sustainability : Development News

This past weekend, Philadelphians were offered a sneak peak of Pier 53, an ambitious waterfront renovation project at the foot of Washington Avenue. Flying Kite headed down there on Saturday to snap some pictures and take in the gorgeous views of the Delaware. 

A joint venture between the Friends of Washington Avenue Green and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC), the project will not only add green space to city, but also memorialize the immigration station that operated on the pier starting in 1876. At one point, Pier 53 processed up to 1,500 immigrants per day. (Click here for more on the history of the immigration station.)

After checking out the under-construction space, we walked north to check out progress at Spruce Street Harbor Park. That fabulous installation opens to the public on Friday, June 27. Barges boasting loungers and picnic tables, dozens of hammocks, and beach-like dunes are already in place -- it's a can't miss.

For more outdoor summer fun, check out The Visit Philly Beer Garden Series.

Writer: Lee Stabert

 

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has announced the winner of a recent design competition, Uncover the Green, in which university-level art students were challenged to develop a decorative medallion to appear near the city's green infrastructure projects. Tyler School of Art student Lauren Hoover came out on top.
 
The students were also tasked with designing a new manhole cover for the city. As with the medallions -- which will be inset into city sidewalks -- PWD hopes the eye-catching manhole covers will spotlight green infrastructure projects.          
 
The competition was developed as a visibility effort for PWD's Green City, Clean Waters plan, a $2.4 billion initiative to manage the area's watershed and control its sewer overflow for the next 25 years. 

Accoding to PWD's Tiffany Ledesma Groll, "no other city is investing in green infrastructure in the way that Philadelphia is." 

"We want to make sure the city's investments in green infrastructure are visible, because our stormwater trees look like regular trees, and our rain gardens -- they look like gardens," she explains. "We needed to figure out a way to make them stand out."

The city hopes to have the medallions fabricated and in the ground within a year -- they may eventually appear next to every green infrastructure project in the city, according to Groll. (Currently, 756 such projects have been completed or are in-progress.) Due to cost restrictions, it's unclear when the newly-designed manhole covers will be produced. 

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Tiffany Ledesma Groll, Philadelphia Water Department
 

For just over a decade now, Sarah McEneaney and John Struble, an artist and furniture-maker respectively, have been campaigning to transform North Philly's old Reading Viaduct into a stunning elevated park.

Their inspiration -- like that of so many other urban rail-to-park projects that have popped up across the country -- was the celebrated rehabilition of the High Line in Manhattan.
 
And while McEneaney and Struble had been specifically focused on developing the quarter-mile section of rail that curves through the Loft District east of Broad, they've since teamed up with another pro-rail park group -- originally known as Viaduct Green, and now referred to as Friends of the Rail Park -- who've had their eyes on the railroad's entire three-mile stretch since 2010.
 
According to McEneaney, the two organizations are now collectively known as Friends of the Rail Park. And thanks to their years-long fundraising and grassroots letter-writing efforts -- along with donations from the William Penn Foundation and Poor Richard's Charitable Trust -- the first phase of the railway's development (the aforementioned quarter-mile spur east of Broad) is inching closer to groundbreaking. McEneaney expects the shovels to hit dirt in 2015.

Following phase one's completion, the group plans to shift its focus to the railway's west-of-Broad section.

In the meantime, Friends of the Rail Park are still actively raising funds for the project's capital costs and maintenance. After the spur's completion, the organization will transpose into a voluntary friends group responsible for the park's upkeep. Center City District will be managing the construction of the elevated Rail Park, which will then fall under the purview of the Fairmount Park Commission.
 
To donate to the cause or view a mini-documentary on the Rail Park produced by Good Motion Project, visit therailpark.org.

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Sarah McEneaney, Friends of the Rail Park
 

The experimental urban agriculture organization Greensgrow Farms has been operating for nearly two decades in South Kensington where it not only runs a CSA program and a community kitchen, but also educates Philadelphians about sustainable living, and attempts to convince other communities to replicate aspects of its urban farming model.  
 
A little over a week ago, West Philadelphia became an extended member of the Greensgrow family when a gardening center, Greensgrow West, opened on the 4900 block of Baltimore Avenue at the former site of the Elena's Soul jazz club.  
 
The gardening center will remain at the Baltimore Avenue site for at least two years. They will sell plants and fruit trees, and eventually offer workshops similar to those held at the Kensington location. Greensgrow West will also be home to a farmer's market accepting SNAP and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) benefits.
 
According to Greensgrow's Ryan Kuck, himself a 15-year West Philly resident, the organization saw the neighborhood "as really fertile ground," and an ideal location to further explore its mission of creating livable communities on underutilized urban land.

"We know we have a lot of support [in West Philly], and we know there's a market for greening," says Kuck, who adds that Greensgrow's mobile markets, which offer fresh food to underserved communities, are often based in West Philly. "It's also just a really interesting place for us to explore what Greengrow's future model might look like."
 
It's currently unclear what will happen to the site when Greensgrow's lease ends in April 2016.
 
Source:  Ryan Kuck, Greensgrow Farms
Writer: Dan Eldridge
 
Mobile Market photos by Jennifer Britton
Remaining photos by Bryn Ashburn

The intersection of 52nd and Market streets in West Philly has struggled for decades, but prior to SEPTA's reconstruction of the Market-Frankford Line, which wrecked economic havoc on the area, the 52nd Street retail corridor was better known as West Philly's Main Street -- a proud city-within-the-city where small businesses thrived.  
 
The Enterprise Center Community Development Corporation (TEC-CDC) has been working for five years to bring that vitality back. And thanks to a grant provided by the Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), they recently hired the street's first-ever commercial corridor manager, Akeem Dixon, whose job description involves returning the retail corridor to its former glory.
 
That's a tall order, to be sure, but according to Dana Hanchin of the Philadelphia LISC office, initiatives are already moving forward.
 
At a recent stakeholders meeting, TEC-CDC revealed some of the key elements of its commercial corridor work plan. It includes beautification efforts such as pop-up gardens on vacant lots, and the launch of both a corridor-specific newsletter and a business directory. A biweekly radio program covering the corridor is now airing on West Philly's community radio station, WPEB 88.1 FM, and a branding campaign is also in the works.
 
Meanwhile, Dixon continues to act as an intermediary between business owners and residents in the area -- something of an impartial ombudsman, whose top priority involves "getting everyone at the same table, and talking," as LISC Philadelphia's James Crowder puts it.
 
"I can't say that wasn't happening before," says Crowder. "But I can say it's happening in a way now that's way more efficient and productive."
 
Source:  Dana Hanchin, LISC Philadelphia
Writer: Dan Eldridge
 
Photos by Samuel Dolgin-Gardner 

It's been four long years since Postgreen Homes, the sustainable development company, made public its intention to construct a contemporary 14-unit Fishtown project with the unlikely moniker of "Awesometown."
 
In late March, during a public launch party at Lloyd Whiskey Bar, Postgreen announced that the ultra energy-efficient project is finally going to happen. ISA is the architectural firm responsible for the design.
 
According to Postgreen's Chad Ludeman, the process of financing Awesometown has been a bit of a departure for the company. As the result of a partnership with the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), Postgreen is pricing four of the 14 customizable townhomes at a discounted rate, making them affordable for moderate-income families.
 
Unlike with most collaborations between for-profit and nonprofit developers, the funds for Awesometown -- which will sit between Thompson and Moyer Streets -- are coming entirely from private sources.

"We're just treating this like a normal project," says Ludeman, "and using the proceeds from the sales of the market-rate units to subsidize the moderate-income units." (Moderate-income residents of Awesometown will be required to have incomes below 100 percent of the city's median income rate.)    
 
Awesometown's market-rate townhomes are selling for $399,000. The company hopes to acheive LEED platinum status for the project -- each of the units will come stocked with eco-friendly appliances, an Energy Star HVAC system and triple pane windows.
 
Postgreen also worked with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to develop a stormwater management plan for the site, 95 percent of which will be permeable, thanks to eco-friendly paving and green roof decks constructed atop each home.   
 
Visit the Postgreen Homes blog for more details on the project and to view an Awesometown promo video. 

Source: Chad Ludeman, Postgreen Homes
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Not long ago, the intersection of South 17th and Carpenter Streets in Graduate Hospital was home to a trio of underused vacant lots. All three were owned by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (PRA) -- it had been attempting to unload the land for a decade.      

Now that intersection is beginning to transform in a major way.
 
The sustainably-designed mixed-use project known as Carpenter Square will soon rise there. And due partly to the interest generated by that project, PRA recently released an RFP for the still-empty lot on the opposite side of 17th Street.  
 
Meanwhile, according to the South of South Neighborhood Association's (SOSNA) Andrew Dalzell, that organization is "just waiting on the weather to get good" before moving forward with its plans for Carpenter Green, a small corner park slated for the intersection's northwest corner.
 
After signing a lease with the PRA and surveying neighbors to discover which amenities would be most in demand at the parklet (trash cans, lighting, trees and seating were all popular), SOSNA now has to settle on one of three possible designs before raising funds for Carpenter Green's construction.
 
Also coming soon to the immediate area: A new vision for the playground at the Edwin M. Stanton School, which sits just two blocks north of the intersection.
 
"2014 could be a very bright year for 17th and Carpenter," says Dalzell after running down the details behind Carpenter Square, Carpenter Green, the E.M. Stanton School playground, and the potential for new construction on the remaining lot. "With just those four things, suddenly that's pretty transformative for this two-block area." 

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Andrew Dalzell, SOSNA

These days, warehouse-sized reuse centers selling old construction supplies and development detritus seem to exist in nearly every major metropolitan area. But in Philadelphia, The Resource Exchange -- currently located on the corner of Cedar and East Cambria streets in Port Richmond -- operates with a slightly different mission. 

Sure, it resells salvaged building materials and housewares, but it also offers donated and salvaged film props and set pieces, along with arts and craft materials, making it popular with artists, makers, DIY-types and other members of the city's creative class.  

That popularity has led to an issue.

"Right now, we're kind of tucked into a residential neighborhood," says Resource Exchange founder and Executive Director Karyn Gerred. That makes it difficult for budget-conscious customers to reach the shop via public transportation. 

So Gerred decided they needed a change. The Resource Exchange will close for the month of February, then reopen at a slightly larger and much more accessible location on the corner of North 2nd Street and Cecil B. Moore, only six or seven blocks from the Berks Station on the Market-Frankford Line.     

"Just in terms of creating a great, welcoming, creative reuse center in a way that I've always imagined, it's a much better building," says Gerred. "It's much better suited to what we are. It lends itself more to being able to have the workshop-and-event part of what we do."

The new-and-improved Resource Exchange plans to open its new 4,500-square-foot location on March 1. 

Source: Karyn Gerred, The Resource Exchange 
Writer: Dan Eldridge

As part of the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan (LSMP), a long-term revitalization blueprint released last year, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corportation (PIDC) has announced an RFP for a feasibility study of a proposed river road in the district. According to PIDC Senior Real Estate Manager Kate McNamara, "It's not your typical PennDot project."

The bottom line, she explains, is that both the city and PIDC are united in their understanding that the Lower Schuylkill, once a hotbed of heavy manufacturing and innovation, is today "a place that [is] really in need of some serious redevelopment attention." In fact, when the final version of the LSMP was published, it recommended splitting the Lower Schuylkill into three separate "campuses" in an effort to drive the next generation of growth. 

The 512-acre campus adjacent to University City -- known as the Innovation District -- is where the majority of the LSMP's early projects will be taking place. According to the RFP, roadways on the west bank of the District, roughly between Grays Ferry Avenue to the north and Passyunk Avenue to the south, are "indirect, circuitous, and non-intuitive." And because so many of the businesses that once operated in the area were largely served by the river, quality road infrastructure is lacking. 

A budget of $200,000 has been set aside to see if the north-south connector road proposed in the Master Plan is feasible, and to explore possible alternatives.

"You really need another north-south arterial to bring businesses in, and just to bring regular citizens down to the river," says McNamara. "That's where the new extension of the Schuylkill Banks Trail is going to be." 

The resulting study should be complete within six to nine months. And after that? Another study, of course, but with much more detail and a steeper price tag. Fortunately, the upside is tremendous. West Philly is home to a number of companies that are getting too big for University City -- they could become new residents of the Innovation District.

"They don't have the space they need, and so a lot of [them] go to the suburbs," says McNamara. "And we would prefer to keep them."

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Kate McNamara, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC)

From November 20 through 22, the world's largest conference dedicated to green building practices will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center with the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) as official host. Greenbuild 2013 marks the conference's 20th year. 

DVGBC's Heather Blakeslee believes that Philadelphia was chosen to host GreenBuild's anniversary year because of the Pennsylvania Convention Center's expansion and upcoming LEED certification. In addition, the region has become a hotbed for innovative sustainable architecture and design.

In an attempt to extend the event's impact on the region, DVGBC issued a challenge in May 2012, asking local businesses to "green" themselves in practical, quantifiable ways by November 2013. These pledges are now showcased in a public exhibit at the Independence Visitor Center Corporation and will be highlighted at Greenbuild.

"We really wanted to put together a program that would allow the larger sustainability community to participate in the lead-up to Greenbuild," says Blakelee. "Any agency, school, business or residential community who wanted to participate could do so. We received 150 pledges from around the region." 

Other free community events surrounding Greenbuild include a "Community-based Sustainability Forum" on Wednesday, November 20 (9 a.m. – noon); "Neighborhoods Go Green! Scaling up Sustainability Exhibit Opening" on
Wednesday, November 20, 2013 (6 - 7:30 p.m.); and a "Faith-based Professional Peer Group" on Thursday November 21 (9 – 11 a.m.).

Stay tuned: Flying Kite will have a full report from Greenbuild 2013 in an upcoming issue.

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Heather Blakeslee, DVGBC

Every week brings news of another exciting development along the Delaware River. In May, Flying Kite reported that the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DWRC) had plans to create a park at Pier 53 called Washington Avenue Green, which would have similar uses to the Race Street Pier, but with a more "ecological twist."

At the end of October, DRWC hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony for Washington Avenue Green. Mayor Michael Nutter attended, and DRWC President Tom Corcoran officially opened the site for construction.

DWRC's Lizzie Woods said the park will help grow the local economy, especially the adjacent Washington Avenue corridor.

"The underlying philosophy of all DRWC public works projects is that investing in a quality public realm provides incentives to and increases the value of private development," says Woods. "A successful park at Pier 53 will help spur development at sites along Washington Avenue, especially the Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall and the site of the former Foxwoods Casino."

When Flying Kite last reported on Pier 53, three elements of the park's design were unfunded: an elevated boardwalk allowing visitors to pass over the wetland habitat below; a "welcome spire" at the entrance; and public art by artist Jody Pinto titled "Land Buoy," a 55-foot spire that responds to the wind and sun. Fortunately, DWRC has since raised the necessary funds and the park will feature all of the desired design elements. 

Other features will include panoramic views of the Delaware River and Center City; a path allowing visitors to reach the tip of the pier and touch the water; interpretive signage relating the site's history as the nation's first navy yard and an immigration station. Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2014.

Writer: Nicole Woods
Source: Lizzie Woods, DWRC

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation has received yet another in a series of grants with tremendous potential to transform the southeast section of the city. Thanks to $5 million from the William Penn Foundation, they can continue their work to connect the adjacent neighborhoods -- Queen Village and Pennsport -- with the waterfront, mitigating the decades-old barrier created by I-95 and Columbus Boulevard.

One of the most exciting projects involves the development of Pier 86 at Tasker Street, paired with a streetscape redesign that will improve connection to the water. This development will serve as a companion piece to the ambitious renovation of Pier 53 at Washington Avenue.

According to Pennsporter, there are already preliminary plans for the project. 

"Pier 68...has been deemed structurally solid out to about 350 feet -- meaning more access to the river," explains Pennsporter's James Jennings in a blog post. "Much like Washington Avenue Green, the hope is to design Pier 68 with the ecosystem and wetlands in mind. So, no, it won't be Race St. Pier 2.0. Instead, there have been ideas to use it the way it is currently (albeit illegally) being used -- as a partial fishing station and tug boat dock."

While finalizing its plans over the coming months, DRWC will hold a series of meetings with community and advocacy groups. The work on the southern section of the Delaware should be a terrific compliment to ongoing work at Penn's Landing (where a park is being built over I-95) and the Spring Garden connector project. All these efforts aim to connect Philadelphia's residents with one of the area's most underused and underappreciated assets.

LEE STABERT is managing editor of Flying Kite.

Some of the region’s top designers are teaming up with the Community Design Collaborative and the Morgan Village Circle Community Development Corporation in Camden to revitalize a major commercial corridor. With a focus on gateways, green infrastructure and public spaces, the nascent plan could mean big changes for Morgan Village. 

A neighborhood in the heart of the Camden officially defined as Fairview Street from Mt. Ephraim Avenue to Morgan Street, and Morgan Street to the I-676 interchange, the area includes one of Camden's newest and most important landmarks, the Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy. 
 
According to one of the group's lead designers, OLIN’s Richard Newton, the resulting vision will capitalize on the school's location along the corridor; a proposed central gathering space will be located adjacent to the school where an underutilized parking lot sits now.
 
Other improvements include gateways to be located at each end of the corridor.  
  
“The idea is to develop some long-term proposals for how land can be better utilized, create a hub and connect to other parks and open spaces in the immediate area," adds Newton.
 
The task force has already held a meeting at the Morgan Village High School to elicit feedback from local leaders and the public. They will present initial design ideas on October 15 in conjunction with the Morgan Village Circle CDC. The plan should be finished by the end of this year, following another round of public outreach. From there, the CDC can use it as a tool to gain attention and seek funding from a variety of sources. 

Source:  Richard Newton, OLIN
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

It’s been five years since wholesaler Common Market started distributing local, sustainably-produced foods. As with many successful ventures, they eventually outgrew their digs. Fortunately, last Thursday, Common Market celebrated their fifth anniversary with a "warehouse warming" party in honor of their new, much larger space.

Since 2008, Common Market has moved over 200,000 cases of local produce, dairy and meats. They work with an average of 75 family farms and have over 150 customers, including schools, colleges, hospitals, grocery stores, workplaces, nonprofit organizations and faith-based institutions.

"In 2012, we were turning down partnership opportunities because we didn't have enough space," explains co-founder and Executive Director Tatiana Garcia Granados.

After a long search, Common Market purchased a large North Philly warehouse and raised close to $2 million for the relocation and renovation. The new space will allow them to do what they do best: be the bridge between big buyers and local farmers -- and in a big way (the new space is 70,000 square feet).

“Reaching the five year mark is a big deal," says Granados. "Before five years, you're still an experiment -- people are waiting to see if you succeed. We can now show what we are doing is working and making a difference."
 
Source:  Tatiana Garcia Granados, Common Market Co-Founder and Executive Director
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

If you’re a homebuyer or renter in search of ultra-modern architecture and contemporary finishes, there's a Graduate Hospital block with a lot to offer. Developer Stephen Rodriguez has proposed Bloc 24, a new mixed-use development featuring 18 apartments, for a space adjacent to the already-approved but not-yet-built Bloc 23 project, which will boast 24 condos and a unique modern design all its own.
 
Slated for 613-919 S. 24th Street, Bloc 24, like its sister project, will rise four stories. Both will feature ground-floor retail and they will share underground parking facilities for residents.  
 
Parking is one reason why Bloc 23 has yet to be built (it was a approved in late 2012). Rodriguez now wants to merge the basement levels of the buildings, producing a connected space for cars.

"There is a cost savings by building both buildings together due to the cost of underpinning the building," explains Rodriguez. "There is also some economy of scale issues with site work, materials, the modular pods, etc."
 
Other plans for Bloc 24 include a day care facility on the ground floor, a green roof only accessible to the children from the day care and permeable materials to mitigate stormwater run-off and reduce the building's impact on the surrounding environment.

The architecture will definitely be distinct. Design firm Campbell Thomas & Company and Steve Nebel of LABhaus have designed metal strips along the buildings' façades with both aesthetics and functoin in mind -- they serve as railings and increase privacy for residents. 
 
"Steve Nebel actually devised a mathematical algorithm to determine the spacing of the exterior slats," says Rodriguez. "It is derived from swam movements in natures. When complete, the face will look like a flock of birds or school of fish moving across the building. It's pretty amazing."
 
The project hopes to gain approval from the Zoning Board of Adjustments soon. If that happens, both projects will break ground simultaneously. 

Source:  Stephen Rodriguez, Local developer
Writer: Greg Meckstroth