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

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Milksteak

This is turning into the new normal. At first I was skeptical about the KOP Town Center, it's most definitely a sterilized version of an urban environment, but after driving through there it's actually kind of a cool concept. My biggest problem is that there are neglected Main Streets and 'Town Centers' scattered across the region that already have an existing infrastructure begging to be rehabbed. These concepts are acknowledging that people want to live where they play, then plopping that down in the middle of a field or golf course.

I'm sure from a developer's standpoint, it's much easier to build from the ground up in an untapped environment rather than dealing with all of the infrastructure issues and small government problems (not to mention NIMBYs) that existing towns have, I'm just all for fixing what we have before starting over.

Unfortunately, not re-investing in our established neighborhoods seem to be the American/Capitalist way.

I like King of Prussia Towne Center, and do hope we get more of these around the region.

I would also like to see some already established small cities and Town Centers get some love like Coatesville, Chester, Royersford, etc. It does seem some of these are starting to get some love though.

There are also of course, plenty of established, walkable Town Center which are already very nice, like Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, West Chester, Doylestown, Jenkintown, etc. etc. etc.

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Unfortunately, not re-investing in our established neighborhoods seem to be the American/Capitalist way.

I like King of Prussia Towne Center, and do hope we get more of these around the region.

I would also like to see some already established small cities and Town Centers get some love like Coatesville, Chester, Royersford, etc. It does seem some of these are starting to get some love though.

There are also of course, plenty of established, walkable Town Center which are already very nice, like Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, West Chester, Doylestown, Jenkintown, etc. etc. etc.

I hear you, in the end it's about $$ and I respect that. I'm trying to work on my own home town, which is in the middle of an identity crisis of being a walkable town or a highway-centric driver's paradise. Unfortunately the latter is winning, but there is hope. The county I live in has a redevelopment authority that's trying to put together a plan, but without private interest it won't get very far...so we'll see.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Unfortunately, not re-investing in our established neighborhoods seem to be the American/Capitalist way.

I like King of Prussia Towne Center, and do hope we get more of these around the region.

I would also like to see some already established small cities and Town Centers get some love like Coatesville, Chester, Royersford, etc. It does seem some of these are starting to get some love though.

There are also of course, plenty of established, walkable Town Center which are already very nice, like Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, West Chester, Doylestown, Jenkintown, etc. etc. etc.

I think both can and will happen. The difference between King of Prussia and Ardmore, for example, is size and format of the spaces. There are advantages to both. Some companies, namely national and/or regional chains prefer the large format spaces that frankly aren't available on most traditional main streets. King of Prussia has hit a sweat spot by offering that large format and recreating the old main street (albeit, somewhat disingenuously). That being said, those new spaces are VERY expensive. Most independent entrepreneurs can't afford them. That's where the traditional main streets come in.

In ten years, I bet you we'll see almost every walkable format area in this region, even ones that are more downtrodden, almost completely transformed. I would say the exception might be Chester and maybe Norristown...but eventually, even both of them will turn, and I will predict as a result of overflow and/or proximity. The growth in KofP has to push into Norristown eventually. In terms of office development. Chester, being next to the airport and at the junction of 95 and 476, has to and will some day experience Conshohocken type development. Maybe it won't happen until the Navy Yard gets closer to full development and occupancy, but there's definitely something to say for Chester as a satellite city that's closer to the hundreds of thousands of people who have moved out to the far west reaches of Delco and Southern Chester County. It used to be that 95 south of the Blue Route and 322 past 452 were mostly clear on a daily basis. I can't remember the last time I went to visit my parents (who live in SW Delco) and I WASN'T in bumper to bumper traffic between the Blue Route and the Delaware state line. It's pretty consistent these days. I assume they're people commuting to and from Philadelphia including the Navy Yard. There are limits to how far people will drive; Chester would be a natural mid-point.

[domodeez]

Founds these shots of the cupola reinstallation online courtesy of BPG and Downtown Visions, the downtown BID. Happened about two weeks ago:









Here's what this building looked like when it was a Snellenburg's department store:



And this is what it will look like soon enough:

[domodeez]

Found this shot online (courtesy of BPG) of the recent topping off

[summersm343]

Updated the first page with a list of projects through the Philadelphia Region proposed or under construction over 12 floors.

12 floors is the cut off on this website to be considered a "highrise" and able to get it's own thread.

They can be viewed here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=72398

[Urbanthusiat]

Hankin Group and Downingtown Borough officials working on site poised for the train station relocation

DOWNINGTOWN >> Borough officials are working with a new developer who have hopes to work on the train station relocation project that has been delayed for years.

Hankin Group, a 50-plus-year-old Exton-based real estate development, construction and management company, officially announced, in coordination with the Downingtown Borough, Hankin’s acquisition of an approximately 70-acre tract of land located at the intersection of Boot Road and Pennsylvania Route 322 in Downingtown Borough and East Caln Township.

After spending more than two years assembling the 21 different parcels that comprise the property, Hankin is preparing to submit plans to construct a Transit Oriented Development that will include new residential units and commercial space, a pedestrian bridge connecting Downingtown’s Johnsontown Park to the east bank of the Brandywine Creek and the Chester-Valley Trail system, and a location for what is likely to become the new Downingtown AMTRAK/SEPTA Train Station.

More: http://www.dailylocal.com/article/DL...NEWS/170829836

[jonesrmj]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Updated the first page with a list of projects through the Philadelphia Region proposed or under construction over 12 floors.

12 floors is the cut off on this website to be considered a "highrise" and able to get it's own thread.

They can be viewed here:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=72398

Wow. None in Wilmington. Although this should be on the list:

1001-1011 Jefferson Street, Wilmington DE
510 feet | 35 floors | Proposed

And this:

1200 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE
162 feet | 15 floors | Proposed

[summersm343]

^^ I didn't think these were active proposals. I thought these projects were dead or mothballed. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[jonesrmj]

Originally Posted by summersm343

^^ I didn't think these were active proposals. I thought these projects were dead or mothballed. Correct me if I'm wrong.

There is definitely a high chance that the top one (The Jefferson Street one) could get built. There is a sign at the sight, a building that once stood here was demolished, and every now and then, I have seen work here. The only thing is that nothing yet has been done to actually start building the tower, so I guess you could say it's proposed - on hold.

About the second one (The Market Street one), it's kind of hard to say. There is no sign up at the lot yet (From at least the last time I was in Wilmington), and right now it's just a vacant parking lot, so I guess this could also be proposed - on hold too.

I really hope these two parking lots are going to be saved for some cool skyscrapers and not just some boring mid-rise/low-rise building, especially since this is in downtown, and in spots that would increase the skyline.

[summersm343]

Destination Upper Darby: 69th Street to get first-of-its-kind festival

There's more cause to celebrate in Upper Darby, Delaware County — a first-of-its-kind festival will be held this month, potentially bringing more people to visit the developing suburban township.

The to-be-annual Upper Darby International Festival will be held at the 69th Street Business District on Sept. 23, from 12-7 p.m., hosted by Upper Darby Township and the Upper Darby Multicultural Commission.

The 69th Street Business District has not had a similar festival in recent history, the spokesman said. It will be the first of its kind, but it complements efforts officials have made to rebuild the area into a destination.

Projects include the $6 million digital theater complex Studio Movie Grill, which opened in 2015, and the addition of national retailers H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Burlington Coat Factory and Fresh Grocer.

Officials earlier this year announced major developments in the hospitality department: two name-brand hotels would break ground in Upper Darby, becoming the first of their kind to open in the area.

The first, a 100-room Holiday Inn & Suites Philadelphia at the popular Drexelbrook facility, broke ground in April this year, and construction is expected to be completed in late spring 2018.

The second hotel, a Comfort Suites by Choice Hotels International, has not yet broken ground. No updated timeline has been given on its development.

The two hotels are meaningful to the Upper Darby area since officials will be able to attract convention and meetings businesses, creating overnight visitors and, in turn, economic impact.

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...get-first.html

[domodeez]

From 09/07:

[summersm343]

What $260 million in tax breaks buys in Camden: Vast Holtec tech campus

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/ne...-20170907.html

[domodeez]

From 09/07:

[jonesrmj]

Delaware is officially entering the Amazon sweepstakes.

The online retail giant sent a shockwave Thursday by announcing plans to create a second company headquarters outside of Seattle – kicking off what promises to be a bidding war among states and cities across the country.

Gov. John Carney on Friday said he wants in the hunt.

“Delaware is extremely well-positioned to be the site of Amazon’s second North American headquarters," he said in a release that cites the state's central location on the East Coast, business-friendly atmosphere and "world-class workforce."

Read more here - http://www.delawareonline.com/story/...q-2/645744001/

(I hope this happens so that it could attract more people to Wilmington and increase office demand. I also like the idea that this could mean skyscrapers, but we shouldn't get our hopes up, because Chicago, Austin, Philly, Toronto, etc are competing for this too)

[iamdjmichael]

I want Wilmington to go after Amazon's second HQ. The city has a lot going for it\\

Edit: i posted this before seeing the article

[Mr Saturn64]

If the Amazon HQ2 did end up in Philadelphia, would that, by extension, help Wilmington economically, being in the same metro? I don't think Wilmington has the slightest bit of a chance, as all of the things that Amazon is looking for (workforce, airport, etc.) near Wilmington are in Philly.

[jonesrmj]

Originally Posted by Mr Saturn64

If the Amazon HQ2 did end up in Philadelphia, would that, by extension, help Wilmington economically, being in the same metro? I don't think Wilmington has the slightest bit of a chance, as all of the things that Amazon is looking for (workforce, airport, etc.) near Wilmington are in Philly.

These things may be true, but there are some advantages to having the headquarters in Wilmington over Philly. For one, Delaware is a business friendly state thanks to having the most pro-business laws of any US state and has a balance of being stable and slowly evolving. Yes Delaware might not have an intl airport, or a population of 1 million, but it does have nearby Philly which is only 25 miles away that does have their requirements (Amazon's limits for the requirements is that it has to be at least 45 miles or closer) plus the Wilmington train station is number 12 for most busy train stations in the country. I think Wilmington would be a better place over Philly just simply because of how business friendly Delaware is.

[Nomad9]

Originally Posted by jonesrmj

These things may be true, but there are some advantages to having the headquarters in Wilmington over Philly. For one, Delaware is a business friendly state thanks to having the most pro-business laws of any US state and has a balance of being stable and slowly evolving. Yes Delaware might not have an intl airport, or a population of 1 million, but it does have nearby Philly which is only 25 miles away that does have their requirements (Amazon's limits for the requirements is that it has to be at least 45 miles or closer) plus the Wilmington train station is number 12 for most busy train stations in the country. I think Wilmington would be a better place over Philly just simply because of how business friendly Delaware is.

Is Wilmington actually a good place to locate a business, though? The tax, regulatory, and real estate costs may not be that "pro business" compared to sun-belt type places. Delaware law (and the judges/lawyers who practice it) is great for incorporating/internal governance, but that's not the same as being "pro business" in the sense that it's a good place to actually locate employees and infrastructure.

[Nomad9]

On another note, I was able to see the Philly skyline from my office building today. I was surprised how clearly I could see it form ~25 miles away.