South Philadelphia : Development News

There's certainly nothing unusual about a thrift store that also operates as a charitable organization. The second-hand shops of St. Vincent de Paul, Goodwill and the Salvation Army, for instance, all donate large chunks of their profits to various causes, including homelessness and hunger-battling initiatives.

But here in Philadelphia, an unusually well-curated and partly volunteer-run shop know as Philly AIDS Thrift has been doing business at 514 Bainbridge Street for six years now. And although it looks and feels more like a trendy vintage clothing shop than a dusty thrift store, Philly AIDS Thrift nevertheless donates the vast majority of the money it generates--about $8,000 a month--to the AIDS Fund, "which then gets distributed to about 30 AIDS organizations in Philly," explains Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, one of the store's co-founders.

Which is all well and good, says Kallas-Saritsoglou. But throughout its six year history, Philly AIDS Thrift has had to deal with one slightly inconvenient hassle: The processing of its donated clothing has always had to take place in a second location across the street, where electronics are also sold. For convenience sake, the staff has always wanted to join the two locations, and now, with a new and slightly expanded location right around the corner at 710 South 5th Street, they've finally managed to consolidate their operations.

"The move happened," says Kallas-Saritsoglou, "because we hit the limit of what we could fit in here, because people are just really, really kind. We just have so many donations that we thought it would be best to try to find a new space."

That new space, she explains, which is already open, features 10,000 square feet of selling space, and a full three floors. The top floor will be dedicated to the processing of clothing donations, and a grand opening is scheduled for July 15-17.
 
Source: Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, Philly AIDS Thrift
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been working for quite some time now on what it's referring to as a "master plan" for the future of development along a six-mile stretch of the Central Delaware Riverfront, from Oregon to Allegheny avenues.

And now -- finally, after months of waiting -- the public is being invited to experience the final presentation of the plan at 6:30 p.m. on June 13, in the Pavilion at Festival Pier. "What we're going to be showing," says DRWC president Tom Corcoran, "is a plan that makes parcel-by-parcel recommendations as to what our consultants believe would be the best use of all that land."

Along with comments by Mayor Nutter and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Alan Greenberger, a 45-minute Power Point presentation will be revealing a host of hugely exciting potential plans for the riverfront, including a wetlands park with marshes and aquatic life in South Philly, somewhere between Mifflin Street and Washington Avenue. Other possibilities include an aquatic theme park at Penn's Landing, as well as a longer-term plan to complete a deck over I-95 from Front Street to the waterfront, in between Walnut and Chestnut streets.

"Part of what will make this plan achievable," says Corcoran," is that it's had a tremendous amount of citizen input, and it's not being done by a group of planners working in a vacuum."

This presentation, by the way, will be the last chance for the public to provide feedback. So in other words, if you have any interest whatsoever in the development that will soon be taking place along the Delaware -- and especially if you'd like your voice to be heard -- this is an event you really shouldn't miss.

Source: Tom Corcoran, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Imagine being handicapped without the aid of a full-time caregiver. Chances are, you'd probably live with a family member--someone who could help with essential tasks like bathing. But what if living with family wasn't a viable option? Sadly enough, there are a surprisingly large number of disabled adults who find themselves in that very situation. A hospital or an institution, then, is often their only option.

It was with such disabled adults in mind that the Philadelphia Housing Authority recently decided to develop the Quads: Twenty-five separate handicapped-accessible buildings, each constructed on a formerly vacant lot somewhere in the city, and each boasting four separate efficiency-style apartments. Naturally, the units are specially designed to accommodate the unique challenges of their tenants: "People with minimal to moderate care needs," according to a PHA press release.

According to the PHA's Michael Johns, some of the tenants who now live in the units were young people who'd previously been living in nursing homes, because they had no other options. "I think the young fellow that was at the opening (of the Quads) said it best: Now he doesn't have to have anybody help him bathe himself. So the idea," Johns adds, "is to give a level of independence for folks that are either wheelchair bound or have mobility impairments."

Tenants with significantly more serious disabilities, however, are looked after at the Quads as well, thanks to a common area in each building where care providers can work with their patients.

The 25 initial buildings -- all of which include a vertical lift and front porches on both floors -- officially opened for business on May 25. By the end of July or August, Johns says, 20 additional Quads should be complete. In total, construction will cost $14.4 million, nearly 90 percent of which will be covered by stimulus funds.

Source: Michael Johns, Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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If you were lucky enough to live on the 800 block of Percy Street in South Philly, you could literally walk out your front door, pour the contents of a bottle of tap water onto the newly-paved street, and then watch as the water slowly began to be sucked up by the street itself, until it eventually disappeared altogether.

That's what happened, at any rate, during a recent press conference that was held on Percy Street's 800 block, which is now home to the city's very first porous street--a street that allows water to soak through its surface, in other words, thereby eliminating the pollutants found in storm water from entering the sewer system.

The street is one of the first initiatives of the Water Department's 25-year-long, $2 billion Green City, Clean Water program, which was itself the result of a directive from the EPA, which insisted that the city fix its combined sewer overflow (CSO) problem. CSO is an unfortunate situation during which sink and toilet water mixes with storm water in local rivers during periods of heavy rain.

According to the Water Department's Joanne Dahme, both the PWD and the Streets Department will be monitoring the effect of Percy Street's porous surface street over the next few years. And as Dahme explains, storm water capture is only one of the benefits of such a surface.

"It seems to have a lot of positive qualities," Dahme says, of the porous surface. Ice is said to melt quicker, for instance, thanks to the warmth of the soil underneath, which also makes snow removal easier. And although the installation of the street was about 10 percent more expensive than it would have been with regular asphalt, the city is already hoping to install many more porous streets in the coming years.

Source: Joanne Dahme, Philadelphia Water Department
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Philadelphians Paul and Nichole Badger were going through the process of planning their wedding in 2008, they "decided that we just didn't believe in the typical one-day splurge that everybody does for their wedding," Nichole explained, during a recent telephone interview.

Nichole is a corporate entertainment attorney who has long been involved with charitable work, and at the time, she and Paul had been tossing around the idea of starting a nonprofit of their own. "And then," she said, "it suddenly occurred to us: Why not do it now? And so instead of having this full-blown, crazy wedding, we decided to take a portion of our wedding budget, and to use it to start Stars Within Reach."

Today, Stars Within Reach partners with various entertainers, pro athletes and businesses on what Badger refers to as twelve different platforms; the group works on everything from housing issues to greening and nonviolence initiatives. (Their motto: Changing the world one cause at a time.) Their latest project, A Healthy Future Within Reach, aims to battle childhood obesity, and SWR plans to focus its local efforts in the South Philly neighborhood of Point Breeze, a so-called 'food desert' where healthy eating options are scarce.

On Monday (May 2), they kicked off a 30-day multimedia campaign to raise awareness of childhood obesity. At the month's end they'll join with Mayor Nutter, Congressman Chaka Fattah, 76er Lou Williams, and other area notables to create two community gardens and a fruit orchard in Point Breeze. "We definitely believe that eating healthy and healthy living is at the core of everything you do," Badger says. "And Point Breeze is an area where the kids really are impacted by the lack of healthy eating options."

Source: Nichole Badger, Stars Within Reach
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Microsoft's $63 million School of the Future opened in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park in September 2006, expectations among area parents--some of whom nearly battled in order to secure a spot for their children--couldn't have possibly been higher. But by the time that first class of students was preparing to graduate, attitudes surrounding the school--which didn't require textbooks, and where many of the core subjects required for university admission weren't offered--had shifted considerably.

Today, many of the school's educational kinks have been duly worked out. But if such a project was proposed within the city today--that is, if a public development project was proposed to take place within Philadelphia's public park land--the eventual outcome would almost certainly be different. That's because on April 15, Mayor Michael Nutter signed an ordinance to amend the approval process that takes place when the city's public park land is transferred to some sort of non-park use, as was the case with the Microsoft high school.

"It's an effort that's really been spearheaded by the Parks and Recreation Commission," explains Patrick Morgan, who works underneath Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis. "What it does," he says, "is it establishes a process that's predictable and transparent for all the parties: for City Council, for citizens, and for the (Parks and Recreation) Commission."

And while there aren't currently any plans in place to change usage of city parkland, this new ordinance, which is set to take effect with the change of the fiscal year (July 1), will set in motion that new process of transparency.

"Right now, all (city) parkland is being used for its intended purpose," says Morgan. "But if someone proposes changing the use for whatever reason, then this process kicks in."

Source: Patrick Morgan, Department of Parks and Recreation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When the Spectrum met its final match last November--a bright orange wrecking ball that transformed the storied South Philadelphia sports and entertainment arena into a sad pile of brick and ash--public reactions were understandably mixed. The Spectrum, after all, is one of Philly's most beloved and historic attractions; performers and athletes who've plied their trade at the arena range from Michael Jackson to Michael Jordan.

But there will be a second act on the land on which the Spectrum stood: In a matter of months, The Cordish Company, a Baltimore-based developer, will begin the construction phase of new retail, dining and entertainment complex. The name of the soon-to-be-built complex, Philly Live!, is intended to evoke its purpose of being "an inviting center of community for Philadelphia sports fans, where enthusiasts (can) share their common experiences in supporting the home team," according to the Cordish Company's Megan Slattery.

And although Comcast-Spectator--the firm that also owns the Wells Fargo Center--hasn't yet finalized every detail of the complex, it's probably safe to say that the 350,000-square-foot Philly Live! will likely prove to be nearly as popular as the live entertainment on offer at the Stadium Complex's other facilities.

According to Slattery, Philly Live! will be constructed in phases. Groundbreaking for phase one, during which a 42,000-square-foot building will be constructed at the southwest corner of Pattison Avenue and South 11th Street, is anticipated to happen this summer. The building will be home to "multiple dining and entertainment venues," Slattery says, as well as "at least one private dining area and an outdoor event space." Slattery didn't comment on whether or not a rumored ice skating rink project will be going forward at the site.

Source: Megan Slattery, The Cordish Company
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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A mere five or ten years ago, the relatively simple practice of telecommuting--working from home instead of from a traditional office--was seen as a fairly revolutionary concept. But thanks to the multitude of productivity-enhancing tools that technology has made possible--smart phones, netbooks, Skype, email--members of the so-called creative class have increasingly been transforming not only how and where work gets done, but also how and where life itself gets lived.

During the April 25th installation of the Junto, "a monthly meet-up of hot topics and local issues" organized by the South Philly web design firm P'unk Ave, those very concepts--living and working just about anywhere, with the help of technology--will be discussed, debated, and possibly even expanded upon. (Reception at 6:00pm; discussion at 7:00pm.)

Past P'unk Ave Juntos have explored topics ranging from art criticism to the future of the Free Library. But the upcoming "Rethinking Shelter" Junto will explore the ideas of alternative housing, including cohousing, in which multiple families live together, and even multibasing, a practice in which travelers can share numerous homes in varied locations for short periods of time. "It's not like staying in a hotel," says DiMasi of multibasing, "and it's not like crashing on someone's couch."

The philosophy of the technomad--a knowledge worker who takes advantage of technology to live like a nomad--will also be discussed.

Two founders of Philly's uber-sustainable Postgreen Homes firm will be on the event's panel, and as DiMasi explains, although cohousing was originally based around the idea of family, "one of [Postgreen's] proposed projects is a co-housing place in Fishtown that will be more focused on the young and urban."

"We've had some really interesting discussions," says DiMasi of past Juntos, which have been ongoing since 2006. "And sometimes you don't even know that you care about this stuff!"

Source: Geoff DiMasi, P'unk Ave
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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There's no doubt that South Philadelphia's East Passyunk Avenue commercial corridor--not to mention the various residential communities surrounding it--has grown, changed and become considerably gentrified over the past few years. And along with that growth and change, of course, comes a litany of fairly standard urban issues, such as the litter that seems to spout along the avenue at the conclusion of each weekend.

Thankfully, a new community group--Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation--has sprouted in the area as well. Along with various neighborhood greening initiatives, its duties also include renovating and maintaining both commercial and non-commercial properties in the area. One of those properties, at 1737 East Passyunk Avenue, will soon be the new retail home of Fabric Horse, the bicycle accessories shop that was formerly located in Northern Liberties. The shop is scheduled to open within the next two weeks.

And although Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation, or PARC, is in fact the same Vincent Fumo-founded organization formerly known as Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, PARC is being led by a newly installed executive director, Sam Sherman Jr., a dedicated New Urbanist who previously served on Mayor Nutter's sustainable development committee. PARC is also building five loft-style apartments in the former Citizens Alliance office space, at 1137 Wharton Street; PARC's offices will then move to the building's first floor.

Last Tuesday, the group held a press conference at the Passyunk fountain to announce its many greening initiatives, which have already included the planting of 17 trees along the avenue. The fountain square itself, says Sherman, will be spruced up with "Central Park-style benches on the perimeter, and a permanent chess table." At night, says Sherman, the fountain will be illuminated by lights affixed to the roofs of the buildings surrounding it; a lighting ceremony will take place sometime in June.

Source: Sam Sherman Jr., Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Penn Praxis and the City of Philadelphia launched the ambitious Green2015 plan back in December 2010, it was announced that one of the program's main goals would include the transforming of 500 city acres of underused land into green spaces accessible by any member of the public. This month, ground was finally broken at the new Hawthorne Park, the first park to be constructed since the announcement. Construction of the three-quarter acre green space, which is located at the corner of 12th and Catherine streets in South Philadelphia, will cost $2.2 million, with $1.1 million coming in the form of a grant from the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

"We've got a 9,200-acre park in the city," says Mayor Nutter's Press Secretary, Mark McDonald, referring to Fairmount Park. "But we've also got a lot of neighborhoods that are quite a ways from any kind of a green space. And this Hawthorne Park is a wonderful reclamation of what had been a housing area, but now is going to be transformed into a really beautiful place where people in an urban environment can walk in, and just chill."

What's more, Hawthorne Park is being designed as a sustainable green space, and will be part of a two-year sustainable construction and landscape design program known as SITES. According to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis, the majority of the park's sustainable aspects will revolve around stormwater runoff issues. The Philadelphia Water Department, he explains, is "trying to manage all stormwater naturally, so (Hawthorne Park) will capture stormwater from around the [park's] immediate area, and naturally manage it, and not run it into holding tanks."

According to the mayor's office, Hawthorne Park will also feature low-energy lighting. A variety of plants will also be introduced to the park, which is expected to be complete by spring 2012

Source: Michael DiBerardinis, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Even for those of you who give only cursory attention to local media outlets, it was nearly impossible over the past week to miss the bevy of economic development-related news coming out of the Navy Yard. Perhaps the most visible had to do with the forthcoming expansion of Urban Outfitters, Inc.; on Feb. 9, Mayor Nutter's office announced that the company will soon occupy two new structures on the campus. According to the Mayor's office, Urban's investment in those two buildings, one of which is the former Navy Yard Cruise Ship Terminal, and which together clock in at slightly more than 100,000 square feet, will total roughly $30 million. What's more, Urban Outfitters says it hopes to add roughly 1,000 new permanent jobs and three additional buildings over the next three years.

The pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline had similar news to share last week: Working with Liberty Property Trust, it plans to build a LEED Platinum Certified building near the Navy Yard's front entrance. It's referring to the structure, which will occupy 205,000 square feet, as "the workplace for the 21st century." Construction of the project, which is being estimated as an $81 million investment, could be complete as early as late summer. GSK will be moving all its 1,300 employees currently working in Center City to the Navy Yard, and according to the Navy Yard's Williams J. Agate Jr., "as part of that move, (GSK is) calling this their North American headquarters."

The recent developments underscore the importance of the major piece tying them all together--the $150 million Clean Energy Campus. "It's a hard topic for people to really understand the significance of," says Agate, "but it very firmly puts Philadelphia in the center of the energy efficiency conversation. And that is right where you want to be."

To learn more about the Clean Energy Campus, click here and here.

Source: Williams J. Agate Jr., Vice President of Navy Yard Management and Development
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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As an alum of Yards and the creator of the brewery's famous tasting room, Johnny Della Polla is no stranger to a good bar. So when he moved to Queen Village a few years back and stopped in to neighborhood mainstay the Lyons Den, he knew it was a great spot in need of an upgrade. While the Den was good for a shot and a beer, Queens Villagers were starting to expect a little more. So when it became available, Della Polla got his chance. Along with partner Ashley Bohan, Della Polla created Kennett, a LEED-certified, artisanal-style eatery complete with burgers, wood-oven pizzas and, of course, a dynamite beer list. The restaurant opened for business this Saturday.

"Over the last ten years, the neighborhood has kind of changed where families moved in and people started having kids," says Managing Partner Johnny Della Polla. "The Lyons Den deserves a lot of credit. They were here for ten years and when they came in, they were exactly what the neighborhood wanted. But For Pete's Sake is right down the street, the New Wave is right up the street. We wanted to do something different."

After deciding on a sustainable, craft tap-room feel, Della Polla explored the building and saw that the name Kennett was carved into the keystone out front and decided it would be the namesake of his new venture. Soon after announcing the restaurant, Ted Kennett reached out, saying his grandfather, a Ukrainian immigrant, had owned the building in 1924 as a boarding house where he brewed moonshine in the basement. That speakeasy theme informs the cocktail list, developed by Noble bartender Christian Gaal. Della Polla hopes touches like these will endear him to this evolving neighborhood.

"We tried to tie everything together," Della Polla says. "It's this green certified restaurant that also has this prohibition-era cocktail theme and this local food, craft beer theme. They all sort of just stuck."

Source: Johnny Della Polla, Kennett
Writer: John Steele

Every Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles bring green power to Lincoln Financial Field with a crushing defense and a youthful, high-powered offense. But a new proposal is set to bring green power off the field and spread it to the rest of the Linc. On Nov. 18, the Philadelphia Eagles announced plans to create a $30 million, on-site energy generation system complete with wind turbines and solar panels that will instantly transfer 15-20 percent of the Linc's output to renewable energy, while an on-site co-generation power plant will take care of the rest.Through a partnership with Orlando, Fla. firm Solar Blue, Lincoln Financial Field becomes the world's first major sports stadium to convert to self-generated renewable energy.

"Pennsylvania has been a regulated state with rate caps and those rate caps are expected to expire at the end of this year," says Lincoln Financial Field COO Don Smolenski. "The information we were getting was that electricity costs were going to go up 30-40 percent. With electricity being our biggest line item for the stadium, we started exploring our options."

The installation, with an expected completion date of September 2011, contains 80 spiral-shaped wind turbines along the roof of the structure, affixes 2,500 solar panels to the facade and brings an on-site, co-generation power plant to the parking lot. The plant, which will handle the majority of the energy load, runs on biodiesel or natural gas. SolarBlue will  own and operate the stadium's power system for the next 20 years, selling the power to the Eagles at a fixed rate. The proposal is expected to save the team an estimated $60 million in energy costs.

"The vertical-shaped turbines appealed to us aesthetically and are less noisy than traditional turbines," says Smolenski. "Not only is it good for our electricity rates, we feel these turbines really enhance the look of the stadium."

Source: Don Smolenski, Lincoln Financial Field
Writer: John Steele

Since adopting the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware plan in 2008, city planners have considered mixed use development and even new transit options to draw visitors to the Delaware waterfront. But according to a new study released October 25 by Penn Future and the Coalition for Philadelphia's Waterfronts, all they need to do is add green space. If they do, the study claims, the city will see $30-$40 million in annual health care savings, $800 million in aggregate household wealth gains and up to $24 million annually in new tax revenues from increased tourism activities and higher property values. This report will help shape city planning decisions as various city agencies look to complete waterfront plans in the next year.

"We were not playing the role of advocate with this report and, if anything, erred on the side of conservatism so as not to be seen as overstating," says Lee Huang, a report consultant from University City's EConsult. "We see this report as useful as city planners weigh the costs and benefits of building the waterfront greenway. As you can see, there is a long list of beneficiaries to this project."

Health care savings from people using bike lanes and pedestrian trails are significant. But the largest increase would come from what the report calls the "equity of access," whereby properties in waterfront-adjacent neighborhoods would now be within walking distance of parks and waterfront activities, increasing home values. This benefit has been observed in cities like Atlanta, Ga. and helps legitimize projects, like the Race Street Pier greenway, that are already underway.

"The universe of people that are not currently near an outdoor amenity is about 98,000 individuals representing 44,000 households," says Huang. "That is a very important consideration to keep in mind."

Source: Lee Huang, EConsult
Writer: John Steele

When Greensaw Design And Build founder Brendan Jones was building a kitchen backsplash a few months ago, he tried to sell a client on using old wood and tile scraps set into the wall. It sounded a little out there, but with years of professional experience under his belt, Jones was confident he could make it beautiful. The client wasn't so sure. So he did what any craftsman would: he made it anyway in his own kitchen.

This week, Jones and his team unveil 1205 S. 8th Street, a rehabbed South Philly rowhome where the reclaimed materials designers installed innovations either too risky for clients to take a chance on or with materials leftover from a job. Old radiators, freezer doors, and molding can all become something new in what has become the Greensaw show home.

"We had a countertop that we installed for a client and it was all reclaimed wood but for some of the wood, the moisture content was too high and the countertop ended up warping so we had to replace that but that wood became doors for my house," says Jones. "It's an opportunity to reuse material that has already been reused."

Founded in 2006, Greensaw started as a salvage company, installing doors and designing bathrooms using reclaimed tile. After building a complete house from discarded concrete, baseboard wood and sconces restored in his Northern Liberties woodshop, Jones set to work on the design innovations that would become 1205 S. 8th Street. He hopes the home's unveiling on Nov. 4 will show all those skittish clients the power of reclaimed materials.

"The house is for sale but that is really an aside," says Jones. "We are really trying to use it as an example of the slow-build philosophy, which has a lot of legs to it. The idea is to make Philadelphia the center for reclaimed materials because there is just so much here."

Source: Brendan Jones, Greensaw Design And Build
Writer: John Steele