Development News

Over the last 121 years, Chestnut Hill's storied Morris Arboretum has made a name for itself with slow, mature growth, planting seeds that will blossom into some of the most beautiful plants in Philadelphia. This week, the arboretum begins a new kind of growth that, officials say, is a long time coming.

With the help of the University of Pennsylvania and private donors like Dorrance Hamilton of Campbell's Soup, arboretum officials dedicated a new $13 million horticultural center. Designed as an equipment storage center and research facility, the building is the first added to the John and Lydia Morris estate property since the arboretum was founded in 1889. Arboretum officials were able to fund the project earlier this year and sought LEED Platinum status, hoping to remain a leader in environmental policy for Philadelphia.

"For the first time, we can put our equipment under a roof and put our people into decent workspaces, a place where they have lockers and showers because before they were operating out of a mechanics garage," says Morris project manager Bob Anderson. "We host seminars and before we would have to host these offsite. We are glad to give support to our educational staff."

The focus on education was part of the original expansion proposal in place since 1982, when a wing of the arboretum facility was turned into a mechanic's garage. Morris officials have been searching for funding to build not only this new Horticultural Center but a fully-functional education facility, capable of hosting larger classes and seminars. This building dedication represents Phase One of what has since become a two-part project. When the second phase will begin, though, is still anyone's guess.

"We had the funding for this project in place two years ago before the economy went to heck, but the funding for Phase Two could be a little tougher to get," says Anderson. "Unless you know someone with a lot of money that wants to give us $17 million."

Source: Bob Anderson, Morris Arboretum
Writer: John Steele

Of all the stations on all the car stereos in all the world, Philadelphia entrepreneur Hal Real's dial happened to stumble on 88.5 one afternoon and a live music institution was born. An avid concert-goer, Real became frustrated with Philadelphia's smoky stages. When he heard WXPN's World Cafe, hosted by David Dye, he knew he had found his live music muse.

Six years later, World Cafe Live is one of the most popular music venues in Philadelphia, driving a nightlife crowd to a sparse section of UPenn's campus. Earlier this summer, Real began a crusade to bring live music to another underutilized area as his company, Real Entertainment Group redevelops the historic Queen Theater in Wilmington, Del. Real created Light Up The Queen, a non-profit redevelopment group designed to restore this storied theater to its former glory.

"You can't have a monumental building like that sit there like a piece of urban blight," says Real. "It needs to come back to life."

Opened as a vaudeville theater in 1917, the Queen went dark in 1959. But as downtown Wilmington begins a $325 million Market Street redevelopment, buildings like the Queen have been targeted for demolition. Real believes the hype in Wilmington and hopes his venue can help draw visitors from nearby Philadelphia and South Jersey. The Light Up The Queen foundation has already hosted musical acts like Trombone Shorty at public locations around Wilmington to promote the new venue.

"Geographically, Wilmington is smack in the middle of New York City and Washington, DC. It is five minutes off of I-95 and a 10-minute walk to the Amtrak train station," says Real. "That's why Wilmington is going through this great renaissance. Lots more acts would be willing to play Wilmington if they had a venue."

Source: Hal Real, Real Entertainment Group
Writer: John Steele

Philadelphia's Francisville neighborhood has a history of best-laid-plans gone awry. The neighborhood was originally called Vineyard after William Penn attempted and failed to start a wine vineyard there in 1699. As the settlement was designed to run along the early Indian trail Ridge Road (now Ridge Avenue) its streets run diagonally, creating an odd kink in Philadelphia's street grid. But as local activists prep Francisville for new development, they hope to rebuild its legacy as well as its infrastructure.

Their first order of business is The Vineyards, a 4,380-sq-ft, certified LEED Platinum housing development beginning construction this week. A clever play on that old William Penn story, The Vineyards brings three-family residences in the form of pre-fabricated housing units, each with 500-sq-ft, tenant-accessible green roofs. Officials hope housing will anchor the 20,000-sq-ft Francis Village Marketplace, a mixed-use development project at the center of Francisville's redevelopment plan.

"As a part of the Francisville community plan, the neighborhood set a series of priorities and at the top of that list of priorities was to bring back the Ridge Avenue Corridor," says 16th and Ridge Avenue Property Owners Association President Anthony Miles. "The number two priority was to bring back that corridor back green."

The project broke ground in June but was put on hold when officials learned that a documentary team was interested in producing a feature-length film based on the housing project. The documentary will follow construction officials and development teams as they prepare for the Vineyards, putting a green stamp on the Francisville legacy.

"We are actually shopping it around to PBS, Planet Green, NBC, CBS, and we'll be releasing webisodes of the documentary in January to get people excited," says Miles. "We are excited to show off what we believe is Pennsylvania's greenest and most technologically advanced homes."

Source: Anthony Miles, 16th and Ridge Avenue Property Owners Association
Writer: John Steele

As one of the top urban research facilities in the U.S., the University City Science Center has launched many groundbreaking innovations inside its labs. Its most recent innovation, however, had nothing to do with formulas or equations. The Science Center this week celebrated its Market Street Revitalization Project, which raised over $2 million from the City of Philadelphia's ReStore Corridors Project, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and 11 Market Street tenants from 34th to 41st streets. The revitalization added new trees, sidewalks, benches, bike lanes, lighting and crosswalks to the 7-block corridor.

"We look at ourselves as having a campus here, between 34th and 39th Street,"  says Science Center Senior VP of Real Estate Curtis Hess. "Part of the reason for the project was as a way to tie the whole campus together. As a major stakeholder in this corridor, it just made sense for us to take the lead on the project."

When the project was conceived in January of 2008, University City District approached the Science Center about streetscape improvements at 40th and Market. By the time the project got underway in November 2009, the two projects had been combined to encompass the whole corridor from 34th to 41st, connecting the Science Center complex with neighborhoods to the west. Officials hope the added lighting and footpaths will make the neighborhood safer and will beautify the Science Center campus for future tenants.

"If you look at the fact that we broke ground in November 2009, we had horrible rain in the fall, not one, not two but three blizzards in the winter, then it got to summer and the temperatures rose into the 90s and 100s and stayed up there," says Communications Director Jeanne Mell. "There were a lot of challenges to overcome and now that it is completed, we want to celebrate it and show it off."

Source: Curtis Hess, University City Science Center
Writer: John Steele

Since opening nearly five years ago, the Cira Centre has been lighting up the Schuylkill Expressway with its LED light curtain and shining obelisk design. But remaining a relevant part of Philadelphia's developing skyline is never easy. In fact, the Cira has become so popular in its first half-decade, it is already expanding.

Last week, Brandywine Realty Trust--the development firm that brought the Cira Centre construction to 30th Street Station--announced completion of the building's south garage and a renovation to the 30th Street Station post office. Coming in ahead of schedule and under budget netted BRT $256.5 million in loan financing from CTL Capital, LLC that had been escrowed pending completion. The financing will go towards reducing borrowings and paying operational costs.

"We are extremely pleased to complete the $342 million 30th Street Post Office and Cira South Garage projects on time and under budget and to close this previously announced financing," says BRT President and CEO Gerard Sweeney. "The completion of this project enhances the economic growth of the University City sub-market and restores an important piece of Philadelphia's architectural history."

The project will create a 1,662-car parking structure and 9,788 square feet of retail space. BRT will be seeking LEED silver certification, a mid-level environmental design distinction. The company expects to begin construction in 2011.

Source: Gerard Sweeney, Brandywine Realty Trust
Writer: John Steele

There is an old saying in Lebanon that one who doesn't drink coffee is in danger of losing his nationality. Lebanese residents of West Philadelphia with dual citizenship need not worry because a new caf� is bringing a taste of Lebanon to University City, a neighborhood known for fine international cuisine.

In a historic Philadelphia building that was once a printing company and, more famously, a bank, general manager Abd Ghazzawi has completed construction on Manakeesh Caf� Bakery, a modern spin on the traditional Lebanese breakfast. The caf� will offer coffee and Lebanese pastry made on site. With Saad's Halal Restaurant across the street, it will give the corner of 45th and Walnut a distinct Lebanese flavor.

"The concept is centered around the Manakeesh, which is a Lebanese flatbread sandwich," says Ghazzawi. "We have imported an oven from Lebanon to bake everything on-site, but we have a lot of Lebanese merged with American concepts. You can get the flatbread sandwich in all different flavors like an egg and cheese or a tuna melt or a pizza."

Also on the block is the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects mosque that, according to Ghazzawi, gives Manakeesh a strategic location to become a mainstay in this diverse neighborhood. With community support coming from the Enterprise Center CDC and various neighborhood associations, Ghazzawi hopes to use his location to draw in not only customers but local artists and employees to make Manakeesh a truly neighborhood experience. And of course, he'll keep the coffee and the Lebanese nationality flowing.

"We plan to support the mosque in all their efforts, from block parties to school fundraisers," says Ghazzawi. Having a fairly good-sized space definitely works to our advantage to hold community meetings here and partner with the community in many different ways."

Source: Abd Ghazzawi, Manakeesh Caf� Bakery
Writer: John Steele

A new proposal from West Philadelphia after-school innovators Hybrid X Engineering Team could lead the public school system in a greener direction, using sustainable rehabilitation including green roofs and solar panels as a hands-on teaching tool, and keeping the next generation of students where they belong.

As part of a submission to GE's annual EcoMagination Challenge, the Hybrid X team has created a comprehensive plan for Green Technology High School, a fully functional high school powered by a series of green energy systems entirely maintained and monitored by students. These systems would provide full access to a science and math curriculum geared toward the green jobs of the future.

"These students know what is going on, they see their friends in the mix, and then they see their own experience, traveling around the country, meeting top scientists," says founder Simon Hauger. "They want more kids to be affected by this.

Founded in 1998, the Hybrid X team has worked on creating hybrid car systems. Their hybrid racecar, built in 2005, won a national competition and went on to gain media attention not only for its hybrid engine but its speed and sleek design. The club has routinely beaten college-level teams in engineering competitions, most recently reaching the semi-final round of the Progressive Automotive X Prize. Green Technology High School will be the team's first foray into green building but according to Hauger, it won't be the last, especially if the team wins. Vote for them here.

"They tell us 'this is what school should be," says Hauger. "All the learning that needs to occur can be based in real stuff instead of just go to class, get lectured for an hour, go to the next class, get lectured for an hour, its just not working. And these kids know better than anyone."

Source: Simon Hauger, Hybrid X Team
Writer: John Steele

When Erica Zito and her partner Mary Button moved to Fishtown five years ago, they didn't know anyone. The New Jersey natives arrived from Baltimore and began getting to know their neighbors on regular dog walks. Since those days, the pair have dreamed of owning a coffee shop. So when their dream becomes a reality this fall, they couldn't think of any name better than the name of the dog who started it all. With The Lola Bean, Zito and Button envision a dog-friendly environment and even a little corner of the shop dedicated to Lola herself.   

"She's a staffordshire-husky mix...she's a mutt basically," says Zito of the now-famous Lola. "When we moved here about five years ago, we were not familiar with the neighborhood. We spent a lot of time out and about with the dog and meeting other people. It really helped us integrate into the community and make some, what I consider to be lifelong friends. I look at Lola like a bridge that helped cross the gap between us and Fishtown at that time."

Being accepted into the Fishtown fold is not always an easy feat. But Zito and Button feel they are up to the challenge. After living in the neighborhood, getting to know the people and mining the blogs and message boards, they feel they understand what the Frankford corridor needs. Construction is complete and now the pair put the finishing touches on a community coffee shop that they hope will provide not only great coffee but a friendly, neighborhood environment that they found in the dog parks and plazas of Northeast Philadelphia five years ago.

"I think we bring something different to the neighborhood than the other coffee shops so it will be interesting to see if we can really pull in people the way we want to," says Zito. "I feel hopeful because a lot of businesses have sprung up from the families being here, have been sustaining themselves and have been welcomed by the neighborhood. I think there is a large part of Fishtown that is definitely ready for more."

Source: Erica Zito, Lola Bean
Writer: John Steele

International foods company Bertoli began in a Tuscany basement as an olive oil stand. The company now known as Progresso Soup started with two families importing Italian food to the U.S. for their families and friends. In an effort to pull Philadelphia's next foodie phenom out of a rowhouse kitchen or barbecue pit, West Philadelphia's Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation has launched Philly Food Ventures, a development program for home-based food entrepreneurs looking to take their businesses to the next level.

"When we grade applicants, we are looking for three things: managerial capability, the strength of their business idea and then we are looking for what we call entrepreneurial spirit," says Enterprise Center Managing Director Greg Heller. "People who come in with small or home-based food businesses and have the ability to run the business and take it to the next level but they don't necessarily have the know-how or the resources to get there."

Philly Food Ventures serves as a precursor to TEC's forthcoming Center for Culinary Enterprises, a 13,000 square foot food incubator with three community kitchens, urban farmland, and a training restaurant. The project is slated to transform a long-vacant grocery store at 48th and Spruce into a results-based food venture program, creating 130 new permanent jobs within its first two years and 20 new food ventures yearly.

"We are rolling this program out slowly so we can build up a client base so when our Center for Culinary Enterprises is open, we have a program and a set of clients and we can just plug and play," says Heller. "Every week, I get calls from folks who are trying to start food businesses, who have existing businesses and need assistance so this type of program is very timely."

Source: Greg Heller, The Enterprise Center
Writer: John Steele