PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by El Duderino

If people on this forum spent as much time cleaning up the streets as they did posting about cleaning up the streets, the entire city would be spotless by Thursday.

lol.

[Knight Hospitaller]

How many government programs have we seen receive increased funding with no appreciable difference in performance? PennDOT needs an intervention before we start throwing more money at it.

[Mark in Mount Airy]

Originally Posted by Justin7

When it comes to road damage, the increase in weight on an EV is a rounding error, and while EV drivers may not contribute to the gas tax they are saving the state orders of magnitude more in medical costs and climate damage mitigation. You're falling for oil industry propaganda.

I'm falling for oil industry propaganda? You have zero clue where i get my information -- and, side note, you made many assertions in your post with no backup. For work purposes I used to attend meetings of the National Governors Association (NGA), and their spinoffs the Democratic Governors Assocation (DGA) and the Republican Governors Association (RGA). Since the gas taxes in most states fund a huge amount of road maintenance, I was in NGA/DGA/RGA meetings at least ten years ago where panelists pointed out that state gas tax receipts would decline as the adoption of electric vehicles proceeded apace, and that ultimately the gas tax needed to migrate to a mileage of vehicles tax. I think the same points were made when years ago I also was attending meetings of the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) but go ahead just disparage other posters about whom you know nothing.

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by Justin7

This is the Groundhog Day of internet forums.

Couldn't have put it better

[Groundhog]

Not sure if this is high rise or low rise since it's getting rid of some high rises, but a funding update on 46th and Market (the have more). I hope they can front Market Street with something nice. Has anyone seen mock ups?

https://www.westphillylocal.com/2024...deral-funding/

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Not sure if this is high rise or low rise since it's getting rid of some high rises, but a funding update on 46th and Market (the have more). I hope they can front Market Street with something nice. Has anyone seen mock ups?

https://www.westphillylocal.com/2024...deral-funding/

https://whyy.org/articles/philadelph...r-to-starting/

Unless things have changed since last year, all three towers should be getting rehabbed now. Initially 2 were to be demoed

[El Duderino]

Some Fishtown retail updates - the Starbucks next to the Rose Garden is coming and a dermatology office is joining Shake Shack and Sweetgreen at 1359 Frankford Ave. It's amazing how different this stretch feels from just five or so years ago, in part due to the changing retail.

The Changing Face of Fishtown Retail
https://jackphillyre.substack.com/p/...ishtown-retail
July 2, 2024

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by PurpleWhiteOut

Couldn't have put it better

Yes it is and I'm guilty but there's little new news on the development front.

So I'd rather spend idle time bickering about something rather than nothing at all.

I think it's clear that we all love this city and region and just want it to improve.

[Londonee]

Anyways…. The large garden lot at the corner of 3rd and Walnut has been completely redone - and now includes (i think) the replica 1976 Liberty Bell in the middle of it. It wasn’t open yet when i walked past the other day but looks beautiful. I’m assuming this is an NPS lot, but haven’t seen any updates/press on its renovation.

[Raja]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Anyways…. The large garden lot at the corner of 3rd and Walnut has been completely redone - and now includes (i think) the replica 1976 Liberty Bell in the middle of it. It wasn’t open yet when i walked past the other day but looks beautiful. I’m assuming this is an NPS lot, but haven’t seen any updates/press on its renovation.

Yup, it's the bicentennial bell.

https://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/rushgarden.htm

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Redddog

lol.

talking about it doesn't get them clean? I refuse to accept that!

[cardeza]

the project in Chestnut Hill at the site of the trolley diner appears to be stalled, I rarely drive past there but I did a week or two ago and there is no activity and no construction equipment. Its up to the first or second floor from what I recall but it's appears frozen in time which is disappointing.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by cardeza

the project in Chestnut Hill at the site of the trolley diner appears to be stalled, I rarely drive past there but I did a week or two ago and there is no activity and no construction equipment. Its up to the first or second floor from what I recall but it's appears frozen in time which is disappointing.

Mount Airy.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

How many government programs have we seen receive increased funding with no appreciable difference in performance? PennDOT needs an intervention before we start throwing more money at it.

this is based on some objective analysis of how they operate? Or based on the fact youve seen potholes on a state road?

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

Mount Airy.

ah, its one block short of CH- you're right.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Mark in Mount Airy

I am personally not opposed to an increase in the gas tax. But we need to realize that Pennsylvania has the third highest gas tax in the nation after California and Illinois, and that it is far higher than any neighboring state. So saying that the gas tax in Pennsylvania is too low, compared to what?

I would argue the bigger problem is that electric vehicles, which experts say are heavy and hard on roads, are exempt from the gas tax and so aren't paying their share of the road usage. And I am not a lover of oil or internal combustion engines.

there are very few Evs on PA roads and I believe a Ev annual fee is part of the next budget so ev people will have to pay up. Good thing the state GOP folks moved aggressively to solve that major problem.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Gatorade_Jim

Yeah the right place to levy fees is for registration or as a property tax. The rate should be directly tied to the weight of your vehicle. That's the most equitable way to do it. Road wear is a function of vehicle weight, so it stands to reason that if you buy a heavier vehicle like a pickup or an SUV, you should pay more than the person who bought a civic.

outside of EVs, the larger a vehicle the more gas it uses so by default the owner of a suburban is paying way less in gax tax than owner of a prius- it works itself out based on engine size, hp and size of vehicle. Of course all that is out the window with EVs. This is why some states are going to a mileage based fee.

[PhillyPDX]

Originally Posted by cardeza

outside of EVs, the larger a vehicle the more gas it uses so by default the owner of a suburban is paying way less in gax tax than owner of a prius- it works itself out based on engine size, hp and size of vehicle. Of course all that is out the window with EVs. This is why some states are going to a mileage based fee.

Highways and bridges are designed for heavy trucks, the delta wear between a Civic and a Tahoe is pretty irrelevant, relatively speaking. That being said, so much cost for roads is beyond just the wear and tear, you have real estate to build, design, general construction (where constant labor is much more than a small increase in steel weight to support heavier loads), etc.

[phishtown]

I'm surprised no one has shared the top story in Inquirer today. It's confirmed John Fry will be the new president of Temple.
. As a Drexel alum I think it's a great thing for Philly as a whole.

Some cool tidbits:

"He sees the potential in Temple’s vast research enterprise to spur a “North Philadelphia innovation corridor,” running up Broad Street from Temple’s main campus to its health system campus about 1½ miles away."

And saving UArts might actually be happening:
"Fry, Morgan said, is on board with Temple’s pursuit of a merger with the recently shuttered University of the Arts. Morgan said he updated Fry on the talks Monday to make sure he was in support of proceeding.

He said, ‘completely, yes,’ Morgan said."

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by cardeza

this is based on some objective analysis of how they operate? Or based on the fact youve seen potholes on a state road?

Do not feed the troll.