PHILADELPHIA-CAMDEN-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY-READING | Metro Development Thread

[PHLtoNYC]

Cabrini University plans to close, sell campus to Villanova
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...i-college.html

The schools have agreed in principle to a deal for Villanova to assume ownership of the land after Cabrini graduates its final class in 2024.

[gjrip]

Anyone from around there anticipating some specific impact? Kinda interesting, wonder what they turn it into. Can't verify but I saw on reddit that apparently Villanova isn't converting Cabrini students into Nova students. Totally sucks for those people

[Aether]

Ok this might be over-dramatic of me, but im looking through this thread, google earth and some other sites and this is a LOT of development going on right now. Would it be right to say we are in the midst of a development boom? As a region and city? At least relative to our "Normal" amount of construction lately.

[iamdjmichael]

Any word on this? https://www.delawarepublic.org/show/...ons-riverfront

Can't remember if I've seen it before

[Jawnadelphia]

Originally Posted by iamdjmichael

Any word on this? https://www.delawarepublic.org/show/...ons-riverfront

Can't remember if I've seen it before

I remember posting about it back in the winter - we’re waiting for it begin, thanks for the reminder. The article said, groundbreaking late spring/early summer… so should be any day now (as long as the project is still a go).

[EastSideHBG]

Developer buys longtime Customers Bank headquarters in Phoenixville with plans for apartment conversion (99 Bridge St.)
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...QyGNccq9vv7a3E

[iamdjmichael]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

I remember posting about it back in the winter - we’re waiting for it begin, thanks for the reminder. The article said, groundbreaking late spring/early summer… so should be any day now (as long as the project is still a go).

Awesome. Does Wilmington have a site like this one in Boston for its major projects? I feel like it next to impossible to find renderings and details until it’s basically being built. https://www.bostonplans.org/projects...=DESC&type=dev

[Jawnadelphia]

Originally Posted by iamdjmichael

Awesome. Does Wilmington have a site like this one in Boston for its major projects? I feel like it next to impossible to find renderings and details until it’s basically being built. https://www.bostonplans.org/projects...=DESC&type=dev

No, nothing that comprehensive. The City does post meeting agenda’s on the City’s website for City Planning Commission meetings, Historic Preservation meetings, Zoning Board of Adjustment meetings — but unless you review the monthly agenda’s and email them for renderings they don’t post them. Also, I have emailed for plans/renderings … and usually never hear back, it’s frustrating. Of course, you can attend meetings via Zoom (I’m not sure if in-person meetings ever re-started since covid), if truly interested, I do sometimes… but it gets tiresome.

[EastSideHBG]

Many interesting things coming out of Conshy and Whitemarsh Twp. along with these little border "disputes" and new apartment units straddling borders:

Draft ordinance in Whitemarsh Township that would add an extension of Washington Street to township map


The effort to extend Washington Street to Lee Street has been underway for several years (and wanted for longer than that) as it would provide an additional crossing over the railroad tracks. Without the crossing, anyone entering the riverfront must utilize one of the crossings in the Borough of Conshohocken.
https://morethanthecurve.com/draft-o...-township-map/



Conshohocken number one in new housing units in Montgomery County
https://morethanthecurve.com/conshoh...gomery-county/

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Many interesting things coming out of Conshy and Whitemarsh Twp. along with these little border "disputes" and new apartment units straddling borders:

Draft ordinance in Whitemarsh Township that would add an extension of Washington Street to township map

Conshohocken number one in new housing units in Montgomery County
https://morethanthecurve.com/conshoh...gomery-county/

Very interesting--thanks for sharing. Extending Washington Street makes all the sense in the world for adequate connectivity, so I hope the powers that be consider it likewise. Also crazy that little Conshy is the housing development leader in the county, but I'm glad to see so many units concentrated in a more urban/walkable/transit-oriented suburban locale.

Surprised not to see Lower Merion (which would include Ardmore and Bala Cynwyd) on the MontCo housing unit construction tally for 2022. I have to think that's an omission.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by UrbanRevival

Very interesting--thanks for sharing. Extending Washington Street makes all the sense in the world for adequate connectivity, so I hope the powers that be consider it likewise. Also crazy that little Conshy is the housing development leader in the county, but I'm glad to see so many units concentrated in a more urban/walkable/transit-oriented suburban locale.

It's crazy to see Conshy's growth and along the river is like an additional small city and when everything is online there's going to be a lot of activity down there. The flooding will be a major concern, though.

Surprised not to see Lower Merion (which would include Ardmore and Bala Cynwyd) on the MontCo housing unit construction tally for 2022. I have to think that's an omission.

Much of LM's construction was prior to 2022:

https://www.montgomerycountypa.gov/D...ng-Units-Built

[Jawnadelphia]

I hadn't been down to UD's Star Campus in a few years -- the Chemours lab building is open, the new FinTech building is open. The Septa/Amtrak station was redone a few years ago (let's hope the MARC line is linked up with the Newark Station in the coming years).

There are at least two new buildings in the works -- mentioned in the article here.
https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/ne...-sabre-center/

Grain - a local restaurant chain (Kennett Square/Trolley Square/Main Street, Newark) has opened up a restaurant/bar on campus now as well.
https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2023/jun...tech-building/

There are some talks of adding student housing and a hotel on site as well. Overall, the STAR Campus is turning out to be a boon not only for UD, but the region in general. If we can get some residential development down there - it will be it's own little modern/tech-village.

Chemours building -






The new FinTech building -


Newer building - opened a couple years ago -


UD building with the Tower @ STAR campus behind it -




Redone Septa/Amtrak station - not sure why the stairs are blocked off, and the elevator was turned off, and the indoor seating area was locked - but it's nice, and there are even EV charging stations in the parking lot.




View of the STAR Campus from the train station -

[Knight Hospitaller]

The train station is not bad, but who decided that bringing back seventies-looking bespeckled concrete walls was a good idea? Even a little colored waterproofing would go a long way.

[Jibba]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

The Cooper - 200 block of Market Street:

Love what they did with the old facade here. Great-looking infill development.

[ZSuede]

Parking garage at 2nd and King in Wilmington, for Chase Bank, is going up fast - always nice to see a downtown parking lot bite the dust

[Jawnadelphia]

Originally Posted by ZSuede

Parking garage at 2nd and King in Wilmington, for Chase Bank, is going up fast - always nice to see a downtown parking lot bite the dust

Well ZSuede, you did an update I could not bring myself to do... an update on a parking garage (lol)! I guess in a sense, I am happy the garage represents Chase's continued loyalty to Wilmington, but damn, it's a parking garage! with no retail option on the first level as far as I know. Also, for the long-timer's on here, that lot was once destined to be a third Chase tower, to be built by Brandywine Realty Trust, and designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, as a sort of little brother to the Cira Centre -- it obviously never happened, and the plan died during the recession of the last decade.

Here's an old rendering and signage that sat on the parking lot for years:

---

From my journey down to Newark, DE - I failed to post a few other items, the new science lab for the fire damaged McKinley Lab on UD's main campus is well underway. The new building will be called - "Building X" - more info here and a completed rendering below: https://delawarelive.com/uds-buildin...uman%20disease






And finally - Hyatt Place's overbuild of this old historic building on Main Street, Newark (serpentine stone) is well... you be the judge. I'm glad to see all the new development on and around Main Street/UD, but I feel like this overbuild only gave the Newark NIMBY's a lot of ammo because it completely overwhelms the older buildings around it. Also, the overbuild/new building - has a twin behind it, which I did not take a picture of, but the second building is an apartment building separated by a small parking lot.

[ZSuede]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

Well ZSuede, you did an update I could not bring myself to do... an update on a parking garage (lol)! I guess in a sense, I am happy the garage represents Chase's continued loyalty to Wilmington, but damn, it's a parking garage! with no retail option on the first level as far as I know. Also, for the long-timer's on here, that lot was once destined to be a third Chase tower, to be built by Brandywine Realty Trust, and designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners, as a sort of little brother to the Cira Centre -- it obviously never happened, and the plan died during the recession of the last decade.

Haha, I figured I'd snap an "action" pic from my car. It's a shame this is yet another garage in the sea of lots and garages in this area. I wonder if COVID was the final nail in the coffin for that tower. Office is certainly not in vogue for downtown nowadays

[jonesrmj]

Originally Posted by ZSuede

Haha, I figured I'd snap an "action" pic from my car. It's a shame this is yet another garage in the sea of lots and garages in this area. I wonder if COVID was the final nail in the coffin for that tower. Office is certainly not in vogue for downtown nowadays

Yeah :/

I'd honestly rather have nothing than another parking garage because that's just burning money with lazy planning that has no upsides.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

(lol)!

The way this building interacts with this historic, pedestrian-friendly street is the worst.
This is a terrible design.
Clueless

[summersm343]

Riddle Hospital opens 5-story pavilion, part of $327M expansion project

Riddle Hospital began providing patient care Monday at its new five-story, 230,000-square-foot pavilion in Delaware County.

The pavilion is the centerpiece of the Media medical center's $327 million campus modernization effort, the largest and most expensive expansion project in Riddle's 60-year history. Riddle's parent company, Main Line Health, began work on the project in 2020.

Riddle hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month to unveil the building to the community.

“We are thrilled to arrive at this moment of our efforts coming to fruition,” said Shelly Buck, Riddle's president

The pavilion holds 76 private patient rooms and is designed to maximize natural light to brighten the atmosphere for patients. Other features include 10 modern surgical suites and two robotic systems for minimally invasive surgery. New maternity suites and a new neonatal intensive care unit will allow Riddle to care for 1,800 births a year, a more than 50% increase from the hospital's previous volume.

Pavilion amenities include an atrium with shopping and dining, and a 174-space parking garage with electrical vehicle charging stations.

Article behind paywall here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...-hospital.html