regionalism : Development News

Regularly maintaining the entire network of SEPTA's regional rail stations is certainly no simple task. It's also far from affordable, and with a total of 280 separate stations, there's nearly always some sort of renovation happening somewhere in the system. But there's little doubt that the Allen Lane Station, which is located on SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Line in Mount Airy, has been the cause of one of the biggest ongoing frustrations for the public transportation agency. SEPTA officials spent nearly 10 long years in the planning phase of the station's upgrade, which didn't officially get under way until early 2009. And yet according to SEPTA officials, the $8.1 million project is finally nearing its end.

Once renovations are finished at the end of May, this registered historic site--which was designed by the prominent architect Frank Furness in the 19th century--will be nothing less than a gleaming SEPTA showpiece; a brag-worthy destination, even, for a public agency that has drawn its share of consternation in recent years.

That's partially due to the fact that the station, according to SEPTA's Wendy Green-Harvey, "was renovated not only because it was in a state of disrepair, but also to make the station fully ADA-compliant." An ADA-accessible path, for instance, along with wheelchair ramps leading directly to train platforms, has been constructed. A new audio-visual PA system has been installed. And passenger amenities, such as benches and shelters, have been improved. As Green-Harvey explains, there are just a few minor items that still need to be completed, such as landscaping, painting, and installing handrails.

So by the time spring weather gets around to showing itself in Philly, SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Line riders, at least, will have something clean and new to look forward to: an historically significant rail station that is finally getting the recognition it deserves.

Source: Wendy Green-Harvey and Heather Redfern, SEPTA
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The initial draft version of Philadelphia2035, the prodigious, 216-page guide to the next 25 years of the city's physical development, was first made available to the public (as a downloadable PDF) back in mid-February. But for four hours throughout the afternoon of March 23, members of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission hosted an informal gathering at the Center for Architecture, where physical copies of the draft were presented to the public. More than 100 Philadelphians stopped by during the course of the day.

The purpose of the open house, according to the PCPC's Alan Urek, who acted as one of the event's hosts, was to put the draft recommendations of the plan's citywide component on exhibit for literally anyone who was interested in reviewing it, or leaving comments of their own. Five different stations, each displaying a blown-up portion of the plan, were arranged in a semi-circle in a small room behind the AIA Bookstore. And next to each station was a large flipchart, upon which visitors were encouraged to comment.

"Philadelphia is very friendly to senior citizens," read one such comment. "We choose to live here because of the walkability and activity occurring in metro-center."

"Survival of the fittest," read another note. "Deannex [the Northeast]."

"Did we reach all corners of Philadelphia (during the open house)?" Urek asks. "Probably not. But I was quite encouraged that of the people that came, virtually everyone I talked to had a positive perspective [of the plan]."

Urek also emphasized that for approximately one more week, even those when didn't attend are welcome to post comments and suggestions online. All of those comments, Urek says, will be seriously considered before the revised draft is presented to the City Planning commission in about three weeks. The plan's citywide version will then be finalized in May, and a release party will be held in early June.

Source: Alan Urek, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When you consider the fact that Philadelphia is so often referred to--especially by pundits and bloggers who closely follow urban planning issues--as a near-perfect incubator for what could easily become a model for the next great American city, it's hard to believe that the zoning code here hasn't been updated since 1960. But this past Tuesday, Feb. 15, was a truly historic day for the City of Philadelphia. That was the day the city's Planning Commission released its first draft of Philadelphia 2035, a wide-reaching, long-term plan for the very future of the city. A PDF version of the plan, which clocks in at a whopping 216 pages, can be downloaded on the Planning Commission's website and on its Facebook page.

The next steps in the journey of the Philadelphia 2035 plan include a mid-March discussion among Planning Commission members, which will then lead to mid-April revisions, and hopefully, a final version in mid-May. An event to celebrate the release of the document is scheduled for early June. Come March 1, meanwhile, a website for the city-wide plan will launch at phila2035.org, and on March 23, an open house will be held at the Center for Architecture, during which the public will be encouraged to participate and ask questions.

The plan itself explores three different strategies, or themes, that the PCPC hopes will help to guide Philadelphia into the future. Once the plan--which looks at everything from public transit to the development of public spaces such parks and the waterfront--is considered complete, the commission will create even more detailed plans covering the 18 distinct districts of the city.

The commission is currently soliciting the public's opinion of its plan; anyone interested in joining the conversation is encouraged to send feedback via email to [email protected].

Source: Philadelphia Planning Commission
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Sarah Clark Stewart, Campaign Director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says while her organization has grown considerably over the past few years in Philadelphia proper, the activity has been decidedly less sin the suburbs.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's essentially why the Coalition organized its first-ever Biking the Suburbs Conference, which happened Feb. 12 at the Montgomery County Fire Academy in Conshohocken. At the workshop-style conference, cyclists who live or work in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery or Bucks counties not only had the opportunity to learn about the most pressing bike advocacy issues affecting their communities today--they also had the chance to interact with other like-minded area cyclists.

One of the main goals of the conference, says Clark Stewart, was to encourage the attendees to become just as politically involved as urban cyclists tend to be. "We want to help them advocate for whatever it is that they want," says Clark Stewart, "whether it's a new bike lane, or better conditions on the streets for bicycling."

To that end, planners from each of the four counties represented directed hour-long conversations about current transportation projects that directly affect suburban cyclists. Attendees learned how to go about the process of getting their own bike lines developed, for instance. They heard about the status of the high-profile Chester County and Schuylkill River trails, and about the controversial Betzwood Bridge project. They also learned about upcoming plans to create a more bike-friendly West Chester.

"I hope [the attendees learned] that there's a lot of potential to have an impact on their own place of residence," says Clark Stewart. "And that we want to help give them the tools they need to make those improvements."

To learn more about bicycle advocacy projects in your own community, visit the Bicycle Coalition online.

Source: Sarah Clark Stewart, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The crime-ridden and poverty-stricken South Philadelphia neighborhood of Grays Ferry is one that doesn't often find itself mentioned in the local news media--unless that news is decidedly negative. But recently, the residents of both Grays Ferry and its next-door South Philly neighborhood, Point Breeze, found themselves the recipients of $1 million in community revitalization funds that will be distributed by Universal Companies, the nonprofit CDC founded by the legendary music producer Kenny Gamble.

Half of that money came from the U.S. Department of Education's Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, which aims to help community leaders put a definitive end to extreme poverty in inner-city neighborhoods by promoting what's known as a "cradle-to-career" educational plan. The grant's matching half came from the William Penn Foundation and other groups.

Universal was one of only 21 nonprofit and educational groups to receive the Promise Neighborhoods planning grant, which was inspired by the work of the Harlem Children's Zone organization. According to both Gamble and A. Rahim Islam, the president and CEO of Universal Companies, a good portion of the grant money will be used on various education reform initiatives.

Universal has until Sept. 30 to prepare a revitalization plan for the two neighborhoods, and in an effort to successfully achieve that goal, they've partnered with a wide range of other neighborhood associations.

"The children who are coming to school today are coming to school with a ton of issues, unlike we've ever seen, really, in modern times," says Islam, in a video about Universal and its work. "And so it's not enough to just think that these kids are going to overcome this dysfunction because you send them to school. So our goal is to reach out into the neighborhoods and try to fix some of the things that are ailing."

Source: Universal Companies
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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If you've ever experienced the huge burst of inspiration that often accompanies a work-related seminar, you've probably also suffered the inevitable psychological let-down that tends to occur as the daily grind gets in the way of your best-laid plans. It's something even the most dedicated among us have experienced, and that's exactly why the story of Kensington Farms and the upcoming Green Wall Project is so inspiring.

The story starts with a visit of community leaders to a training session held annually by NeighborWorks America, a government-funded community building organization. The conference aims to help residents "come up with one good idea for their neighborhood," explains Ade Fequa of the New Kensington CDC.

And yet the team organized by Fequa and his colleague, Tom Potts, took that challenge one step further, and settled on two good ideas. Potts is heading up the Green Wall Project, which will use low-flow planters and wire mesh to literally create green, flowering walls alongside three neighborhood structures this spring, including Johnny Brenda's and Eileen's Hair Salon. The project is being paid for with a $2,000 grant from NeighborWorks, although Potts says other business owners in the area will soon be able to sponsor similar green walls on their own buildings for roughly $600.

The goal of Fequa's Kensington Farms project, meanwhile, which is being covered by a separate $2,000 NeighborWorks grant, is to convert a vacant lot at the corner of Frankford and Cambria into a garden operated by local residents. And although no deal has yet been inked on that particular lot, Fequa says he'll look elsewhere in the immediate area if need be. "There's a great disparity of fresh food that's available in the area," Fequa says, "and there's lot of drug activity and bad things happening there. We want to focus as many resources there as possible, so we can try to turn that area around."

Source: Ade Fequa and Tom Potts, New Kensington CDC Neighborhood Advisory Committee
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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If you should find yourself in a conversation about development with someone involved in the urban real estate industry, it's fairly safe to assume that the topic of agriculture won't carry much weight. But out in the rural expanse of Chester County, where farming is still an active way of life, the situation is actually quite complicated. "You often hear that buying a farm is really difficult," says Sue Milshaw, of the Chester County Economic Development Council. "And it is," she adds. "But it is possible."

Milshaw should certainly know, especially since it was her work, and that of her colleagues, that recently led to the Council being presented with an award from the state's Department of Agriculture. The award recognized the council's dedication to the agriculture industry, and especially its ability to secure loans for farmers interested in developing.

The Chester County Cheese Artisans, for instance, is a group that recently developed property with the help of the Council; they renovated a barn that's now used for cheese processing and aging, as well as goat-milking.

The Council also works to help finance people buying their first farm. And as Milshaw explains, some of the economic development programs that are now open to the farming industry--thanks to the CCEDC's work--are now being used by the area's Amish community as well.

"I think there was a mindset for a long time that agriculture was a business that could take care of itself," says Milshaw, when asked why so many financing programs have long been closed to would-be farmers. "And that's in spite of the fact that in a county like Chester or Lancaster or Berks, agriculture is a significant part of the economic picture there."

Source: Sue Milshaw, Chester County Economic Development Council
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Back in November 2010, West Philadelphia's much-loved Mariposa Food Co-op announced that after decades of successfully selling healthy and sustainable food from its tiny storefront at 4726 Baltimore Ave., it would finally be moving to a much larger location that could better handle its quickly growing membership.

After eventually purchasing that larger location--the landmark Belmont Trust Company Building at 4824 Baltimore Ave.--and partnering with the sustainable Re:Vision Architecture company, the team at Mariposa is more prepared than ever to complete its upcoming relocation, which is currently expected to happen during the fall of 2011, according to Mariposa's Leah Pillsbury. "Our offices are now sitting in the new building, and construction is just starting," says Pillsbury. Along with financing from the PIDC, a Community Design Collaborative grant, and help from The Reinvestment Fund, low-interest loans from Mariposa customers have also been an important source of expansion funding.

Probably the biggest change scheduled to take place when Mariposa moves into its new ecologically-sustainable location, which will be home to 2,500 square feet of retail space, is that non-members will be able to shop there. As Pillsbury explains, "If we're saying that part of this project is to create food access in the neighborhood, then we have to make it accessible."

What's more, a slew of workshops and other projects scheduled to take place in the new building are currently being planned. A larger community meeting space will exist at the store, which is also currently planning its own rooftop garden, a small beekeeping center, and a number of cooking and nutrition classes. It's quite possible, of course, that other community-based events will have been planned by the time the new store opens. After all, as Pillsbury herself says, "What used to be a real niche market is now a more mainstream market. Organic food sales are up all around."

Source: Leah Pillsburgh, Mariposa Food Co-op
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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It can often be difficult for responsible consumers to think of retail chains as anything other than evil, monolithic entities. But a new annual competition sponsored in part by the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) is proving that some chain retailers are in fact among the most responsible members of their respective communities. And although a wide range of chains throughout the country were nominated for the contest, known as Best Chain on Main, a number of Philadelphia-based companies ended up practically sweeping the awards.

The purpose of the competition was to recognize those chains whose very presence assists commercial revitalization. As LISC MetroEdge Director Jake Cowan points out, "If you want to bring new business into a neighborhood, that starts with the storefronts themselves looking good, and looking healthy." According to Larisa Ortiz, a commercial district planner who helped organize the contest, the winners were also partially chosen "based on their investment in underserved urban markets."

Indeed, the Philadelphia-based apparel company Villa, which took home this year's top prize, is probably best known among retail insiders for its incredibly strong commitment to the low- and moderate-income communities where its 26 stores are located. "One of the reasons (Villa) won, in fact, is that they partner with the local community development corporations," says Cowan. "They hire almost exclusively from the community, and they sponsor things like clean-up days."

Also representing Philadelphia was the contest's third place winner, The Fresh Grocer, and Mugshots Coffee House and Cafe, which received an honorable mention.

"Chains have a large presence on our corridors, and (companies with) more than one store can have a greater impact in terms of helping with commercial revitalization," explains Cowan, when asked why the contest focused exclusively on chains. "The goal was to lift up the chains that are doing good work."

Source: Jake Cowan, LISC MetroEdge
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When it came time for the Mt. Airy Business Improvement District to tackle the annual chore of getting its fiscal year-end books in order, the staff there stumbled upon a pleasantly unexpected surprise: For the first time in its brief history, there was a small financial surplus. It was the result of assessment taxes that local business owners pay to the BID.

Thanks to that very surplus, the stretch of Germantown Avenue that sits between Cresheim Valley Drive and East Washington Lane will undoubtedly be even more inviting this year. That's because $3,000 of the BID's surplus is being used to execute a neighborhood beautification project that's being referred to as the "Clean and Green Program."

The program itself is simple enough: Business owners, groups, and even individuals are being encouraged to submit applications to the BID that would outline their own ideas for mini-beautification projects. The BID will then choose the smartest proposals and award the necessary funds.

"I've already gotten quite a few inquiries," says Hollie Malamud-Price, the BID's Executive Director. "I think people are excited about it because it's an opportunity for money, when money is scarce."

Applications for the program are currently being accepted on a rolling basis, although since the BID has to distribute all its funds by Sept. 30, anyone interested is being encouraged to act fast.

Along with the Clean and Green Program, the BID will also be using its surplus funds to launch a planter program--it's scheduled to begin in May--during which dozens of perennial plants will be hung from lampposts along the avenue. "As grant money becomes more available," says Malamud-Price, "I hope it can spur the ability to build upon the programs. So I'm hoping it'll (trigger) more economic development in that sense."

Email or call Malamud-Price directly to apply for Clean and Green grant money: [email protected] or 215-844-6490. 

Source: Hollie Malamud-Price, Mt. Airy BID
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Crime and other challenges have often stole the spotlight in Chester County from its many historic buildings and landmarks. But thanks in part to the Buccini/Pollin Group, a development company that spent $60 million in 2005 on a renovation of the town's historic Wharf building--now known as the Wharf at Rivertown--Chester's economic revitalization seems to be continuing its steady forward march.

Formerly home to the Delaware County Power Plant, today the Wharf is a mixed-use office and retail project. The building's newest tenant is the Power Home Remodeling Group, which on Jan. 3 relocated its entire headquarters to the Wharf after outgrowing its old space in Brookhaven.

According to Jeff Kaliner, PHRG's co-founder and CEO, the move was made possible after the company became a recipient of the 2010 Governor's Discretionary Grant. The fund provides assistance to organizations that are actively growing the economy. "And in return," says Kaliner, "we've promised to hire 250 (new employees) over the next couple years."

Perhaps equally as impressive are the promises that Kaliner and his company have made to the city of Chester. PHRG signed a 10-year lease on its new space, for example, even though it will only see tax breaks for the next three years. (Chester sits inside a Keystone Opportunity Zone.) The occupancy rate of the Wharf, in fact, is now an impressive 95 percent.

"For us," says Kaliner, "the move was less about the KOZ than it was about helping revitalize Chester. And it's not that we're taking a gamble," he adds. "We see this as an opportunity for growth, for both the city and for our employees."

Source: Jeff Kaliner, Power Home Remodeling Group
Writer: Dan Eldridge

The Enterprise Center's community development corporation has long played an important role in the lives of the 8,634 residents who live in the West Philly neighborhood it serves, Walnut Hill. And thanks to a recently awarded grant from the U.S Department of Agriculture's Farmers Market Promotion Program, it will soon be doing even more important work in the neighborhood--namely, promoting the regular consumption of fruits and veggies in a part of town where fresh produce isn't always easy to come by.

The $89,613 grant will allow the CDC to complete the construction of a quarter-acre community farm that sits between Market and Ludlow streets in Walnut Hill. It will also allow the group to build its own farm stand on the site, where the youth growers involved with the program can sell their produce--everything from kale, broccoli and Swiss chard to spinach, eggplant and collard greens--to the community. (Last season, the group sold its produce primarily at the Clark Park Farmers' Market.)

The money will also be used to start a CSA (community supported agriculture) program this spring in Walnut Hill, which will allow local residents to buy seasonal produce directly from the youth farmers by buying into a membership or "subscription" program. And it'll even allow the CDC to provide EBT access, allowing locals to buy the produce with their food stamp cards.

"We're a lot better off here than a lot of neighborhoods," says Managing Director Greg Heller, referring to Walnut Hill's proximity to supermarkets and green grocers. "But a lot of people do still rely on corner stores and bodegas, so we see a pretty big need for this project. We think the impact locally is going to be pretty huge."

Source: Greg Heller, The Enterprise Center CDC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Photographs courtesy of: The Enterprise Center CDC

Being a perennial favorite on an annual top 10 list is usually a point of pride. But for the Divine Lorraine, the historic hotel at 699 N. Broad Street, the distinction of being atop the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia's Endangered Properties List is nothing to cheer about--yet. With several development projects beginning and then falling through, this historic hotel is in danger of becoming extinct along with nine others on the Preservation Alliance's eighth annual list. Still, while the list may look like a rebuke of Philadelphia developers, the Preservation Alliance looks at the list as a shining example of the historic assets our city holds and the potential for amazing future projects.

"There are examples in the tony Old City and in more impoverished areas," says PAGP Director of Advocacy Ben Leech. "But what ties them all together is that they all are or could be important neighborhood landmarks."

With three new additions to the list, the Preservation Alliance decided to focus this year on buildings like the Divine Lorraine, featuring seven properties that have appeared in the past but still remain underdeveloped. Luckily, most of the buildings that have been featured have since been developed and the Preservation Alliance is working with developers to continue that trend.

"The spirit of the list tries to balance between the optimistic view that these are our future landmarks, our future neighborhood assets," says Leech, "and the view that there is no reason for these structures to be in the condition they are in. We are so used to seeing them in the condition they are in that it blinds us to the critical risks facing them if they remain in this state. Let's celebrate what we have and also let's do something to make sure they remain."

Others on the list are: Dilworth House, Germantown Town Hall, Henry Pierce House, Burk Mansion, Provident Mutual, Lynewood Hall, Laverock Hill Estate, Cruiser Olympia, and 109 Elfreth's Alley.

Source: Ben Leech, Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
Writer: John Steele

When the Obama administration announced the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act two years ago, Philadelphia Housing Authority General Manager of Community Development and Design Michael Johns set to work getting applications in for as many projects as he could. From fixing blight in Mill Creek to the construction of the Mantua Square development in West Philadelphia, many of PHA's wishes have since been answered. This week, PHA cut the ribbon on 340 rehabbed housing units scattered across the city. The development is PHA's largest stimulus-funded project to date and provides homes for people once living in shelters or on the street.

"PHA has over 1000 vacant properties so in terms of that inventory, this is a significant step forward in addressing our scattered sites portfolio," says Johns. "In addition to that, this project makes a statement to the city and to the communities that we are in that we are committed to addressing their concerns about public housing."

Not only were the homes substantially rehabbed, 71 of the homes were made handicap-accessible, complete with ramped entrances and chair-lifts, allowing handicapped residents the opportunity to live on their own. In accordance with the Stimulus funding they received, PHA brought all homes to greater energy efficiency through sustainable improvements including improved insulation, energy efficient air and water heaters, doors, windows and Energy Star appliances and fixtures.

"In these older homes, energy is always a concern and we were ready to meet the energy criteria outlined in the stimulus funding," says Johns. "We worked with caulking, insulation, and weather stripping to seal those leaks and reduce the amount of energy lost in these new units."

Source: Michael Johns, Philadelphia Housing Authority
Writer: John Steele