PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread - Page 602

nimshady · #**12021** Posted **Apr 21, 2019, 7:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eixample

Lol. What ineptitude. One of the signs on Market Street is incorrect (the arrow points the opposite way from the intersection) but we'll see if they fix it.

That is awful if it is truly a state requirement. It just doesn't make sense in Philadelphia. Our DOT is out of touch with smart urban development, doesn't even have an office in the city I believe. Spend our taxpayer money the right way and put pedestrians first.

A lot of the new ones buzz when the light is green so those who are visibly impaired know when they are able to cross the street.

eixample · #**12022** Posted **Apr 21, 2019, 10:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nimshady

A lot of the new ones buzz when the light is green so those who are visibly impaired know when they are able to cross the street.

That's nice. These intersections on Market have some sort of audio for visibly impaired people (which I've seen at other intersections without the beg button). But I don't think there needs to be a "pedestrian beg button", the message of which is that you, pedestrian and second-class citizen, can't just wait a few seconds to cross the street but you actually need to take the affirmative step of pushing a button to get permission to cross the street. Visibly impaired people especially shouldn't have any expectation that they need to push a button to cross the street.

nimshady · #**12023** Posted **Apr 22, 2019, 12:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eixample

That's nice. These intersections on Market have some sort of audio for visibly impaired people (which I've seen at other intersections without the beg button). But I don't think there needs to be a "pedestrian beg button", the message of which is that you, pedestrian and second-class citizen, can't just wait a few seconds to cross the street but you actually need to take the affirmative step of pushing a button to get permission to cross the street. Visibly impaired people especially shouldn't have any expectation that they need to push a button to cross the street.

Fair points, the buzzing ones I have seen are less for the blind to push a button but for them to feel when its safe to cross. But thats just my interpretation. I can understand the argument that they are a waste of money because in all honesty this is Philadelphia. Since when have we listened to signs and we all have been jay walking for as long as I can remember

mcgrath618 · #**12024** Posted **Apr 22, 2019, 1:31 AM**

A lot of buttons that I've seen are placebo buttons (i.e. they don't actually change the lights, and only exist for those visually impaired to have a better sense of direction and spacial awareness). A good example of these at work is OC, NJ.

Busy Bee · #**12025** Posted **Apr 22, 2019, 1:55 AM**

I always thought that was an urban legend...?

jsbrook · #**12026** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 11:13 AM**

Philadelphia Center City District's annual report is out: https://www.philly.com/business/reta...kIsoPZfxQM3vek https://www.centercityphila.org/uplo...c-2019-web.pdf Seems somewhat at odds as far as job growth compared to what someone posted recently. I think that is because what was previously posted compares metro areas. When looking at the city proper, we are below most large cities, below the large city average, and below the national average for job growth from 2009 through 2018. That said, we are doing well compared to ourselves historically. Especially last year. The 15,400 positions we added in 2018 represent the biggest one-year gain since the BLS began tracking these trends in 1969. It is also on par with higher job growth cities. Hopefully this can continue.

EDIT: actually, what was recently posted might just be as to 2018, where % job growth does indeed exceed many Northeast cities.

cardeza · #**12027** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 1:48 PM**

Paywall restricted

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...ts-retail.html

Jayfar · #**12028** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 5:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardeza

Paywall restricted

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...ts-retail.html

That's just a progress report on an old story. MM Partners is just months away from completing the conversion of St. Joseph's Hospital, which they acquired in 2017, into 88 apartments and (according to PBJ) 33,000 sq ft of retail. They claim to have tenants lined up for all the retail space, though at least some haven't yet signed.

Here's MM Partners' page on the project, named The Civic:

https://mmpartnersllc.com/project/16...girard-avenue/

The company's page says 20,000 sq feet of commercial versus 33k in the PBJ piece. I think the chapel, which PBJ says will be leased to a retail tenant, makes up the difference in numbers.

summersm343 · #**12029** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 8:17 PM**

Historic Granary Getting Renovated At Last

http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...renovated-last

summersm343 · #**12030** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 8:23 PM**

Sweet Renderings for Apartment Building Coming to 10th & Girard

http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phill...ng-10th-girard

Busy Bee · #**12031** Posted **Apr 23, 2019, 8:57 PM**

Love the 80s paint scheme on the PCC they threw in the rendering.

ScreamShatter · #**12032** Posted **Apr 24, 2019, 11:52 AM**

That apartment at 10th and Girard is a great add for the area!

Aaamazarite · #**12033** Posted **Apr 24, 2019, 1:26 PM**

Orens Brothers is going forward with a by-right plan for 4415 Ludlow, a five story, 32 unit building instead of the 100+ they proposed earlier. Jannie Blackwell gave away the surrounding lots that they wanted to another party even though Orens owns three of the small lots between the city-owned ones.

Another project was proposed for 4200 Chester Ave as two options-- a five story building with five "affordable" units and a four story that's all market rate.

http://www.westphillylocal.com/2019/...stnut/#respond

Aaamazarite · #**12034** Posted **Apr 24, 2019, 7:55 PM**

Some more development coming soon to the Chestnut Street corridor in University City--

In addition to the future 6-story Alterra project at 43rd and Chestnut (the old church site) and the Orens brother stuff I mentioned earlier, the site next door, Interfaith Cultural Services, and its associated properties across the street are under contract. The building next door to that, currently a dialysis center, just sold this week. 12-14 S 43rd were snagged by a NYC developer and we should be seeing something proposed there soon.

Two other properties on the 4200 block of Chestnut are supposedly being sold soon but I'm not sure which ones.

Several large and small parcels nearby are for sale.

I guess this is what happens when the zoning is appropriate for a given area.

blart · #**12035** Posted **Apr 25, 2019, 8:24 PM**

Don't know if this has been mentioned before. PPA is going to allow parking under the Ben Franklin bridge. Cars used to park there way back, but after 9/11 it was sealed off. Entrances to both East and West sections are on 2nd St.

cardeza · #**12036** Posted **Apr 26, 2019, 12:31 PM**

landscape crews were working along Market in front of FOP filling in all the planting bed areas near the curb. New trees and various shrubs, etc.

jsbrook · #**12037** Posted **Apr 26, 2019, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardeza

landscape crews were working along Market in front of FOP filling in all the planting bed areas near the curb. New trees and various shrubs, etc.

And in front of Lit Bros building doing the same the other week. This area is looking MUCH better.

iheartphilly · #**12038** Posted **Apr 26, 2019, 2:06 PM**

I was in NYC (Manhattan) over the Easter weekend, and the streetscape/landscape is very well done. Tulips and other scrubs and trees looked to be in sync on residential streets and on commercial corridors landscape was very well done and maintained. There was even iron works on around the patch of earth where the trees and tulips were planted on residential streets. This was repeated every 20-30 ft. Philly needs to take a page out of the play book of NYC. I know it probably boils down to money, but little things like this make the city look good and people feel good when their city is nice looking. Full disclosure: I did see in parts of upper west side, the streets were dirty and plenty of homeless hanging around. So, it's not like they don't have what we have in terms of homelessness and dirty streets.

cardeza · #**12039** Posted **Apr 26, 2019, 3:53 PM**

The City is soliciting design services for redesign of Paine Plaza adjacent to the MSB. Obviously, that means construction is a long way off- but it will happen.

Aaamazarite · #**12040** Posted **Apr 26, 2019, 4:33 PM**

New stuff:

1208 Chestnut finally got a construction permit: 11 stories, 49 units

124 S 51st: 60 units

1209 Vine: 3 story addition (8 stories total), 90 units

19 S 44th: 4 stories, 6 units

644 N 32nd: 4 stories, 5 units

2204 Walnut: 7 story addition on the back, 2 on the front, 24 units

2100 Hamilton got a foundation-only permit

2026 Spring Garden: 4 stories, 11 units