PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Flyers2001]

Originally Posted by mja

Inga Saffron is so misunderstood on this board.

Such a broad statement, please explain.

[ILovePhilly]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

Such a broad statement, please explain.

Just because I don't like Inga doesn't mean I don't understand her.

My biggest gripe is that she seems to get through 90% of an issue but ALWAYS misses the critical, causal 10% while adding 5% that just becomes the controversy people argue about. (and yes, I don't think she reaches 100%)

For example, in this case she didn't need to put in the Detroit reference and banks are bad for street life regardless of whether chains are forcing out local retailers or whether the street is gaining new energy or not; that's distracting and not really important to the greater issue. She should have focused on reasons why banks are bad for street life and she only mentioned in passing that the old zoning code had the protection that was stripped in the new one. She could have had a more focused article that made slightly more sense and really educated people on the issue.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by mja

Inga Saffron is so misunderstood on this board.

I understand her perfectly. She sucks.

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by ILovePhilly

Just because I don't like Inga doesn't mean I don't understand her.

My biggest gripe is that she seems to get through 90% of an issue but ALWAYS misses the critical, causal 10% while adding 5% that just becomes the controversy people argue about. (and yes, I don't think she reaches 100%)

For example, in this case she didn't need to put in the Detroit reference and banks are bad for street life regardless of whether chains are forcing out local retailers or whether the street is gaining new energy or not; that's distracting and not really important to the greater issue. She should have focused on reasons why banks are bad for street life and she only mentioned in passing that the old zoning code had the protection that was stripped in the new one. She could have had a more focused article that made slightly more sense and really educated people on the issue.

while I may not always agree with the tact - better to at least add some commentary than just be bland and add nothing. On the whole I am ok with it. The fact it bothers people is probably better than no response at all...

[josef]

So the Walnut Street thing is debatable, but her other major point is essentially that at 38th & Chestnut, this standalone, suburban-style bank branch isn't the most appropriate structure for the scale and aspirations of the neighborhood.



How does every single person on this board not agree with that? As for the title of the article, it was obviously provocative, meant to draw people into reading it. And it's possible she didn't even write it; editors often mess with journalists' headlines.

[miesian]

Inga is a decent writer and a good urbanist most of the time. But, she must not realize that Phila has lots of space for ALL kinds of retail in Center City. All of Chestnut is coming back and can hold local/ startup retail.. Nothing wrong with Walnut going upscale. Things change and neighborhoods should and will adapt.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by josef

So the Walnut Street thing is debatable, but her other major point is essentially that at 38th & Chestnut, this standalone, suburban-style bank branch isn't the most appropriate structure for the scale and aspirations of the neighborhood.
How does every single person on this board not agree with that? As for the title of the article, it was obviously provocative, meant to draw people into reading it. And it's possible she didn't even write it; editors often mess with journalists' headlines.

I agree 100% on the 38th and Chestnut plot. Shame on both the property owner and Santander. There is no excuse for this. There is no reason a multi story building couldn't be built here with Santander as a ground floor retail tenant. What a disgrace.

[summersm343]

Divine Lorraine

Blumenfeld expects to begin renovations within the next two months and work completed by years end.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...vine-lorraine-on-north-broad-street.html
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/07...el-about-to-undergo-serious-renovations/

[christof]

[QUOTE=josef;6653704]So the Walnut Street thing is debatable, but her other major point is essentially that at 38th & Chestnut, this standalone, suburban-style bank branch isn't the most appropriate structure for the scale and aspirations of the neighborhood.



This site use to be a 7-11. It was remodeled into a bank. No offense, but the bank is much better than the former 7-11.

[tsarstruck]

Originally Posted by josef

So the Walnut Street thing is debatable, but her other major point is essentially that at 38th & Chestnut, this standalone, suburban-style bank branch isn't the most appropriate structure for the scale and aspirations of the neighborhood.


How does every single person on this board not agree with that? As for the title of the article, it was obviously provocative, meant to draw people into reading it. And it's possible she didn't even write it; editors often mess with journalists' headlines.

No one's arguing that they'd rather have a bank over a tower or an independent shop. The issue is that I'd rather have an orderly and non-meddling zoning code without tons of overlays that do a poor job of predicting winners and best uses. Inga's biggest weakness is her inability to see the contradiction between her advocacy for the new zoning code and her complaints about relatively small consequences of such.

[looper121]

I predict all the Santanders that have popped up this year will be closed by 2016. We already have plenty of megabanks, but we can thank them for spending a buttload of money here on their way back out.

[tsarstruck]

Art Moderne building to get the 9 story addition and hotel after all:

http://planphilly.com/articles/2014/07/1...ood-hotels-plan-for-warner-bros-building

[DIESELPOLO]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Divine Lorraine

Blumenfeld expects to begin renovations within the next two months and work completed by years end.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...vine-lorraine-on-north-broad-street.html
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/07...el-about-to-undergo-serious-renovations/

Prove our collective pessimism about this project wrong, please! Very (guardedly) excited for this.

[PhiLaw]

Two restaurants planned at Divine Loraine Site. Hopefully this helps bring West Fairmount further east.

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2014/0...-new-details-for-the-divine-lorraine.php

[mja]

Inga's primary concern - and the source of her criticism - is good urbanism. That's it, it's really just that simple.

Some people on this board seem to want her to be a cheerleader. That's not her mission nor would it be at all constructive for her to be that. It's through criticism that we get more elegant urban buildings, better thought-out public spaces, and a more dynamic city.

Do I find her to be always on point? Of course not, there are plenty of things I disagree with her on. Does that make her criticism worthless? Of course not.

Some of the comments on this board in response to her article suggest either a misreading of her criticism or a thoughtless reactionary impulse, as if people see her name, click the article, and then immediately look for material that is objectionable or can be twisted to be made objectionable. One poster accused her of NIMBY predilections, which is a complete overreaction. Another suggested that she doesn't know Philadelphia's history, something that you know clearly isn't true if you read her stuff. Yet another accused her of some anti-Philly conspiracy nonsense due to pro-NY bias.

Her biggest complaint in the article is that a low-rise bank is where a tall urban building should be. Does anyone here disagree with her on that?

[Insoluble]

Originally Posted by tsarstruck

Art Moderne building to get the 9 story addition and hotel after all:

http://planphilly.com/articles/2014/07/1...ood-hotels-plan-for-warner-bros-building

Here's an image puled from the video in one of the comments to the planphily article:



It's nothing spectacular, but it's a nice bit of density for that lot. That whole neighborhood between the convention Center and Vine Street could stand some serious development, but the $^&*% convention center cuts it off from the rest of center city. I'm hoping that trend turns around because there are several large empty and underutilized lots here that could easily support high rises with such close proximity to transit etc.

[Plokoon11]

Looked like the comcast tower got hit by lightening , 6abc caught a picture. Neato.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by mja

Inga's primary concern - and the source of her criticism - is good urbanism. That's it, it's really just that simple.

Some people on this board seem to want her to be a cheerleader. That's not her mission nor would it be at all constructive for her to be that. It's through criticism that we get more elegant urban buildings, better thought-out public spaces, and a more dynamic city.

Do I find her to be always on point? Of course not, there are plenty of things I disagree with her on. Does that make her criticism worthless? Of course not.

Some of the comments on this board in response to her article suggest either a misreading of her criticism or a thoughtless reactionary impulse, as if people see her name, click the article, and then immediately look for material that is objectionable or can be twisted to be made objectionable. One poster accused her of NIMBY predilections, which is a complete overreaction. Another suggested that she doesn't know Philadelphia's history, something that you know clearly isn't true if you read her stuff. Yet another accused her of some anti-Philly conspiracy nonsense due to pro-NY bias.

Her biggest complaint in the article is that a low-rise bank is where a tall urban building should be. Does anyone here disagree with her on that?

Well said.

[1487]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Divine Lorraine

Blumenfeld expects to begin renovations within the next two months and work completed by years end.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...vine-lorraine-on-north-broad-street.html
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/07...el-about-to-undergo-serious-renovations/

I dont understand how they can saw work will be done by end of year. That has to be mistake, maybe they mean end of 2015- and even that is aggressive considering they havent started in earnest.

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by 1487

I dont understand how they can saw work will be done by end of year. That has to be mistake, maybe they mean end of 2015- and even that is aggressive considering they havent started in earnest.

Perhaps they are functioning on a Goldex-esque timeframe.