PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[700 Level]

There is a very good summary of the potential projects along Delaware Avenue on Philadelphia YIMBY today:

https://phillyyimby.com/2020/09/look...re-avenue.html

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by 700 Level

There is a very good summary of the potential projects along Delaware Avenue on Philadelphia YIMBY today:

https://phillyyimby.com/2020/09/look...re-avenue.html

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing. What an incredible array of projects. Hopefully the majority of these projects go through. Love the Pennsport one... forgot about that!

[summersm343]

Lots of Construction on and Around Ludlow Street in West Philly

4400 block of Ludlow
5-story, 30-unit apartment building with ground floor retail


19 S. 44th
5-story, 6-unit building


43rd and Ludlow
6-story, 18-unit building


Read more here:
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...et-west-philly

[summersm343]

New Developments Abound in West Philly, Part II

43rd and Chestnut - "The Next LVL"
6-story, 287-unit apartment building with ground floor retail


4200 Ludlow
6-story, 92-unit apartment building


41st and Ludlow
Church to become a rock climbing gym, with a structure built on the empty lot next to it


Read more here:
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...eville-part-ii

[summersm343]

$30 million campus to replace asbestos-contaminated North Philadelphia school

A state-of-the-art campus is on track to replace a North Philadelphia elementary school building shuttered in 2019 after teachers and parents rang alarm bells over damaged asbestos and flaking lead paint.

Plans for the modern new campus for T.M. Peirce Elementary School, a K-6 school in North Philadelphia were conceptually approved on Wednesday by the Philadelphia Art Commission.

The new building will rise on the West Cambria Street property where a red-brick, four-story box of a school has sat since 1909 without any green space. Blackney Hayes Architects have designed a more inviting and highly efficient three-story building with plenty of open areas that include a brand new playground with porous surfaces to manage stormwater, trees, and a mural.

Read more here:
https://whyy.org/articles/30-million...zuad5vOtZ4-6IU

[summersm343]

2100 Hamilton update





https://www.facebook.com/groups/grea...elphiaplanners

[summersm343]

Construction Progresses On The Locks In Manayunk, Northwest Philadelphia













Read more here:
https://phillyyimby.com/2020/08/cons...ladelphia.html

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

The city needs to do better on the basics. It has the resources to:

1. Pave the damn streets
2. Fix the damn sidewalks
3. Bury the damn powerlines
4. Design a better trash pickup program
5. Sweep the damn streets AND sidewalks

I’m tired of excuses. Do better basics, Philly.

Someone posted a photo of Sansom Street around 16th Street yesterday. It was closed to vehicles with lots of outdoor dining and people. BUT, I could not get over how hoterrible the sidewalks looked. Cracked, uneven, different colors, dried gum, etc. Rundown parts of Mexico City have better looking sidewalks, and this is prime Center City.

My comment to that picture was... "Close Sansom permanently to cars, repave the street, repave the sidewalks, add some brick pavers to intersections or lining the curbs, plant some trees or large potted trees, and Sansom Street would turn into one of Philadelphia's best assets."

I know the city has a lot of other issues right now, but projects as simple as paving sidewalks, planting trees, repainting crosswalks, new decorative light polls, etc. would make a world of difference at street level and exponentially improve the QOL.

A failed attempt are the horrible light sticks along North Broad... Those could have been black lamppost style lights with a grassy median, instead its worn concrete and Target parking lots lights that cost some ridiculous amount of money to install....

I was in Suburban Square in Ardmore last week, and noticed how beautiful the sidewalks and streets looked, utilizing pavers and nice stone work. I know its Lower Merion, but Philadelphia could certainly take that approach on Broad Street or Market Street as a start... At a minimum there needs to be a full plan to repave sidewalks or change legislation to make sidewalk maintenance a requirement for property owners, at least in and around Center city.

I agree with burying utilities as well, but that is a much harder more expensive task to accomplish than new sidewalks and flowers. Plus, the city could setup a fund and get some of the new wealthy residents involved in the beautification process. Park Avenue in New York is largely maintained by funds from residents and organizations and partially the city. That could certainly work in Philadelphia along its main roadways.

[summersm343]

Renderings And Diagrams Revealed For Garden Court Plaza Extension At 4701 Pine Street, Garden Court







Read more here:
https://phillyyimby.com/2020/08/rend...den-court.html

[Nanyika]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing. What an incredible array of projects. Hopefully the majority of these projects go through. Love the Pennsport one... forgot about that!

Everyone I know in this neighborhood is hoping that Liberty on the River never gets built. That land is the only relatively large park that we have in the area, the only place you can go to see a bit of nature. That would all be ruined; the trees would be cut down. Yes, there would still be a narrow path along the river, and small city-owned park areas like Pier 53 (Washington Avenue Pier) would remain, but Liberty on the River would destroy the major portion of the area (formerly industrial) that has completely returned to nature. I am all for urbanizing the strip along Delaware Avenue, and eventually filling in all of the shopping-center parking lots with mid-rise and even high-rise buildings. But the area right along the river should be left open to be used as parkland; the woods-like areas should be expanded, not destroyed.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by Nanyika

Everyone I know in this neighborhood is hoping that Liberty on the River never gets built. That land is the only relatively large park that we have in the area, the only place you can go to see a bit of nature. That would all be ruined; the trees would be cut down. Yes, there would still be a narrow path along the river, and small city-owned park areas like Pier 53 (Washington Avenue Pier) would remain, but Liberty on the River would destroy the major portion of the area (formerly industrial) that has completely returned to nature. I am all for urbanizing the strip along Delaware Avenue, and eventually filling in all of the shopping-center parking lots with mid-rise and even high-rise buildings. But the area right along the river should be left open to be used as parkland; the woods-like areas should be expanded, not destroyed.

Respectfully, no. Everyone deserves to have access to green space, which is incredibly important to urban life, but in this area would not only be the trail along the water and piers that you mentioned, but this is also not far from herron playground a few minutes further to the north and south are jefferson and dickenson square.

Are those areas actually wild and wooded like this area, which is a feature you enjoy? No. But I'm sorry, that is not practical. The green space you should expect in a city is urban green space. You should not expect to have a dozen acre wildlife preserve within walking distance if you live in one of the biggest cities in America.

Any claim to care about nature is simply not thought through. If you want to preserve nature, and I mean actual nature, not an abandoned industrial field, then the best way to do that is to build dense urban housing. The amount of people that could live at Liberty on the River would destroy 100s of acres of nature out in the exhurbs if they built detached housing there. If you care about preserving nature, fighting climate change, and supporting the eco-system you should want as much dense urban housing in Philadelphia as possible. The more people live in cities, the smaller our carbon footprint, the more nature we can preserve.

Everyone needs access to greenspace, but it's not unreasonable that if you want to experience true nature, you'd have to travel out of the city or at least further within the city to one of the numerous existing parks that have dense tree growth and is in wild in nature.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by 700 Level

There is a very good summary of the potential projects along Delaware Avenue on Philadelphia YIMBY today:

https://phillyyimby.com/2020/09/look...re-avenue.html

An angled lot at 918 North Delaware Avenue is planned to receive a total of 462 units within the six proposed buildings, with 142 parking spaces and 162 bicycle spaces. A total of six commercial spaces will be included, increasing the pedestrian presence on Delaware Avenue. Building A will include 78 units and tw0 commercial spaces; Building B will feature 108 units and two commercial spaces; Building C will contain 84 residential units and one commercial space; Building D will yield 72 units and one commercial space; Building E will house 120 units; and Building F will include amenities for residents of the project. The site was once home to the George L. Wells meat building, although demolition is already underway.

CORRECTION: The George L. Wells Meat Company is not going anywhere. It will remain at 982-88 N. Delaware Ave, which is not part of the project and hasn't changed hands. The buildings being demolished are 918-80 Delaware Ave only. I believe that at one time Wells may have occupied additional buildings in this block.

[3rd&Brown]

If anything. The power line discussions have reinforced my perception of Philadelphia as a low ambition city.

I mean. The preposterousness of all the reasons why it can't be done. Or shouldn't be a priority.

A well run city can have many priorities. There's a streets department and a utility commission. They can have their own priorities and be well run in their own right without having to compete with public safety and education.

This is why the President has a cabinet. And major corporations have C-Level executives reporting to the CEO. Our expectation as tax payers should be that the city runs well, period.

This narratives of priorities is false. You can improve your streets AND improve safety AND improve education. The money is being spent anyway. Just have some god damned leadership and clear guidelines and measurements for success.

I mean. 95 looks like a trash dump in Philadelphia. I know I know. The state is responsible for street sweeping on 95. Well, if you're the mayor and the streets department, pick up the f*ing phone and ask why 95 hasn't been swept in years.

We're spending what, 10 billion on rebuilding 95? And it already looks like shit. It's like building a new park and never going back to weed the landscaping. Or building a house and not maintaining it. What's the point of spending the money in the first place if you're not going to keep it up.

And don't @ me with stupid explanations of why it can't be done. EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive back to NY from Philly, I see street sweepers on the NJ Turnpike. EVERY SINGLE TIME. If it's not a street sweeper, it's a pick up truck with workers picking up the large debris that can't go through a street sweeper.

I hate NJ. But the roads are meticulous.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

If anything. The power line discussions have reinforced my perception of Philadelphia as a low ambition city.

I mean. The preposterousness of all the reasons why it can't be done. Or shouldn't be a priority.

A well run city can have many priorities. There's a streets department and a utility commission. They can have their own priorities and be well run in their own right without having to compete with public safety and education.

This is why the President has a cabinet. And major corporations have C-Level executives reporting to the CEO. Our expectation as tax payers should be that the city runs well, period.

This narratives of priorities is false. You can improve your streets AND improve safety AND improve education. The money is being spent anyway. Just have some god damned leadership and clear guidelines and measurements for success.

I mean. 95 looks like a trash dump in Philadelphia. I know I know. The state is responsible for street sweeping on 95. Well, if you're the mayor and the streets department, pick up the f*ing phone and ask why 95 hasn't been swept in years.

We're spending what, 10 billion on rebuilding 95? And it already looks like shit. It's like building a new park and never going back to weed the landscaping. Or building a house and not maintaining it. What's the point of spending the money in the first place if you're not going to keep it up.

And don't @ me with stupid explanations of why it can't be done. EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive back to NY from Philly, I see street sweepers on the NJ Turnpike. EVERY SINGLE TIME. If it's not a street sweeper, it's a pick up truck with workers picking up the large debris that can't go through a street sweeper.

I hate NJ. But the roads are meticulous.

I don't give a shit about powerlines. I was still on the side of taking reasonable steps to bury them when opportunities present themselves to do so at a reduced expense.

But seriously? power lines? Trash on the highway? Calm down my man. It's truly not a big deal and doesn't have any impact on your life.

Or if you care so much about this shit that you're all caps ranting about it on this forum, why don't you do something about it? If these are such simple problems to solve, why not solve them? Put some time, money and energy towards the issues that matter to you. I put a lot of my own time, money, and energy toward trying to improve my community... Now granted, the things i care about are issues like homelessness and education. But hey man, everyone has their own priorities. You do you. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

[Nanyika]

Originally Posted by allovertown

Respectfully, no. Everyone deserves to have access to green space, which is incredibly important to urban life, but in this area would not only be the trail along the water and piers that you mentioned, but this is also not far from herron playground a few minutes further to the north and south are jefferson and dickenson square.

Are those areas actually wild and wooded like this area, which is a feature you enjoy? No. But I'm sorry, that is not practical. The green space you should expect in a city is urban green space. You should not expect to have a dozen acre wildlife preserve within walking distance if you live in one of the biggest cities in America.

Any claim to care about nature is simply not thought through. If you want to preserve nature, and I mean actual nature, not an abandoned industrial field, then the best way to do that is to build dense urban housing. The amount of people that could live at Liberty on the River would destroy 100s of acres of nature out in the exhurbs if they built detached housing there. If you care about preserving nature, fighting climate change, and supporting the eco-system you should want as much dense urban housing in Philadelphia as possible. The more people live in cities, the smaller our carbon footprint, the more nature we can preserve.

Everyone needs access to greenspace, but it's not unreasonable that if you want to experience true nature, you'd have to travel out of the city or at least further within the city to one of the numerous existing parks that have dense tree growth and is in wild in nature.

This is a very strange answer by AllOverTown, and I likewise say this respectfully since I often agree with this person's other posts. We should not build additional large parks in the city because we're compelled to accommodate the great masses of people who are yearning to live in luxury towers? And this will act to save the woodlands and meadows still remaining in the suburbs? The despoliation of the countryside with sprawling housing developments, highways, and shopping centers has far more to do with factors such as rural land and tax policies than with any insufficient quantity of high-rise condo buildings in South Philadelphia.

From AllOverTown's post, one would think that the city was not filled with many square miles of empty lots, parking lots, and decaying buildings that could accommodate the dense urban housing that the poster desires. Perhaps he does not know that the surrounding "big-box store" area is largely a wasteland of parking lots -- all of which could be developed with more productive, and less auto-centered projects? Tens of thousands of people could be housed in those areas, if it were necessary; we do not need to strip the trees from the banks of the Delaware River in order to construct sufficient housing.

This side of the city has no large or even middle-sized parks. I must contradict the poster: Jefferson and Dickinson Squares and a few scattered playgrounds are hardly the same thing. And it is not usually easy for working people who have no cars to travel into the countryside to find nature, escape the heat, breathe clean air, etc. Is it too much for neighborhood residents who value their walks along the river, and the health of their community, to ask that a key slice of the Delaware River riverfront be preserved for the people?

[blart]

Not sure which project this is... not too far from the Berks station.
Sat., 9/5

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Someone posted a photo of Sansom Street around 16th Street yesterday. It was closed to vehicles with lots of outdoor dining and people. BUT, I could not get over how hoterrible the sidewalks looked. Cracked, uneven, different colors, dried gum, etc. Rundown parts of Mexico City have better looking sidewalks, and this is prime Center City.

My comment to that picture was... "Close Sansom permanently to cars, repave the street, repave the sidewalks, add some brick pavers to intersections or lining the curbs, plant some trees or large potted trees, and Sansom Street would turn into one of Philadelphia's best assets."

I know the city has a lot of other issues right now, but projects as simple as paving sidewalks, planting trees, repainting crosswalks, new decorative light polls, etc. would make a world of difference at street level and exponentially improve the QOL.

A failed attempt are the horrible light sticks along North Broad... Those could have been black lamppost style lights with a grassy median, instead its worn concrete and Target parking lots lights that cost some ridiculous amount of money to install....

I was in Suburban Square in Ardmore last week, and noticed how beautiful the sidewalks and streets looked, utilizing pavers and nice stone work. I know its Lower Merion, but Philadelphia could certainly take that approach on Broad Street or Market Street as a start... At a minimum there needs to be a full plan to repave sidewalks or change legislation to make sidewalk maintenance a requirement for property owners, at least in and around Center city.

I agree with burying utilities as well, but that is a much harder more expensive task to accomplish than new sidewalks and flowers. Plus, the city could setup a fund and get some of the new wealthy residents involved in the beautification process. Park Avenue in New York is largely maintained by funds from residents and organizations and partially the city. That could certainly work in Philadelphia along its main roadways.

Yea a lot of CC sidewalks are in bad shape, hopefully they will start getting to those after they finish paving the streets. Walnut is a good example on how a new paved st with the marking makes the area look better and is safer for cars/peds.

The N Broad Tower lights were supposed to be an attraction you can see from airplanes at night when flying into philly, apparently they used the wrong LED's the first year and they were so dim you couldn't even see them at night, took about 1 million I think to upgrade the lights, now we have at least semi looking good tower lights, but they do need to turn the non turn lanes into medians or plant some trees because the concrete curb around them looks stupid and is dangerous.

Philly needs to implement a fund that residents can put money in to fix streets, sidewalks, trashcans, lights putting infrastructure underground and etc, im sure many blocks with eager residents would be filling the pot up quickly only thing is the city needs to make sure those funds can never be diverted to there bullshit, only the residents blocks for improvements.

We might actually see some shit get done and provide some jobs.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by TonyTone

Yea a lot of CC sidewalks are in bad shape, hopefully they will start getting to those after they finish paving the streets. Walnut is a good example on how a new paved st with the marking makes the area look better and is safer for cars/peds.

The N Broad Tower lights were supposed to be an attraction you can see from airplanes at night when flying into philly, apparently they used the wrong LED's the first year and they were so dim you couldn't even see them at night, took about 1 million I think to upgrade the lights, now we have at least semi looking good tower lights, but they do need to turn the non turn lanes into medians or plant some trees because the concrete curb around them looks stupid and is dangerous.

Philly needs to implement a fund that residents can put money in to fix streets, sidewalks, trashcans, lights putting infrastructure underground and etc, im sure many blocks with eager residents would be filling the pot up quickly only thing is the city needs to make sure those funds can never be diverted to there bullshit, only the residents blocks for improvements.

We might actually see some shit get done and provide some jobs.

The city has proven that it can't handle slush funds (see: soda tax).

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

If anything. The power line discussions have reinforced my perception of Philadelphia as a low ambition city.

I mean. The preposterousness of all the reasons why it can't be done. Or shouldn't be a priority.

A well run city can have many priorities. There's a streets department and a utility commission. They can have their own priorities and be well run in their own right without having to compete with public safety and education.

This is why the President has a cabinet. And major corporations have C-Level executives reporting to the CEO. Our expectation as tax payers should be that the city runs well, period.

This narratives of priorities is false. You can improve your streets AND improve safety AND improve education. The money is being spent anyway. Just have some god damned leadership and clear guidelines and measurements for success.

I mean. 95 looks like a trash dump in Philadelphia. I know I know. The state is responsible for street sweeping on 95. Well, if you're the mayor and the streets department, pick up the f*ing phone and ask why 95 hasn't been swept in years.

We're spending what, 10 billion on rebuilding 95? And it already looks like shit. It's like building a new park and never going back to weed the landscaping. Or building a house and not maintaining it. What's the point of spending the money in the first place if you're not going to keep it up.

And don't @ me with stupid explanations of why it can't be done. EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive back to NY from Philly, I see street sweepers on the NJ Turnpike. EVERY SINGLE TIME. If it's not a street sweeper, it's a pick up truck with workers picking up the large debris that can't go through a street sweeper.

I hate NJ. But the roads are meticulous.

I agree with this 100% and it's a bummer other people don't see things this way. Your "low ambition" comment is pretty gutting but right on, if Philadelphians would just live elsewhere for a bit and see how the rest of the civilized world lives I feel like it wouldn't be so tolerable. I've said this anecdote on here before - but I literally moved about 4 blocks from Gho to Fitler Square - simply b/c it's more civilized - buried utility lines, swept streets - clean, developed, cared-for - what a lifestyle difference. It's just a super insular city that lacks a bit of self respect.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by allovertown

I don't give a shit about powerlines. I was still on the side of taking reasonable steps to bury them when opportunities present themselves to do so at a reduced expense.

But seriously? power lines? Trash on the highway? Calm down my man. It's truly not a big deal and doesn't have any impact on your life.

Or if you care so much about this shit that you're all caps ranting about it on this forum, why don't you do something about it? If these are such simple problems to solve, why not solve them? Put some time, money and energy towards the issues that matter to you. I put a lot of my own time, money, and energy toward trying to improve my community... Now granted, the things i care about are issues like homelessness and education. But hey man, everyone has their own priorities. You do you. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Weren't you about to move out of the city a few months ago b/c you didn't have greener Pasteurs? Imagine if your streets and immediate built environment *were* greener Pasteurs. Each street tree box was properly maintained by the city, no overhead power lines due to code, civic regulations that enforced trash and weed violations. We had tax/code incentives to encourage more permeable surfaces at homes like window boxes or planters? That's what truly civilized cities do.