North Philadelphia : Development News

It’s no secret that vacant land is a serious problem in Philadelphia, particularly in sections of North Philadelphia where years of neglect and abandonment have left physical scars to the area’s built environment.  There are numerous organizations, non-profits and city efforts that combat the issue; in Kensington, a group of grassroots organizers and residents have taken a particularly aggressive approach.

At H Street and Westmoreland, the green, lush Phoenix Community Park now sits on what was once considered a vacant lot.  But the land wasn’t always considered so -- a large, abandoned horse blanket factory once stood here. Five years ago, the facility turned to ash in a 7-alarm fire that also spread to 19 homes nearby. Thankfully, no one was killed. 

Shane Claiborne, a longtime neighborhood resident, was particularly affected by the blaze – his home was completely destroyed.  But instead of bemoaning his circumstances, he and other neighborhood activists decided to turn the tragedy into a neighborhood asset. 

Through his non-profit The Simple Way, a Christian community services group, the group raised money and acquired the land where the rowhouses once stood, turning the lots into community gardens.

But across the street where the factory burnt down, loose dirt whipped across the neighborhood like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie.    

Claiborne says the city’s laissez-faire attitude about remediating the eyesore encouraged residents to fix the problem themselves.  Through donated time and funds, local volunteers earned a year-to-year lease of the lot to turn it into a park.  In no time, they cleaned up the site, placed used painted tires around the perimeter to demarcate the space and renamed it Phoenix Community Park.

Through these efforts and thanks to The Daily News bringing light to the subject, the city took notice and started putting resources towards The Simple Way’s efforts, even though the lot was still technically publicly owned. 

At a time that marked the five-year anniversary of the factory fire, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society planted grass and trees at the site and installed a wooden fence around the perimeter.  The now iconic painted tires are still there, complete with a large and in charge mural on a nearby building wall. 

With this momentum behind them, and nearly 1,000 signatures to boot, Claiborne and others now want the space officially designated as a City park.  No more year-to-year lease.  Unfortunately this is easier said than done; since the site is not officially designated as a park, a very real threat remains that the lot could be sold off to private interests for development. 

“We are thrilled by the greening of this lot,” explains Claiborne, “but we also have a ways to go on making it a permanent park.  We need it officially recognized by Parks and Rec.” 

Doing so would protect the lot from development and formalize the City’s role in maintaining the space.  It would also allow the community to make improvements in more meaningful ways.  “A ‘park’ designation would allow us to build on new additions like playground equipment without the fear that it could all be squashed and developed with the year to year agreement,” says Claiborne.

Mayor Michael Nutter has recommended that the Parks and Recreation Department take over nearly 500 acres of land for park space.  Claiborne believes Phoenix Park should be part of this initiative and hopes the Mayor and others hear Kensington’s simple, to the point message on the matter. 

“We want it to be permanent, and have hundreds of neighbors who agree.”

Source: Shane Claiborne, Neighborhood Organizer, Founder of The Simple Way
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The industrial buildings surrounding the 1500 block of N. Bailey Street in Brewerytown have always been known for making and producing things.  But in a tale all too common in urban core neighborhoods, years of neglect and disinvestment have left parts of the neighborhood feeling desolate and forgotten.  More recently, however, as a number of artists have moved into these buildings for live-work purposes, bringing with them real estate developers’ interest and money, the area is reinventing itself, once again producing things but with completely different means and ends.  

Now dubbed the ‘Bailey Streets Arts Corridor,’ according to local ceramic artist and college professor Michael Connelly, the name is well-earned.  “There are now 10 nationally respected ceramics artists living and working within a three-block radius, as well as painters, woodworkers, and a choreographer,” explains Connelly.  "Plus, 12 contributing buildings (commercial and residential) along the Corridor are now under the control of local artists and investors."    

Connelly has been a chief driver of establishing the arts corridor, and is responsible for attracting other artists to invest.  He has also put his money where his mouth is, recently purchasing two properties on North Bailey Street that he hopes to rent out to community artists at affordable prices.

He’s also investing in large renovation projects, more recently converting an old warehouse studio space.  He believes this project in particular will help the corridor reach a critical mass and really take off.  Working closely with his colleague Robert Sutherland, a ceramic artist and general contractor/builder, they have officially started Phase One work on the project, already securing the exterior walls and conducting interior demolition.

Connelly’s work and the resulting conglomeration of artists along Bailey Street got the attention of development and construction firm, MM Partners LLC, who saw the corridor’s progress and even bigger potential for increased investment.  In no time, the company bought up the famous W.G. Schweiker Co. building at the intersection of Jefferson and Bailey Street with plans to renovate it into something beneficial to area artists. 

According to Jacob Roller, co-managing partner at MM Partners, they immediately went to Connelly to gain ideas about what exactly to do with the building.  He recommended converting the space into live-work units for artists, something he saw as severely lacking in the Philadelphia region.

MM Partners is now following Connelly’s advice, filling out the Schweiker building with nine live-work units.  Roller hopes the renovated space will quickly become an anchor along the burgeoning corridor and provide a unique opportunity for area artists looking to save a little money on rent by putting studio space under the same roof as their bed.    

From here on out, Connelly hopes more and more artists and investors will continue to be attracted to the area. 

“Numerous artists have already followed our lead by moving into our rental properties on Bailey Street, as well as infilling the surrounding blocks,” he says.  “Moving forward, we are hoping the artists decide to invest in our area by purchasing property and further solidifying a creative arts vernacular of the community.” 

Source: Jacob Roller, Co-Managing Partner at MM Partners; Michael Connelly, Ceramic Artist/College Professor
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) recently announced their plans to sell the land of the former Liddonfield Homes public housing site in Upper Holmesburg to a private developer, ABS, in partnership with Holy Family University.  And then, in late July, they officially went through with these plans, moving the redevelopment of the 32-acre vacant site one step closer to reality. 

This officially brings an end to the competitive proposal process that PHA initially issued last year.  The RFP deadline came and went in January and since then, PHA has been going over bids and narrowing down their options, eventually landing on the ABS – Holy Family University proposal.  In the end, ABS paid $4.2 million for the entire site. The final deal is still subject to approval by  the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"PHA is excited to take this first step and begin negotiating the details with the developer," said Estelle Richman, the one and only member of PHA’s Board of Commissioner. "It is a wonderful opportunity for the community."

ABS was formed specifically for the redevelopment of the site.  Members of the group include AP Construction, Inc., BSI Construction LLC and Synterra, Ltd.  Their winning proposal calls for athletic fields, student housing and affordable senior housing.  Another interesting aspect of their proposal is their plan to offer upwards of $1 million in scholarships to PHA students at Holy Family University as well as spend over a half million on job opportunities for the city’s low income residents. 

"ABS submitted a very compelling and competitive proposal,” said Kelvin Jeremiah, PHA's Interim Executive Director.  “Under their plan, seniors will have affordable housing opportunities in the Far Northeast, PHA residents will have the opportunity to attend Holy Family and some of the city's neediest residents will be able to land jobs in a tough economy."

Not as well known across the region, Upper Northeast residents know the Liddonfield site well, and not for good reasons.  Liddonfield was initially developed in the 1940s for military barracks purposes.  In 1955, PHA acquired the site and put it to use by way of public housing. 

But by the 1990s, the site had become synonymous with neglect, crime and was typically blamed for the deterioration of the surrounding area. That, coupled with a federal housing policy paradigm shift underway via HUD’s Hope IV and Choice Neighborhoods programs, Liddonfield quickly became seen as outdated and poorly designed.  By the beginning of 2011, all of the site’s 58 buildings were demolished to make way for the new development, something ABS and Holy Family hopes to get underway as soon as possible.  As of now, no official groundbreaking has been set.    

Source: Estelle Richman, PHA Board of Commissioner; Kelvin Jeremiah, Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Branding your city, whether through logos, trademarks or historical importance, helps convey a place’s cultural values, but is also essential in competing for desirable tourism and investment dollars.  When communicating this brand, the details matter, right down to the signage systems employed at neighborhood levels.  Philadelphia already has high quality, unified walking and vehicular wayfinding signage systems that were long ago established.  More recently, the Central Philadelphia Transportation Management Association (CPTMA), in partnership with regional transit service providers, set to increase visibility of and access to Philly’s multi-modal, regional transit system as well, and visually link it to the City’s existing wayfinding systems. 

CPTMA’s goal was simple: create a single brand of Philly’s transit systems by highlighting and unifying access to underground transit in Center City.  The ‘highlighting’ part has come in the form of visually intriguing, green back-lit “lollipop” signs that mark entrances to Philly’s 3.5 mile underground concourse system that links together the subway, trolley lines and regional rail.  The ‘unifying’ part has come in the form of the “lollipop” signs, but also information at the surface as to which train lines users can access at each stop; information about the Walk! Philadelphia and Direction Philadelphia sign systems that can be followed by pedestrians and cars; and below the surface, maps of the 3.5 mile underground concourse as well as attractions found above ground around each stop.  By the end of September, after years of implementation efforts, the signage system will officially be complete.

Selling the brand wasn’t always easy, according to Paul Levy, President and CEO of Center City District (CCD).  When CCD originally approached SEPTA and PATCO about creating a unified signage system to be shared by the two transit authorities, all parties were on board.  But, as Levy describes, neither party wanted to erase their individual identity.  Through a series of negotiations and back and forth conversations, the transit authorities and CCD eventually reached a compromise to retain each transit providers brand, but on unified physical signs.  Thus the green “lollipop” and associated directional signage came to be.  All parties: pleased; a unified brand: defined.    

Today, with nearly 90 percent of signs installed, Levy owes a great deal of thanks to a number of property owners and their “willingness to share the cost of installing the system adjacent to their buildings,” likely because they understood the benefit of the unified system.  And he hopes more potential partners will come on board in the future.  “We’ve shared the system with Temple, Drexel, Penn and the University City District and have encouraged them to extend it.” 

Source: Paul Levy, President and CEO of Center City District
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Acts of solidarity and partnership took the form of loud beating drums last night in Francisville as local school marching bands led groups of community members and civic leaders on a walk through city streets for Lower North/Central North Philadelphia’s National Night Out Stroll.

In its 29th year of existence, the National Night Out campaign involves citizens, law enforcement officials, civic groups, and other stakeholders from over 15,000 communities in all 50 states who band together and heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, as well as generate support for, and participate in, local anti-crime programs.  In Philly’s Francisville, Fairmount, Strawberry Mansion, and Greater Brewerytown neighborhoods, neighbors and partners showed their solidarity by leaving their porch lights on and strolling the streets together, beginning at the Arts Garage in Francisville and ending at Mander Recreation Center in Strawberry Mansion. 

But this year, Philly’s stroll brings an extra oomph of significance, showcasing the area's ability to work together for common goals. The following organizations joined forces for Night Out: Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation, Fairmount Communty Development Corporation, Greater Brewerytown Community Development Corporation, Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Action Center, Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation, West Girard Community Council, Project H.O.M.E., and the Arts Garage.

According to Naomi Robertson with the Fairmount Community Development Corporation, this collaboration is what sets their event apart from similar events across the city and nationwide. 

“The fact that we were able to get so many community organizations together makes our event very unique.  All of the organizations serve as community beacons, so it was extremely important to have them involved, as they would be the ones to garner support from their respective communities.”  

Event organizers believe the collaboration between neighborhoods will go a long way towards many positive outcomes, including making residents feel safer and more connected to their neighbors.  “While Philadelphia is called ‘the city of neighborhoods’ there are times when those distinctions can make it seem like every neighborhood is an island of its own,” says Robertson, “and we wanted to show that that's not the case.  It’s a way for us all to celebrate together, to walk with each other, have our children talk to each other, and break down some of the barriers we've placed up.” 

For Lower North/Central North Philadelphia, crime prevention and awareness won't stop here.  Robertson and other civic leaders hope the collaboration continues at unprecedented levels, starting with assigning responsibility and disseminating information among residents.  “A big piece of National Night Out is developing and supporting Block Watch and Block Captain initiatives, and we believe empowering block captains is the most effective way to engage the rest of the community.”    

Writer: Greg Meckstroth
Source: Naomi Robertson, Fairmount Community Development Corporation

The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA) has begun the process of marketing an 18,500-square foot parcel of land in the fast-growing Francisville neighborhood. The parcel, which is on the 1700-block of Folsom St. and is zoned R (Residential)-10, currently consists of vacant land, which is located next to three Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) houses, and one market-rate residence, says Leigh Jones, a project manager within the PRA. The current residences could represent a further development opportunity.  A pre-submission conference was held last week to interested developers and community groups.

“We’re really excited about the Francisville neighborhood,” says Jones, who adds that it’s five blocks from the Fairmount Broad Street Subway Station and near parks and green space. In addition, it’s situated not far from Fairmount Ave, which has ample dining, shopping, and café options. 

The Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation (FNDC) has some very strong opinions about what it would and would not like to see go into the PRA property.

“We [Francisville] are over-saturated with affordable housing,” says Penelope Giles, the executive director of FNDC. “The neighborhood is not going to accept any more subsidized affordable housing.” Instead, Giles hints that two or three bedroom condominiums would be a great fit for the neighborhood. 

The Redevelopment Authority will gather submissions from developers for the property through June 21. She says that submissions should include a development pro forma and financial plan, a statement of qualifications and financial responsibility and a Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (MBE and WBE) plan. 

As of the pre-submission conference, the PRA admitted it has not yet talked with the PHA about the three existing public housing properties. Instead, they're leaving it up to the developers to contact the PHA themselves. The parcel of land runs from 1716 to 1726 Folsom St. and then from 1730 to 1750 Folsom. 703-705 N. 18th St. is also affected. The developers in the room certainly sounded interested, representing Community Ventures, Altman Management Company, Loonstyn Properties, Pennrose Properties, and Universal Companies.

Sources: Leigh Jones, PRA and Penelope Giles, FNDC
Writer: Andy Sharpe

It's not your typical tourist destination, but a stretch of lower Germantown Avenue is now in the process of becoming world famous. This week, Mural Arts Program kicked off Philly Painting, led by Dutch artists Jeroen Haas and Dre Urhahn, AKA Haas & Hahn.

"The first part will go on from where we are standing now as far as you can see," said Urhahn, pointing north from the corner of Germantown Avenue and West Huntingdon Street. The One+Seven Variety Store, owned by Mrs. Tokhui Kelly, is the starting point for the massive 100,000 square foot project. The corner store at 2601 Germantown Avenue has been transformed with blocks of color Kelly chose from a palate of 50 options offered by the artists. "I chose bright colors," says Kelly. "Everybody pays attention. It helps this neighborhood look good."

Urhahn says he and Haas settled on the fifty color set by doing a photographic analysis of the city of Philadelphia, choosing hues most commonly seen on the streets. Each building owner has the option of selecting color combinations. "Some are not interested, and some think it's important. They might come back twenty times, while other shop owners tell us just to make something nice."

Located just steps away from the Village of Arts and Humanities, the Germantown corridor project has hired a paint crew of 21 local young people, but this summer, Elizabeth Grimaldi, director of the Village, says she'll be running a free summer camp to attract some of the 1800 kids in walking distance of the project.

Mayor Michael Nutter stopped by for Wednesday's kickoff, and highlighted $3.5 million in improvements to the Germantown Avenue corridor, funded mostly by the Department of Commerce and assisted by the Planning Commission. The project was among those funded by the Knight Arts Challenge.

"In reality," adds Urhahn, pointing to cracks in one store's facade, "these buildings need a lot of attention. But this project is the first step to more businesses coming in, and more money moving around."

Source: Dre Urhahn, Elizabeth Grimaldi, Mrs. Tokhui Kelly, Mayor Michael Nutter
Writer: Sue Spolan

We recently told you about the redevelopment spree occurring on Broad St. in North Philadelphia. While the high-value development is mostly confined to Broad St., there is some interesting residential redevelopment being proposed for the streets around it. One of the most promising developments is Ingersoll Homes, an affordable housing complex and park at 16th and Master Sts. Ingersoll is being pushed by Community Ventures, an affordable housing developer that does a lot of work in neighboring Francisville. 

Community Ventures is looking to put up 10 single-family units, eight three-bedroom houses, and two four-bedroom homes, all of which will be owner-occupied, says Steve Kaufman, the executive director of Community Ventures. Kaufman plans on offering the single-family homes for $140,000 each, and they'll only be available to community members who are interested in purchasing. This is to allay community fears about the influx of Temple U. students renting property, which has intensified with the proposed Neighborhood Improvement District (NID).

One of the really unique components to Ingersoll Homes is a developer who's interested in not just housing, but also a park. Kaufman underscores how much the neighborhood deserves a park. A "2015 park expansion plan regards the surrounding area as a high priority for placement of a new park because it is far away from any existing park, is high density, and [is in] an underserved neighborhood (high poverty rate, etc)," says Kaufman. 

Because of Kaufman's affinity for parks, Community Ventures took the initiative to approach the city's Parks and Recreation and Water Departments. He says that both agencies quickly developed an interest in Ingersoll Homes and endorsed Ventures' application to the city's Office of Housing and Community Development for funding. Kaufman reports that the PWD is excited to use Ingersoll Park to manage stormwater that would otherwise flow into the city's antiquated combined sewer/stormwater system. 

Kaufman hopes to begin construction on Ingersoll Homes and Park in late winter next year. He admits that Community Ventures still needs to go through the bureaucratic approval process, which will include Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) variances. Yet, he doesn't anticipate much trouble. "The development has been strongly supported by Council President Darrell Clarke and the surrounding community," Kaufman says.

Source: Steve Kaufman, Community Ventures   
Writer: Andy Sharpe

In a neighborhood short on new developments and long on challenges, just about any project is welcomed. In Philadelphia's Nicetown, a transit-oriented development (TOD) project known as Nicetown Court II is being viewed as a key piece in the neighborhood's comeback puzzle as it would bring low-income housing and retail to the community around the Wayne Junction train station.

Nicetown Court II is designed with 50 low-income rental units and ground-floor retail, according to Richard Redding, the director of the Community Planning Division of the City Planning Commission. The complex would be at the intersection of Wayne and Windrim Aves, across the street from Wayne Junction. The apartments would be mostly two- and three-bedroom, with a few four-bedroom units. In addition, Redding adds there would be around 5,000 sq. ft. of retail, which could be frequented by Court residents, other Nicetown residents, or train commuters.

No word on when construction will begin, although it was recommended by the City Planning Commission last week and also has Redevelopment Authority approval. The development is a collaboration between the Nicetown CDC and Kenny Gamble’s Universal Companies.  

While part of the story is that Nicetown Court II will provide development nourishment for a hungry Nicetown, the other part is how this is a prime example of TOD. There will be a stop for SEPTA’s Route 23 bus right outside the Court that can take residents to Northwest, North, and South Philadelphia, and Center City. The complex is also a pebble’s flick away from Wayne Junction. “This is a train station that is being re-constructed,” says Redding, who adds that this development is in line with his agency’s TOD plans for both Nicetown and Germantown.

Nicetown Court II follows the December completion of Nicetown Court I, which contains four stories with 37 mixed-income apartments and ground floor retail, a little further down Germantown Ave. The original Nicetown Court is now fully occupied. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Richard Redding, Philadelphia City Planning Commission

When it comes to sustainable transportation around Philadelphia, pedestrians have been without an active group speaking on their behalf since PhillyWalks ended about a decade ago. While bicyclists have enjoyed advocacy from the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and mass transit riders have been represented by the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, pedestrians have not found a similar voice recently. That is, until now. The Clean Air Council has just formed a pedestrian advocacy group, and is in the process of creating an agenda for those who travel with two feet on the pavement.

This new group, dubbed the "Pedestrian Advocacy Project," has met twice so far and has crowdsourced its agenda through the hundreds of people who are on its listserv, according to Dennis Winters, a trails associate at the Council who is leading the project. Winters says e-mail participants indicated the biggest problem facing pedestrians is that "red-green lights (are) not synced right." In other words, traffic lights around the Philadelphia area often favor motorists over pedestrians.

At the project’s second meeting, the 10 or so attendees largely agreed with the e-mail survey. They discussed intersections in Philadelphia, such as 20th and JFK Blvd., that are not as pedestrian-friendly as they believe they should be. Attendees arrived at the conclusion that pedestrian countdown signals and corresponding traffic lights should be re-timed to equalize the playing field between drivers and walkers. By the end of the evening, a committee had formed to study pedestrian countdown signals, and how they could be improved.

One prevailing question for the nascent advocacy group is whether pedestrian countdown signals themselves are to blame for diminishing the pedestrian experience, or whether bad behavior on the part of motorists is to blame. Deborah Schaaf, an employee of the City Planning Commission and a walker herself, says that police enforcement of aggressive driving had to be cut short due to lack of funds. In fact, police overtime money that was supposed to go to the "Give respect, get respect" campaign targeting vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian infractions instead went to Occupy Philly coverage.

The Pedestrian Advocacy Project’s online members also indicated that the presence of outdoor seating and other obstructions blocking sidewalks, traffic laws not being adequately enforced, and aggressive drivers turning left were other impediments for pedestrians. Most members of the listserv attended the Academy of Natural Sciences forum "Walkability: Philadelphia Strides into the Future," which was where the pedestrian advocacy group was unveiled. Given that just about everyone in Philadelphia walks, even if it is just to get to their car or train, this group could help a lot of people.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Dennis Winters