PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[blart]

5/11

Girard and Leopard Sts. Where the 7-11 was.

[Mark in Mount Airy]

Originally Posted by cardeza

chestnut hill is not economically diverse

There are huge apartment complexes in Chestnut Hill that are part of the local elementary school catchment area and are populated with people of more modest means. Also, there are a lot of blocks of rowhouses -- and I don't mean townhouses, I mean rowhouses.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Mark in Mount Airy

There are huge apartment complexes in Chestnut Hill that are part of the local elementary school catchment area and are populated with people of more modest means. Also, there are a lot of blocks of rowhouses -- and I don't mean townhouses, I mean rowhouses.

there are smaller homes, that isnt the same as being economically diverse when even a small house in CH costs$ 400k+. And I can tell you is not that ethnically diverse.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by MAF1968

I work at Engine-25 in Kensington. 30 over dose calls since 8:00 am yesterday morning. That's for the Engine. Two medic units in the same station and I haven't checked on what they did the last 24 hours but I'm certain they got crushed too. No one went anywhere. The drugs are in Kensington. The drug addicts will stay in Kensington. Ruth Street today had a report of 15 overdoses going on at the same time. It's going to be a long summer.

1. Thank you for your service. I can't imagine how intense many of your days must be.

2. I don't disagree. But I think the message the city is sending is an important one. The free for all and very public display and use of drugs will no longer be tolerated. I know for sure it's not going to change over night and for sure it won't leave Kensington, but if it's gonna exist, it doesn't have to infringe on the lives of everyone else around there. It's been absolute mayhem up until now. And if anything, it'll get worse in the short term as people scramble to figure out their next move.

Nonetheless, the city is going to have to keep at it. There has to be friction for these addicts. I personally believe very few of them will recover and will likely eventually kill themselves, so in the interim it's about not making it so easy for new folks to come and get sucked into the mayhem so that we're reducing the size of the pipeline. That involves not making it comfortable.

So many of the people on the streets of Kensington are NOT from Philadelphia. In my mind, this is about deterence. Don't come here you are not welcome.

[BroadandMarket]

Kudos to whoever the US Department of Transportation hired to make this video because it's super well done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0aKvo05LuY

Here's the description from the YouTube link:
"Since its inception in the 1960s, the Vine Street Expressway has represented a threat to the Chinatown community, despite years of protest. Upon completion in the 1990s, the highway effectively separated the neighborhood with 13 lanes of traffic, dividing the community. With over 100,000 vehicles a day passing through a mixed-use neighborhood, the expressway causes daily threats ranging from pedestrian and road safety to air and noise pollution, among others.

USDOT recently awarded $159 million through the Reconnecting Neighborhoods and Communities (RCN) Grant program, which will cap over the Vine Street Expressway with greenspace and implement other improvements to address historic inequities, reconnect the Chinatown community, and improve quality of life. This solution was advanced and supported by the local community.

This investment is part of $3.3 billion in grant awards for 132 projects in over 40 states through the RCN program and is aimed at reconnecting communities that were cut off or harmed by transportation infrastructure decades ago.

About the "Investing in America" series
Our “Investing in America” video series tells a deeper story of how President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is creating jobs, improving lives, and building stronger communities."

Once again though...this is is going to gentrify Chinatown way more than the 76ers arena ever could and the gentrification is going to be blamed on the 76ers despite the main gentrification taking place around Vine street, not Filbert.

[gjrip]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

Once again though...this is is going to gentrify Chinatown way more than the 76ers arena ever could and the gentrification is going to be blamed on the 76ers despite the main gentrification taking place around Vine street, not Filbert.

Well tbh I’m pretty sure once it’s built most people won’t be talking about that impact anymore, they’ll be seeing their favorite artists play there. Could be wrong. Most people will eventually come to realize that it isn’t even in Chinatown.

[jaysb]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

Kudos to whoever the US Department of Transportation hired to make this video because it's super well done:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0aKvo05LuY

Here's the description from the YouTube link:
"Since its inception in the 1960s, the Vine Street Expressway has represented a threat to the Chinatown community, despite years of protest. Upon completion in the 1990s, the highway effectively separated the neighborhood with 13 lanes of traffic, dividing the community. With over 100,000 vehicles a day passing through a mixed-use neighborhood, the expressway causes daily threats ranging from pedestrian and road safety to air and noise pollution, among others.

USDOT recently awarded $159 million through the Reconnecting Neighborhoods and Communities (RCN) Grant program, which will cap over the Vine Street Expressway with greenspace and implement other improvements to address historic inequities, reconnect the Chinatown community, and improve quality of life. This solution was advanced and supported by the local community.

This investment is part of $3.3 billion in grant awards for 132 projects in over 40 states through the RCN program and is aimed at reconnecting communities that were cut off or harmed by transportation infrastructure decades ago.

About the "Investing in America" series
Our “Investing in America” video series tells a deeper story of how President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is creating jobs, improving lives, and building stronger communities."

Once again though...this is is going to gentrify Chinatown way more than the 76ers arena ever could and the gentrification is going to be blamed on the 76ers despite the main gentrification taking place around Vine street, not Filbert.

I see this written a lot. The plans are just ok but I have a hard time believing people will be flocking to this area of the city because of a few blocks cap on top of a highway. It makes the crossing less bad but still has its inherent challenges. Time will tell!

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by jaysb

I see this written a lot. The plans are just ok but I have a hard time believing people will be flocking to this area of the city because of a few blocks cap on top of a highway. It makes the crossing less bad but still has its inherent challenges. Time will tell!

I think you're understating the benefits by a lot.

A capped highway with green space will make the Vine Street corridor infinitely more desirable from a living perspective. And with the highest concentration of under-utilized/parking lots in Center City, I think there's little question it will be eyed for more intense development.

[MAF1968]

I'm thrilled they are doing something. Doing nothing is never the correct approach. I'm for treatment and enforcement. Specifically attacking the open air drug market. You'll never stop them. They are nomads and shut one corner down and they'll move to the next. It's currently nuts that they sit there dealing without any repercussions.

[BroadandMarket]

Yeah I mean Callowhill, East Poplar, West Poplar and the southern park of Northern Liberties have seen massive explosions but the area of Vine from Broad to 7th is still a lot of surface parking lots and underutilized space despite being a 5-10 minute walk to city hall...it's going to fill in, especially if the rail park gets finished.

These are all large apartment buildings from just the last 7 years. The the lots are filling in and the northern portion of Chinatown is next. As a side note, Septa needs to reopen Spring Garden stop on Broad-Ridge spur.

Hanover on Broad Street.
LVL North
The Noble at 200 Spring Garden
Carson at 5th and Spring Garden
408 Spring Garden St.
Broad and Noble
689 N. Broad St.
545 North Broad St.
619 North Broad
1314 Spring Garden St
1201-15 Callowhill St.
1306 Callowhill St.
417 Callowhill Street
Quincy at 741 Spring Garden St.
Crane Arts Building
1201 Vine Street

[Knight Hospitaller]

I too am happy to see this gash repaired, but as has been mentioned before, Chinatown was already separated by multiple traffic lanes decades before the expressway. The eastern portion of Vine Street was 10 lanes at street level since the 50s. Imagine those crosswalks. If anything, the submerged expressway was a vast improvement over what was there.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by UrbanRevival

I think you're understating the benefits by a lot.

A capped highway with green space will make the Vine Street corridor infinitely more desirable from a living perspective. And with the highest concentration of under-utilized/parking lots in Center City, I think there's little question it will be eyed for more intense development.

And thus gentrification. If they were holding this project to the standards they are holding 76 Place, they should be demanding something different.

Hopefully, the Asian-owned parking lots and buildings that 76 Place detractors are assuming will sell-out their Chinatown residents because of that development won't react similarly when this project boosts real estate values.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

I too am happy to see this gash repaired, but as has been mentioned before, Chinatown was already separated by multiple traffic lanes decades before the expressway. The eastern portion of Vine Street was 10 lanes at street level since the 50s. Imagine those crosswalks. If anything, the submerged expressway was a vast improvement over what was there.

Also, it seems like there are two issues here - Vine Street and the Vine Street Expressway. All the danger for pedestrians is created by Vine Street. The expressway severed the northern border of Chinatown with the rest of the city but the dangers associated with Vine Street will remain as long as it's open to vehicular traffic.

[Gatorade_Jim]

Originally Posted by Redddog

Also, it seems like there are two issues here - Vine Street and the Vine Street Expressway. All the danger for pedestrians is created by Vine Street. The expressway severed the northern border of Chinatown with the rest of the city but the dangers associated with Vine Street will remain as long as it's open to vehicular traffic.

It's pretty wild how much less safe Vine street feels than Race. Even beyond traffic safety. I won't walk Vine street from Logan Sq to Callowhill at night because it just feels so unsafe. Race street is totally different though. One has lots of businesses and things going on most hours of the day while the other is a car gutter that's actively hostile to pedestrians.

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by Redddog

And thus gentrification. If they were holding this project to the standards they are holding 76 Place, they should be demanding something different.

Hopefully, the Asian-owned parking lots and buildings that 76 Place detractors are assuming will sell-out their Chinatown residents because of that development won't react similarly when this project boosts real estate values.

Hopefully, they get creative and do some Chinese architecture high rises to meet the new demand. Maybe in the end, they end up with a big, better, and more modernized area that still serves their community.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

Hopefully, they get creative and do some Chinese architecture high rises to meet the new demand. Maybe in the end, they end up with a big, better, and more modernized area that still serves their community.

That's exactly what the entire Chinatown community is trying to prevent.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Redddog

That's exactly what the entire Chinatown community is trying to prevent.

Exactly. If anything is built, it must be of the lowest quality with vinyl windows and metal panel siding everything else is garbage gentrification. Nothing says "Save Chinatown" like another firetrap box slathered in the lowest quality materials done as cheaply as possible. Now THAT"S CHARACTER.

[wcphil]

Apparently they are proposing a 6,000 seat music venue for the stadium complex. I don't recall if that was part of the press release from a few weeks ago. https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20240514.html

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by wcphil

Apparently they are proposing a 6,000 seat music venue for the stadium complex. I don't recall if that was part of the press release from a few weeks ago. https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20240514.html

You heard it here first. That will be the ONLY component of the existing proposal to create a neighborhood that gets built, and it will only be built to try and recover some of the revenue when the Sixers leave.

[ok-ez]

speaking of chinatown they are digging what looks like a new foundation next to everyone's favorite never ending addition