Neighborhood Innovation : Development News

The experimental urban agriculture organization Greensgrow Farms has been operating for nearly two decades in South Kensington where it not only runs a CSA program and a community kitchen, but also educates Philadelphians about sustainable living, and attempts to convince other communities to replicate aspects of its urban farming model.  
 
A little over a week ago, West Philadelphia became an extended member of the Greensgrow family when a gardening center, Greensgrow West, opened on the 4900 block of Baltimore Avenue at the former site of the Elena's Soul jazz club.  
 
The gardening center will remain at the Baltimore Avenue site for at least two years. They will sell plants and fruit trees, and eventually offer workshops similar to those held at the Kensington location. Greensgrow West will also be home to a farmer's market accepting SNAP and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) benefits.
 
According to Greensgrow's Ryan Kuck, himself a 15-year West Philly resident, the organization saw the neighborhood "as really fertile ground," and an ideal location to further explore its mission of creating livable communities on underutilized urban land.

"We know we have a lot of support [in West Philly], and we know there's a market for greening," says Kuck, who adds that Greensgrow's mobile markets, which offer fresh food to underserved communities, are often based in West Philly. "It's also just a really interesting place for us to explore what Greengrow's future model might look like."
 
It's currently unclear what will happen to the site when Greensgrow's lease ends in April 2016.
 
Source:  Ryan Kuck, Greensgrow Farms
Writer: Dan Eldridge
 
Mobile Market photos by Jennifer Britton
Remaining photos by Bryn Ashburn

The intersection of 52nd and Market streets in West Philly has struggled for decades, but prior to SEPTA's reconstruction of the Market-Frankford Line, which wrecked economic havoc on the area, the 52nd Street retail corridor was better known as West Philly's Main Street -- a proud city-within-the-city where small businesses thrived.  
 
The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation (TEC-CDC) has been working for five years to bring that vitality back. And thanks to a grant provided by the Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), they recently hired the street's first-ever commercial corridor manager, Akeem Dixon, whose job description involves returning the retail corridor to its former glory.
 
That's a tall order, to be sure, but according to Dana Hanchin of the Philadelphia LISC office, initiatives are already moving forward.
 
At a recent stakeholders meeting, TEC-CDC revealed some of the key elements of its commercial corridor work plan. It includes beautification efforts such as pop-up gardens on vacant lots, and the launch of both a corridor-specific newsletter and a business directory. A biweekly radio program covering the corridor is now airing on West Philly's community radio station, WPEB 88.1 FM, and a branding campaign is also in the works.
 
Meanwhile, Dixon continues to act as an intermediary between business owners and residents in the area -- something of an impartial ombudsman, whose top priority involves "getting everyone at the same table, and talking," as LISC Philadelphia's James Crowder puts it.
 
"I can't say that wasn't happening before," says Crowder. "But I can say it's happening in a way now that's way more efficient and productive."
 
Source:  Dana Hanchin, LISC Philadelphia
Writer: Dan Eldridge
 
Photos by Samuel Dolgin-Gardner 

It's been four long years since Postgreen Homes, the sustainable development company, made public its intention to construct a contemporary 14-unit Fishtown project with the unlikely moniker of "Awesometown."
 
In late March, during a public launch party at Lloyd Whiskey Bar, Postgreen announced that the ultra energy-efficient project is finally going to happen. ISA is the architectural firm responsible for the design.
 
According to Postgreen's Chad Ludeman, the process of financing Awesometown has been a bit of a departure for the company. As the result of a partnership with the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), Postgreen is pricing four of the 14 customizable townhomes at a discounted rate, making them affordable for moderate-income families.
 
Unlike with most collaborations between for-profit and nonprofit developers, the funds for Awesometown -- which will sit between Thompson and Moyer Streets -- are coming entirely from private sources.

"We're just treating this like a normal project," says Ludeman, "and using the proceeds from the sales of the market-rate units to subsidize the moderate-income units." (Moderate-income residents of Awesometown will be required to have incomes below 100 percent of the city's median income rate.)    
 
Awesometown's market-rate townhomes are selling for $399,000. The company hopes to acheive LEED platinum status for the project -- each of the units will come stocked with eco-friendly appliances, an Energy Star HVAC system and triple pane windows.
 
Postgreen also worked with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to develop a stormwater management plan for the site, 95 percent of which will be permeable, thanks to eco-friendly paving and green roof decks constructed atop each home.   
 
Visit the Postgreen Homes blog for more details on the project and to view an Awesometown promo video. 

Source: Chad Ludeman, Postgreen Homes
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Michael Harris has been executive director of the South Street Headhouse District -- the city's second-oldest business improvement district -- for two years now. One of the first things that struck him about the historic stretch of South Fourth Street known as Fabric Row -- which runs between South and Catherine Streets -- was the dated and run-down feel of the strip.

"There are certain basic streetscape elements that are lacking down there," says Harris. "Like trash cans, pedestrian lighting, and places to sit."
 
Harris was also struck by the fact that many of the new businesses and contemporary boutiques moving into the area are investing in their own properties. Meanwhile, the public elements of Fabric Row, he says, "don't really reflect all the good things that are going on."

And so, along with the Community Design Collaborative, Headhouse District put together a conceptual design for Fabric Row that includes streetscape improvements -- park benches, planters and pedestrian-level lighting, for example. The plan also calls for building façade renovations, an aspect of the project Harris hopes to have funded via the Department of Commerce's Storefront Improvement Program.   
 
Because construction funds for the proposed improvements haven't yet been raised, there's no official timeline for the plan. At the moment, Headhouse District is still rolling it out to the street's stakeholders and attempting to gauge interest.

"There's a tremendous energy going on along Fourth Street right now," says Harris, adding that Fabric Row today has an amazing mix of businesses both brand-new and generations old. "What we're trying to do is to draw that identity out, and make it more apparent."

Source: Michael Harris, South Street Headhouse District
Writer: Dan Eldridge

The Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood of Point Breeze has been experiencing a frenzied pace of development over the past few years, with much of it arriving in the form of new construction units and rehabs from local developer Ori Feibush and his OCF Realty firm.
 
No stranger to community organization turf wars, the area has long been served by the South Philadelphia HOMES Inc.; Feibush launched his own organization, the Point Breeze CDC, in late 2013.

According to the CDC's executive director, Barbara Kelley, "[A lot of] what we're doing right now is supplementing the other agencies' services, and giving referrals to different agencies, like Diversified and Legal Aid."
 
The CDC is also working closing with the Point Breeze Avenue Business Association. And at some point "very soon," the office will install a sign featuring its new logo, which was designed by a neighborhood art student after a recent logo design contest.
 
Along with a few neighborhood music producers and area children, Kelley is also helping to develop an official Point Breeze song. The lyrics, she says, will consist of residents' thoughts and impressions about the neighborhood.

In other Point Breeze development news, OCF Realty recently broke ground on a 22 single-family home project on the 1300 block of Chadwick Street designed by YCH Architect LLC. OCF plans to donate $1,000 to Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary (NICE) for each unit sold by an OCF Realtor.
 
"What we're noticing is that people leave the city after they have kids, and they come back when they're empty-nesters," says OCF's Alexandra Calukovic. Feibush's idea, she says, involves "donating to make a real impact in the community, instead of just donating to donate. And his thought process was that starts with schools."

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Barbara Kelley, Point Breeze CDC; Alexandra Calukovic, OCF Realty
 

Thanks to a newly-inked contract between the Washington Avenue Property Owners Association (WAPOA) and the rehabilitative group known as Ready, Willing & Able (RWA), the mile-long western half of South Philly's Washington Avenue is about to become significantly tidier. (For more on the fate of Washington Avenue West, check out this week's lead feature.)

Along with career development and educational resources, RWA offers paid transitional work to formerly homeless and incarcerated men. That work often comes in the form of park maintenance and street cleaning. For the next 12 months, the "men in blue" (they wear distinctive blue uniforms) will transform the neighborhood's most economically crucial corridor into a much more inviting space.  

"We've know anecdotally for a long time that Washington Avenue is the dirtiest part of this neighborhood," says Andrew Dalzell of the South of South Neighborhood Organization (SOSNA). The group has even utilized something called a "litter index" to quantify the street's trash problem. The conclusion? Not good. But thanks to financial donations from WAPOA, SOSNA, PIDC, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson's office and others, the street is getting $10,000 worth of sprucing up. (The year-long contract began on Feb. 6).            

The RWA contract is especially big news for business owners and developers with a stake in the avenue's future. Various beautification efforts along the street's length have been just one of many initiatives instituted by local community organizations as they've attempted to woo development dollars and investment to the area. 

"I think the goal is [that once] we make this successful on Washington Avenue, Point Breeze Avenue takes note; Oregon Avenue takes note; Snyder Avenue takes note; South Broad takes note," says Dalzell. "The Avenue of the Arts should be hiring these guys, in my view." 

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Andrew Dalzell, South of South Neighborhood Organization (SOSNA)

If you walk the length of East Passyunk Avenue in South Philly -- and end up at the convergence of the Avenue, South Broad and McKean -- you'll see a nondescript slab of concrete that extends outward from the United Savings Bank building. The triangle points westward across Broad, as if directing pedestrians to the Philly Pretzel Factory across the street.

That will soon change. An exciting development is in the offing for that small stretch of concrete -- currently dubbed the East Passyunk Gateway project. Last week, in a small conference room at the old St. Agnes Continuing Care Center on South Broad, Sam Sherman, executive director of the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation (PARC), publicly unveiled the plans, which include a small splash fountain; concrete bench seating and chess-playing tables; various architectural lighting elements; shade trees and street-level planters; and a permanent sound system to accommodate events. The transformation will be possible thanks to a $495,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation. 

And those are just a small handful of the plaza's intended perks. There are also plans for a small, trellis-roofed area that the plaza's designer, landscape architect Bryan Hanes, refers to as "an iconic piece of furniture where events could happen," and where food carts or other vendors could set up shop. There is also talk of a bike-sharing station -- potentially the city's first.

The goal is to break ground on the plaza sometime this May or June. With the project's build-out estimated at six months, there's a possibility that the East Passyunk Gateway could be open for business as early as this fall. 

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Sam Sherman, Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation (PARC) 

Last week, a major step was taken towards eradicating urban blight in Philadelphia. After almost two years, Bill No. 130156, which authorizes the creation of a Land Bank, was passed by the City Council.

Philly is home to 40,000 vacant properties; more than 9,000 are owned by the City. The Land Bank will have the authority to acquire vacant, tax-delinquent properties through sheriff's sale and expedite the process of making them available. It will be the largest municipal land bank in the country.

"Philadelphia is making history," said Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez, the bill's prime sponsor. “Today, we get a step closer to creating a new tool to repurpose vacant, tax-delinquent properties and grow the city's tax base."
 
Passing this groundbreaking legislation was not easy. A dispute between Council President Darrell L. Clarke and Councilwoman Sánchez threatened to stall the Land Bank until after the new year. The issue centered around whether the Vacant Property Review Committee (VPRC), a Council advisory panel that holds monthly hearings on land transfers, would be included as part of the approval process when the land bank sells a property.

Rick Sauer, executive director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC), explained that an agreement was reached by keeping the VPRC's approval in the bill but adding transparency to its workings.

"We realized that to get this done, we had to compromise," says Sauer. 

Land Bank supporters believe the legislation will greatly reduce the barriers to rehabilitation and sale of blighted properties. Flying Kite previously reported on the development of an advocacy group to help the bill's passage, PhillyLandBank.org.

The Philly Land Bank Alliance includes the following stakeholders: the Building Industry Association; City Wide NAC Alliance; Community Design Collaborative; Design Advocacy Group; Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors; Philadelphia LISC; Next Great City/PennFuture; Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations; Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia; Regional Housing Legal Services; and the Sustainable Business Network.

More details about the newly formed Philadelphia Land Bank will be announced in 2014.

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Rick Sauer, PACDC

Over the course of the last decade, the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation has been extremely active. After working to eradicate blight, cut down on crime and bring affordable housing to the neighborhood (located just east of Fairmount and north of Spring Garden), the organization had pivoted towards economic development. The recent opening of Tela's Market & Kitchen at 1833 Fairmount Ave. is the most recent marker of their success.

Developer Daniel Greenberg and Chef Chad Williams (formerly of Jose Garces' Amada and Chifa) partnered to create the artisanal grocery and café. Canno Design's Gabrielle Canno and Carey Jackson Yonce (who also designed Wishbone in University City) created a warm and intimate feel in a single high-ceilinged room by carving out sections for multiple uses. A counter with prepared foods anchors the space, with seating for the made-to-order counter along the windows, and refrigerated cases along the back walls. 

Greenberg, who has lived in Spring Garden with his wife and two young children for the past five years, saw a need for fresh food in the area, and set his sights on a lot that had been vacant for more than 20 years. Greenberg pursued the project because of his passion for the area.

"I am a lifelong Philadelphia resident," he says. "And I think each great neighborhood should have a smaller, more neighborhood-scale specialty market... I started construction on the building in December of 2012. All ground-up construction in the city presents its unique set of challenges, and this project was no exception."

According to Greenberg, the neighborhood has been supportive of Tela's; the market is already drawing repeat customers. Several of the employees live in adjacent neighborhoods, including Francisville, Spring Garden, Fairmount and Brewerytown.

Greenberg's next project in the area will be even more ambitious -- he plans to break ground on a large commercial space with residential units at 1720 Fairmount Avenue in Spring 2014.  

"I am committed to this neighborhood, and look forward to identifying future development opportunities," he says.

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Dan Greenberg, Tela's Market and Kitchen

The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics is doling out $20,000 worth of grants to foster art and design-based projects that address civic challenges or improve public space. Among the winners are Flying Kite favorites such as the Public Workshop, the University City District and Friends of Maplewood Mall in Germantown. The awardees are as follows: 

Public Workshop will receive a $6,000 grant to fund "Choose Your Own City Hall Adventure," a new signage initiative in City Hall that will help individuals navigate the serpentine public space more efficiently.

University City District will receive a $3,900 grant to create "Tree Seats," a functional art project providing seating in naturally shaded areas across the neighborhood.

The North 5th Street Revitalization Project will receive $5,100 to support the "Gateways to Olney: Where Local is Global" project, a collaborative partnership that transforms key bus stops along corridor into small-scale visitor centers.

The Friends of Maplewood Mall will receive a $5,000 grant to make physical improvements to Germantown's historic Maplewood Mall; the grant will also support arts-related programming.

The Challenge Grants Competition is a partnership between the Office of New Urban Mechanics and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Funding is provided by the Knight Foundation and managed by CEOs for Cities.

The fate of Philadelphia's shuttered schools remains up in the air, but there is a glimmer of hope in West Philly. Last week, heavy internet chatter implied that Drexel University was interested in purchasing the University City High School site (the school was one of 23 closed this fall due to budget constraints). It's a huge property in the heart of a rapidly evolving neighborhood, and the deal could have a tremendous impact.

For now, the university is staying relatively tight-lipped. "Drexel is strongly committed to public K-12 education in Philadelphia and particularly in Powelton Village and Mantua," said Drexel Director of Media Relations Niki Gianakaris in an email. "The University is sincerely interested in the future of the University City High School site and will continue to be involved in discussions about the development of the site."

Flying Kite was able to connect with Kira Strong from the People's Emergency Center (PEC), a nonprofit and community development organization working in the West Powelton, Saunders Park and Mantua neighborhoods. They are also watching the situation closely.

One possible option is that Drexel would open a university-assisted school, similar to nearby Penn Alexander. That project has provided stellar education to residents, while also producing a large (and not uniformly welcome) spike in property values within the school's catchment -- home prices have quadrupled since 1998.

"Since it's such a large site, it has such potential to shift so much in our neighborhood," says Strong. "We want to guarantee that there's a community voice in the planning from the outset. How do we steward a really open process?"

Strong also mentions some of the infrastructure issues that could be remediated under Drexel's stewardship.

"When that site was developed -- when they put Drew Elementary and University City High School there -- they closed off the street grid," she explains. "You could argue that it has impacted Lancaster Avenue, and the ability of Lancaster Avenue to remain a connected, vibrant commercial corridor. Is there a way to re-engage the street grid and provide those connections?"

All this speculation certainly speaks to the vibrancy of University City and the wealth of willing partners in such an ambitious project. And while the outcome remains to be seen -- and buying a publicly-owned property is not as simple as putting in an offer -- the deal could be truly transformative. 

"A rising tide lifts all boats," says Strong. "If there is opportunity -- job opportunities, educational opportunity -- for youth who live in that area, that could be a really positive outcome."

The University City Science Center has partnered with Flying Kite to showcase innovation in Greater Philadelphia through the "Inventing the Future" series.

LEE STABERT is managing editor of Flying Kite.

In May 2012, Flying Kite covered the Community Design Collaborative's Transforming Urban Schoolyards design charrette, an event that aimed to rethink Philly's most asphalt-ridden schoolyards. West Philly's Henry C. Lea Elementary was one of the lucky recipients of the charrette's ideas. Now, those visions have a chance to come to life -- Lea is one of 10 finalists for a national $75,000 Green School Makeover grant from Global Green USA.

Julie Scott with the West Philadelphia Coalition for Neighborhood Schools (WPCNS) says the Green School Makeover grant will go towards Lea's ambitious sustainability plans. "We would utilize the grant to get a comprehensive recycling program started for the school," she says. "We’d start with relocating the dumpster off the grounds, which is a huge undertaking."
 
The dumpster would be relocated to the school's north yard to create an area for recycling and compost. This initiative would join other in-progress greening efforts. Last November, through a grant from SCI-West, the elementary school (in partnership with WPCNS) built a 1,400-square-foot planting bed, an early-action project identified during the charrette. Additional walking paths and plantings were added in the spring.

Once complete, the space will reorient the schoolyard as the primary entrance, leading visitors through a garden that would double as an outdoor area for science classes. In addition to the recycling program, the school also hopes to add additional stormwater mitigation features and rooftop solar panels.

The school is still actively searching for other ways to fund its master plan. If you're interested in getting involved in any way, please complete this brief survey or email [email protected] for details. 

Source:  Julie Scott, West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhood Schools
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

On May 21, the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) officially accepted a $750,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation to help restore the legacy of West Philly's Lancaster Avenue as a thriving commercial corridor. First on the docket is the restoration of historic Hawthorne Hall.

The grant is the result of a year-long "Make Your Mark" neighborhood planning process facilitated by PEC. The program brought together stakeholders to discuss a vision for improving the community. The group agreed that it was important to revive the corridor as a cultural destination studded with restaurants and retail locations, fueling economic growth. The grant, part of nearly $1.5 million in total funding to support PEC, is the latest step towards that goal.

"We're very grateful for the investment," says Farah Jimenez, president and CEO of PEC. "It's the culmination of various communities working together for a common purpose."

The redevelopment of historic Hawthorne Hall is a priority project (as identified by the planning process) -- the building is seen as the gateway to the revamped corridor. PEC has purchased two major sections of the Hall for redevelopment. The first, 3849 Lancaster Avenue, has commercial space on the first floor and a theater space on the second.

PEC envisions a sit-down restaurant on the ground floor and a performing arts venue upstairs. For now, the theater will be a site for the Hidden City Festival, allowing visitors to explore the historic space before renovation.

The second section, 3859 - 61 Lancaster Avenue, will be used for two years by Mighty Writers for its afterschool program.  Four housing units on the second and third floors will be part of the future redevelopment.

In addition to these projects, Jimenez says the grant will help PEC hire additional staff to coordinate, organize and implement these exciting projects. 

Source:  Farah Jimenez, President and CEO, People's Emergency Center
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

If you’re a Northwest Philly resident looking to be a bit more green in your daily life, you're in luck. On Wednesday, May 8, the Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC) is hosting a community forum -- entitled "It IS Easy Being Green" -- focused on how residents and businesses can have a positive environmental and economic impact on their community.

The event is the second annual community forum sponsored by GUCDC, a relatively new organization dedicated to the well-being of Germantown.

"We planned the first forum specifically to introduce GUCDC to the community," explains GUCDC's Garlen Capita. "We wanted to answer the question, 'What does a CDC do?'"
 
According to Capita, that event was so successful that they decided to use the same format this year while shifting the focus to sustainability. Like last year's forum, this gathering is all about educating and disseminating information to the community.

"We want everyone who lives and works in Germantown to know that they have the power and the tools to improve the quality of life in their community," says Capita. "Hence the title, ‘It IS Easy Being Green.'"

The forum will begin at 6 p.m. with a "trade show" of organizations involved in sustainability and community issues. Participants include Awbury Arboretum, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Friends of Vernon Park, Kelly Green, PhilaNOMA, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, the Sustainable Business Network, Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed, and Wyck Historic House and Garden.
 
At 7 p.m., a panel will foster a community discussion on the sustainability issues confronting Germantown. The moderator will be Robert Fleming, associate professor of sustainable design at Philadelphia University. Other panel members include Dwayne Wharton, director of external affairs at the Food Trust, representatives from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Christine Knapp from the Philadelphia Water Department.

Also on the panel will be Aine and Emaleigh Doley, sisters and co-organizers of the West Rockland Street Project. They are working with neighbors to revitalize their block using nothing but dedication, plants and trees, and some serious elbow grease.

"We want people to know that if Aine and Emaleigh can do it, they too can turn their neighborhood around," says Capita.

The event is free and open to all. It will be held at the Flying Horse Center (312-316 W. Chelten Avenue). Please RSVP to [email protected].

Source:  Garlen Capita, GUCDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

When The Philadelphia School (TPS) opened its brand new Ellen Schwartz and Jeremy Siegel Early Childhood Education Center at 2501 South Street last September, the project received praise for transforming a neighborhood eyesore into a multipurpose space for students and community gatherings. The hype was channeled mostly towards the building's concept -- a country classroom in the city -- but now, after earning a LEED Silver rating, the project has solidified its sustainability bonafides.
 
TPS, a K-8 educational institution, was founded in 1976 in an old pie factory at 2501 Lombard Street. Local parents were concerned about families fleeing the city for better education opportunities elsewhere. Since then, the school has grown in leaps and bounds, expanding into the entire pie factory.
 
In the late 2000s, still in need of space, TPS looked to an adjacent South Street property with aspirations of creating an education campus for up to 450 students. Now complete, the Schwartz Siegel Building houses four ground-floor classrooms, two for preschool and two for kindergarten.
 
"The new campus is a physical translation of the school's progressive education philosophies," explains Tom Purdy of Purdy O’Gwynn Architects, the firm behind the design.
 
The campus features a 3,100-square-foot eco-friendly school garden, outdoor play spaces that are easily accessible from the classrooms, flexible-use L-shaped classrooms, working gardens, porches to bridge the gap between inside and out, a shared art room and lots of natural light.
 
"We feel we produced a really nice building," says Purdy. "We wanted to be a good neighbor, but still create something clearly different and modern."
 
Construction managers Wolfe Scott & Associates didn’t stop there with smart design principles. The school's sustainable strategies include a large stormwater retention basin under the parking lot, geothermal wells beneath the gardens that heat and cool the building, recycled and regional material usage and stringent waste management practices.
  
Source: Tom Purdy, Purdy O'Gwynn Architects
Writer: Greg Meckstroth