PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Rhynhart > Domb > Brown > Parker > Gym

I saw a recent poll discussion on another forum that has Gym and Rhynhart essentially tied... Likely due to AOC and Bernie Sanders endorsing Gym... As if that is relevant to Philadelphia...

I fear the worst option is becoming a closer reality every passing day.

[SEFTA]

I think Philly has struggled so much the last few decades.
Greed has taken our manufacturing base.
It's left with a glut of unresolved problems.
I think it has created a mindset of insurmountable hurdles.
We soldier on

[Philly Fan]

Philly needs ranked-choice voting, ESPECIALLY in primaries. There's absolutely no legitimate reason not to have it.

[BroadandMarket]

I've done my fair share of hate for PennDot but at least they are trying to are around 676/95 more pedestrian friendly and green. My main question is are they going to maintain it and what will they do to prevent homeless camping?

Link to the survey with more renderings: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GR56Design

[mja]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

I saw a recent poll discussion on another forum that has Gym and Rhynhart essentially tied... Likely due to AOC and Bernie Sanders endorsing Gym... As if that is relevant to Philadelphia...

I fear the worst option is becoming a closer reality every passing day.

My sense is that Gym will not finish in the top two. A lot of progressives I know have misgivings about her tendency towards grandstanding. I think it's likely either Rhynhart or Parker, but we'll see.

[DeltaNerd]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

I've done my fair share of hate for PennDot but at least they are trying to are around 676/95 more pedestrian friendly and green. My main question is are they going to maintain it and what will they do to prevent homeless camping?

The homeless camping is not the primary concern here. Who wants to sit in a park next to a loud highway? The park will be great for storm water management. How would you attract a crowd to this park if its always loud with cars rolling by?

[skyhigh07]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

I saw a recent poll discussion on another forum that has Gym and Rhynhart essentially tied... Likely due to AOC and Bernie Sanders endorsing Gym... As if that is relevant to Philadelphia...

I fear the worst option is becoming a closer reality every passing day.

Whatever poll it was, it wouldn’t have covered the Bernie endorsement, which was yesterday. The last credible poll from a few weeks ago had Gym in third place.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Fair point.

Rhynhart > Domb > Parker > Brown > Gym

Rhynhart and Domb would be the best choices by far. Parker would be OK, and I’ve actually come to like her more over the past few months. I just don’t think she’s a better option than Rhynhart or Domb.

Brown is getting pummeled. No way he wins. I also agree he may be Jim Kenney 2.0.

Gym would be an absolute disaster for this city. Way too progressive (although a fake) and really not at all what the city needs right now. Things I fear would get worse should she become mayor.

[PHLtoNYC]

45-room historic Center City hotel reopening under new operator and flag

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...uare-west.html

A 120-year-old Washington Square West building that has served as home to a number of hotels has been taken over by a new brand.

Red Lion Inn & Suites, a flag of Sonesta International Hotels Corp., is opening a Philadelphia location at 1208 Walnut St. The 45-room hotel is slated to open on May 15.

[jaysb]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

Councilmember Cherelle Parker held a tight rein on development. What would she do as mayor?

Just what I was looking for, thanks!

Seems that she understands the importance of growing the tax base. Having said that I realize a lot of the development decisions get made/broke by councilmanic privilege so maybe the impact of a mayor isn't super critical.


This is the problem:

“We’ve seen across the country, and within Philadelphia, that the more policy is determined at a neighborhood-by-neighborhood level, the more anti-growth it tends to be,” said Emily Hamilton, senior researcher at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center in Virginia. “Housing tends to get voted down because the cost-benefit calculation looks different to immediate neighbors than to the larger community.”

[SEFTA]

More of this please!

2nd Street 2 by

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

I've done my fair share of hate for PennDot but at least they are trying to are around 676/95 more pedestrian friendly and green. My main question is are they going to maintain it and what will they do to prevent homeless camping?

Link to the survey with more renderings: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GR56Design

Whoa! Absolutely impressive. Love all of it. Love them addressing underneath I-95 at the Germantown Ave/Laurel Street/Front Street intersection as well.

Minimize the bench count and supply funding to NLNA to hire private security to walk second street and these pocket parks (similar to Fishtown’s private security along Frankford Ave) could help. You’re never going to address the issue in its entirety though until the city (and really the country as a whole) addresses homelessness issues. Even Rittenhouse Square has its homeless issues. As long as these pocket parks aren’t overrun.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

I've done my fair share of hate for PennDot but at least they are trying to are around 676/95 more pedestrian friendly and green. My main question is are they going to maintain it and what will they do to prevent homeless camping?

Link to the survey with more renderings: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GR56Design

Take a look at the landscaping under 95 in Fishtown and let me know how you think this will age. PennDot didn't even bother picking up the trash before it landscaped. They do have crews that come by to maintain the landscaping, but last time I saw them again notice it does not entail picking up trash (which was never picked up in the first place so it looks like a garbage dump) and someone on the crew was weedwacking ornamental grasses to the root.

So there's that.

Philly really has a deficit when it comes to basic understanding of maintenance of public space. Imagine being the foreman of any of these crews and just being okay with throwing mulch down over a bunch of trash and not thinking to pick it up first. Or driving a street sweeping machine and between jobs and not thinking it would be a good use of your time to put the brushes down so that you could pick up all the trash you're driving by. Or you know, spending $1BN to rebuild 95 and never cleaning it.

It's next level incompetence.

[BroadandMarket]

Yeah the hardscaped area under 95 in Fishtown was terribly planned. It's covered in trash and homeless people are always hanging there. Anything under a highway should be fenced off or parking. It's unrealistic to think about it as a park and will just attract camping. However, these grassy areas of Northern Liberties have a lot of potential, especially with all the units going up around 2nd. Also in regards to sound, the renderings have sound barriers on 95 that are currently not there. So no this will never be a tranquil neighborhood park but it's certainly a massive improvement. I did put a message in the survey about adding a dog park here. I think that would be a great use of some of this green space.

[Dan1]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

45-room historic Center City hotel reopening under new operator and flag

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...uare-west.html

A 120-year-old Washington Square West building that has served as home to a number of hotels has been taken over by a new brand.

Red Lion Inn & Suites, a flag of Sonesta International Hotels Corp., is opening a Philadelphia location at 1208 Walnut St. The 45-room hotel is slated to open on May 15.

Interesting... Reopening on May 15 but no website or ability to book rooms, zero online presence? Also a California-based owner with no connection to Philadelphia. I'm sure plenty of hotels are owned by large out-of-region entities but we'll see what happens. It's a fairly midscale brand so they're not going to be investing a lot into it.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

Yeah the hardscaped area under 95 in Fishtown was terribly planned. It's covered in trash and homeless people are always hanging there. Anything under a highway should be fenced off or parking. It's unrealistic to think about it as a park and will just attract camping. However, these grassy areas of Northern Liberties have a lot of potential, especially with all the units going up around 2nd. Also in regards to sound, the renderings have sound barriers on 95 that are currently not there. So no this will never be a tranquil neighborhood park but it's certainly a massive improvement. I did put a message in the survey about adding a dog park here. I think that would be a great use of some of this green space.

Who approved it? Is this all in Harrisburg? Was there any community input? We spent 8 years debating how to pave Washington Avenue, only to repave it nearly identically to the way it was before.... It seems insane to me that Fishtown community groups OK'd this plan quickly without much conversation. So much $$ was spent on this too, it's mind boggling.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by mja

My sense is that Gym will not finish in the top two. A lot of progressives I know have misgivings about her tendency towards grandstanding. I think it's likely either Rhynhart or Parker, but we'll see.

Agreed. Poll showed 20% undecided- I doubt there are many undecideds considering Gym and she was 3rd in poll. The people who are for her have been for her from the start and they are loyal- they would not be in the 20%.

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Who approved it? Is this all in Harrisburg? Was there any community input? We spent 8 years debating how to pave Washington Avenue, only to repave it nearly identically to the way it was before.... It seems insane to me that Fishtown community groups OK'd this plan quickly without much conversation. So much $$ was spent on this too, it's mind boggling.

Councilpeople have too much power, and not having to deal with Kenyatta Johnson probably helped a lot. The east side of Broad st for the Washington Ave project was OKed without much drama

[DIESELPOLO]

Originally Posted by DeltaNerd

The homeless camping is not the primary concern here. Who wants to sit in a park next to a loud highway? The park will be great for storm water management. How would you attract a crowd to this park if its always loud with cars rolling by?

Felt this. This is nice looking in theory, but making a park and lawn / picnic space next to a highway overpass seems misguided. Stormwater, ornamental plantings, and art seem good. And space for temporary activations like farmers markets or other types of markets (e.g. Christmas tree lot) could be good.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

I saw a recent poll discussion on another forum that has Gym and Rhynhart essentially tied... Likely due to AOC and Bernie Sanders endorsing Gym... As if that is relevant to Philadelphia...

I fear the worst option is becoming a closer reality every passing day.

Originally Posted by mja

My sense is that Gym will not finish in the top two. A lot of progressives I know have misgivings about her tendency towards grandstanding. I think it's likely either Rhynhart or Parker, but we'll see.

Originally Posted by summersm343

Rhynhart and Domb would be the best choices by far. Parker would be OK, and I’ve actually come to like her more over the past few months. I just don’t think she’s a better option than Rhynhart or Domb.

Brown is getting pummeled. No way he wins. I also agree he may be Jim Kenney 2.0.

Gym would be an absolute disaster for this city. Way too progressive (although a fake) and really not at all what the city needs right now. Things I fear would get worse should she become mayor.

Originally Posted by cardeza

Agreed. Poll showed 20% undecided- I doubt there are many undecideds considering Gym and she was 3rd in poll. The people who are for her have been for her from the start and they are loyal- they would not be in the 20%.

I know there are a number of Domb fans here, but it's time to rally around Rhynhart if you don't want to see Gym or Parker as the next mayor.