave. and Bethlehem Pike. Reilly reveals that a deal is close to being reached between the seller and a client of this parcel, and that it will have an institutional use. Greg Welsh, the owner of the Chestnut Grill and a loud voice on the Business Association, went a step further and said the building will soon become a childcare center for Children of America.

For residents, shoppers, and diners in Chestnut Hill, this new flurry of business openings is surely welcome news. This is remarkable because of the lower sales tax in the surrounding suburbs. "Even though the climate is tough, the energy has changed," says Eileen Reilly. "We're on entrepreneurs brainwaves." While main streets across the region are still mired in a recession, Chestnut Hill's main street seems to have emerged from it.

Source: Eileen Reilly, Chestnut Hill Business Association
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Federal Donuts opened last week to a frenzied following in the Pennsport neighborhood of South Philadelphia. It's an eclectic restaurant that specializes in donuts, fried chicken, and coffee. That is, if you can get in early enough to get your hands on their food and drink.

The opening week was an important lesson in just how hungry Pennsport denizens, Philadelphians, and even suburbanites are for fried chicken and donuts. Astonishingly, Federal Donuts ran out of chicken by 12:55 p.m. every day during their first week, even though they originally planned to be open until 8 p.m. each day. The donuts also proved ultra popular, as both the hot sugared and filled donuts sold out before noon most days last week.

The new restaurant generally sells the hot sugared donuts between 7 and 10 a.m. Monday through Sunday, if they don't run out. Flavors include Indian cinnamon and vanilla-lavender. They sell the filled, or "fancy," donuts all day, until they run out. These flavors are comprised of key lime, nutella-pomegranate, and chocolate-raspberry, to name a few. They start selling fried chicken around noon, which includes Korean-style glazed chicken and crispy chicken. The chicken is prepared by renowned chef Michael Solomonov.

According to Bob Logue, one of the owners of Federal Donuts and Bodhi Coffee, the restaurant fills a void in Pennsport and the city. "The neighborhood was dying for something great," explains Logue. He adds that an establishment combining donuts, fried chicken, and coffee in the city was "elusive" before his shop opened. Logue justifies the crazed popularity of Federal during its first week by saying that it appeals to long-time Pennsport residents, yuppies, and people all across the city and even suburbs.

So far, it seems like things have calmed down to some degree this week. On Monday, fried chicken was still being offered until 1 p.m., which gave famished customers a little more time. Also, donuts lasted a little longer on Monday. "We're still selling out, but at a nicer pace," says a less frenetic Logue. Absent were the long lines of the previous week, although a steady stream of new and returning customers enlivened the shop.

Given the enormous success of Federal Donuts so far, Logue has dreams of expanding. "Federal Donuts is dedicated to the growth of a new industry in Philadelphia," he asserts. Logue says he would like to expand, although it will take some time. He's especially hopeful to add some fryers, since that's currently the biggest limitation to making more donuts and chicken. The fact that talk of expansion has come up so quickly is a great sign for the shop. In just a week, Federal Donuts has become a hit in Pennsport and Philadelphia.        

Source: Bob Logue
Writer: Andy Sharpe

PHOTOS: MICHAEL PERSCIO

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

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

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

If Temple University students, faculty, staff, or neighbors are looking for a local java alternative to Starbucks and Saxby’s, they are about to get it. In just a few weeks, Mugshots Coffeehouse and Café will open its third location, in the lobby of the Beech Interplex at 1520 Cecil B. Moore Ave.

Mugshots’ owner, Angie Vendetti, is thrilled to be opening up a location on Temple’s campus.

“I’m super excited to be at Temple, and so are a lot of the staff who are either recent grads, or still at Temple studying,” says Vendetti. She is especially proud to be moving into the recently built Beech Interplex. She touts the building, which is used as an international student dormitory, as a success story for improving the campus and the neighborhood around it without displacing residents.

Vendetti compares the incoming Mugshots to the existing location in Brewerytown. This means "all the food preparation and baking is done off-site at the Fairmount location and brought in fresh daily," beamed Vendetti. She added that the same menu items, including sandwiches, wraps, salads, gluten-free and vegan deserts, and of course coffee, will be available at both the Temple and Brewerytown shops. Mugshots' Manayunk location was closed last month.

Speaking of coffee, Mugshots will be featuring its recently debuted Counter Culture Coffee (CCC) at the Cecil B. Moore location. As part of this change, the coffeehouse will include a “pour-over” coffee area at Temple, which should mean a fresher brew for patrons. On a sophisticated note, "staff has gone through espresso training at CCC's training center in New York City, and quite a few of them are on their way to becoming certified baristas," said the owner. 

Vendetti is also looking at creative payment methods for the Temple coffeehouse. For one thing, she is intrigued by Temple’s alternative currency, Diamond Dollars. She hopes to accept Diamond Dollars, although is not quite sure how compatible it will be with her equipment. Before, or possibly instead of, accepting Diamond Dollars, this location will allow Temple parents to unload money onto their students’ Mugshots cards, which imitate debit cards and give users credit toward free beverages.

It looks like Mugshots is pumped to be opening a location at Temple University. Vendetti says the success of the Temple location might spur her to launch additional locations at other area colleges or universities. As for Temple students and others, it will only be a few weeks until they can begin to kill time in a brand new coffee shop.

Source: Angie Vendetti, Mugshots Coffeehouse and Cafe
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Despite the poor economic climate for development, Radnor-based Brandywine Realty Trust continues to exceed profit forecasts. This has been evidenced through out 2011, and has been true in the Delaware Valley and across the country. In fact, Brandywine has been able to execute almost 2.5 million square feet of leases through June of this year. As a result, "all operating and financial metrics equaled or exceeded our business plan targets," says Gerard Sweeney, President and CEO of Brandywine.

One major reason for Brandywine Realty's success in attaining leases can be found in Center City. This is where the realty titan inked a long-term lease with Janney Montgomery Scott at Three Logan Square, located on the 1700 block of Arch St. Brandywine "executed a 146,321 square foot, 15-year lease with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at Three Logan Square," says Sweeney.

While Brandywine expanded its leased space in Center City, it also sold unloaded property in South Jersey. "During the second quarter of 2011, we completed the sale of Three Greentree Center, a 13.9-percent occupied 69,300 square foot office building in Marlton, NJ," says the CEO. The company was able to use considerable profits made on this sale to reduce their credit balance.

Brandywine Realty Trust is one of the largest comprehensive real estate companies in the country. It has properties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, California, and elsewhere. They are well known for sustainable building practices, as many of their buildings nationwide are either LEED or Energy Star certified.

Brandywine's success shows that developers can still meet profit forecasts, even with the present economic uncertainty. Judging from Brandywine, sustainability seems to be one key to succeeding in leased properties. Another key seems to be the ability to know when to sell unprofitable properties.

Source: Gerard Sweeney, Brandywine Realty Trust
Writer: Andy Sharpe  

If you're the sort of hard-living live music fan who goes out regularly to see rock, hip-hop or indie bands perform, you may be under the impression that Philly has enough venues to satisfy the needs of every slam-dancer and head-nodder in the city. And yet Avram Hornik, a local nightlife entrepreneur whose Four Corners Management company operates a handful of beloved local bars, begs to differ.

To wit: In less than eight weeks, inside the former Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant at 10th and Spring Garden streets in Center City, a midsize but upscale concert space known as Union Transfer will introduce itself to the city. (A train depot of the same name once operated there.) Hornik is a partner in the venture, as is Sean Agnew of R5 Productions. Agnew will be booking bands with the help of a third partner: the New York-based Bowery Presents. "We had all been aware of each other," Hornik wrote in a recent email, "and were just waiting for the right time and the right space to open a live music venue."

And while Philly may in fact have its fair share of spots to take in touring or local live acts, Union Transfer, Hornik says, will be something truly unique: large enough to handle 1,000 fans, but with ample parking nearby and a central location, convenient to the freeway. In fact, Hornik claims that the project's ultimate goal involves "showcas(ing) bands that have passed by the city because there hasn't been the space to play."

If the architectural renderings and the minor details that have already been released are any indication, that'll be an easy goal to reach. Union Transfer, for instance, which was designed by local firm Fishtank PHL, will be home to a D&B Audiotechnik sound system, professional-level lighting, both a mezzanine and a balcony, and--get this--parking for 150 bicycles.

The party kicks off on Sept. 21, with an inaugural concert featuring Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Source: Avram Hornik, Four Corners Management
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.

How perfect is a summer night at a cafe on the bank of the river? "It's a dream come true," says Peg Botto of her newly opened Cosmic Cafe at Lloyd Hall. Located at the beginning of Kelly Drive just across from the Azalea Garden, Cosmic Cafe opened this spring, thanks to a collaborative effort by Botto and Fairmount Park, and it's set to continue operation year round.

"There's always been a cafe at Lloyd Hall," explains Mark Focht, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission. "Peg Botto's sustainable approach to business meshed very well with the Parks and Recreation mission." Botto, whose previous retail outlet was at the Chestnut Hill Farmers Market, also runs Cosmic Catering. With the fully outfitted new kitchen at Lloyd Hall, Botto can run both the cafe and catering operation on site. Botto saw right away that the space would be great for catering, with lower and upper outdoor decks, plus an upstairs room. In all, Cosmic Cafe can hold up to 250 people for private events.

Open seven days a week from 8 to 8, Cosmic Cafe offers the kind of healthy food athletes crave, including organic produce, eggs and poultry, nitrate free bacon and locally baked bread. On a recent visit, smoothies, watermelon gazpacho, baked goods and a full range of sandwiches were on the menu. Several nights a week, there's live music, and Botto also barbecues several times a month out on the deck. "It's right on the river. You can't get any closer than that."

Botto says that she worked on the Lloyd Hall RFP for about 4 months, and she won the contract from a pool of ten applicants. After an $85,000 kitchen makeover and the hiring of about a dozen staffers, business is good. "We pay rent to the city plus a percentage of the gross," says Botto, who adds that these costs are in line with what she would pay for a similar space elsewhere. But nowhere else offers a constant stream of bikers, walkers, joggers, rollerbladers and tourists, whose stars are cosmically aligned for an alternative to the hot dog and ice cream carts of Kelly Drive.

Source: Peg Botto, Cosmic Cafe
Writer: Sue Spolan