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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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Close your eyes and picture this scene: Swanky poolside cabanas with flat-screen TVs. Tanned, twenty-something women stretched out on Balinese lounge chairs. A DJ spinning trip hop next to a roaring fire pit. It probably sounds like a setting straight out of coastal Florida or Southern California. And yet come this May, that's exactly the spectacle you'll find at the corner of West Allen Street and Germantown Avenue in Northern Liberties, right behind the artisanal retail complex known as The Piazza at Schmidt's.

Arrow Swim Club is the name of this long-awaited project, which is being overseen by Tower Investments' Bart Blatstein, who was almost entirely responsible for the redevelopment of the Northern Liberties neighborhood. In a somewhat unusual twist, Blatstein is partnering on the project with Nicole A. Cashman, CEO of the Cashman & Associates PR firm, which specializes in representing luxury brands.

Of course, there's a fairly decent chance that the 21-and-over swim club will, in fact, grow to become one of the best-known luxury brands in NoLibs. That's because aside from the poolside food and beverage service, the private spa, the swinging hammocks, the uber-chic cabana boys, and the upper-level sundeck, this inner-city oasis will be coming with one more surprise: $1,000 annual memberships.

This week, according to Jacklin Rhoads of Cashman & Associates, "One-thousand hand-selected, prospective members will receive invitations to a sneak-peek party, and an invitation to join the swim club." Memberships will be available to the public on March 7, but as Rhoads explains, "Everyone will have to fill out an application, pending management approval, with a background and credit check."

Chris Sheffield of the nearby SL Design firm is designing the project, which will feature a 1,380-square-foot pool. An open-to-the-public restaurant will reside next door to the swim club, and the first season runs through Sept. 30.

Source: Jacklin Rhoads, Cashman & Associates
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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Historically speaking, North Philadelphia certainly hasn't been a part of town known for inspiring trendy development projects. And that's exactly why last Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony at 600 N. Broad Street was welcomed with such hearty enthusiasm, especially by those who closely follow the city's ever-burgeoning restaurant scene.

Helmed by real estate developer Eric Blumenfeld, who has long been working to turn the stretch of North Broad Street between City Hall and Temple University into a sort of artistically gentrified urban playground, the 600 N. Broad Street mixed-use development will feature the projects of two restaurateurs and one caterer whose aesthetics might seem better suited to Old City, or even Northern Liberties or East Passyunk.

Stephen Starr, who supposedly has plans to launch at least four new restaurants in 2011, will be building a seafood restaurant known as Route 6 on the site, which was most recently home to the Wilkie Chevrolet-Buick Subaru dealership. Marc Vetri, meanwhile, will open a beer bar known as Birreria 600, and Joe Volpe (of the Cescaphe Event Group) will open a 700-capacity catering venture. Nearly 100 new apartments will also be a major part of the project, which comes with a $43 million price tag, $18 million of which will be publicly funded. The project is expected to be complete by October 2011.

Source: EB Realty Management Corporation and PMC Property Group
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Regardless of the fact that the Delaware Valley is nearly overflowing with historic older communities, it is nevertheless an unfortunate reality of the American mindset that if a town or suburb is newer, it's often also considered better.

That assessment, however, is one that the community planners at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission disagree with strongly. As a way to illustrate the imprudence of the newer-is-better philosophy, the DVRPC launched the Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia initiative in mid-2008, which still works to promote places like Media and Phoenixville as ideal communities in which to live and work.

And yet one of the DVRPC's newest community-building initiatives--the Strategies for Older Suburbs Roundtable Series--is bringing the region's various community leaders together in the very same room. After listening to ideas and suggestions from guest speakers, they're able to hammer out possible solutions for the very real economic problems hampering growth in their towns.

The general purpose of the roundtable series, says Karen Cilurso of the DVRPC, is to build relationships. "We find that sometimes communities can find a solution to their problems just by talking to their neighbor," she says. "And it (often) doesn't require millions of dollars."

The series' second event is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Feb. 9, at the DVRPC offices (190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor, Philadelphia). The guest speakers will discuss the topics of old media and new media, with the ultimate goal of helping community leaders understand how to most successfully promote their towns.

According to Cilurso, the discussions are informal, with the topics suggested by the participants themselves. "We like [the discussions] to be very free flowing," she says, adding that many of the roundtable participants "are people (who are) really in the trenches, trying to bring business and residents back to the region."

The Roundtable Series happens quarterly; following Wednesday's meeting, the next event is scheduled for May 13.

Source: Karen Cilurso, DVRPC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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The Australian-based and internationally operating Servcorp organization certainly wasn't the first provider of so-called virtual office space to open for business in the Philadelphia market, but it is the most recent: In late 2010, the decades-old company--which currently does business with approximately 35,000 clients in nearly two-dozen different countries--moved into the 37th floor of BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market Street in Center City.

If the industry happens to be one you're not familiar with, don't be surprised. "I've been in this industry for a lot of years," says Jennifer Goodwin, Servcorp's general manager and V.P. of U.S. operations. "And I think the executive suite industry is the best kept 50-year-old secret out there."

Also referred to in some parts of the world as the serviced office industry, a virtual office is essentially a solution for entrepreneurs, midsize businesses, and even Fortune 500 companies who need the support of a full office, but without the often exorbitant costs associated with financial district real estate.

On the lower end of Servcorp's suite of packages, for instance, is the Virtual Office Address, which allows small-time entrepreneurs to use the prestigious Servcorp addresses on their business cards and letterhead. More expensive options allow the use of Servcorp board rooms, offices, and even IT and secretarial staff at the company's various locations around the world--not a bad option for business travelers who might need to appear a bit more successful and internationally connected than they actually are.

"Ultimately, we're in business to make our clients' businesses more profitable," says Goodwin. "But it's about more than the real estate," she adds. "It's about us taking things off of your plate, so your primary focus is the profitability of your company."

Along with Servcorp, other major players in the virtual office space with locations in Philadelphia include Regus, HQ, and American Executive Centers.

Source: Jennifer Goodwin, Servcorp
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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While it's certainly true that there is something inherently quaint and romantic about a major metropolitan subway system that still accepts tokens, as Philadelphia's SEPTA system does, it's also true that technology has a way of moving unstoppably forward. SEPTA's long-discussed plans to replace its own token with a smart card system were unexpectedly canceled when its fiscal year 2011 budget experienced a 25 percent funding reduction. But on Jan. 27, it was announced that the PIDC Regional Center had just as unexpectedly come to SEPTA's rescue: In a proposal recently approved by the SEPTA Board, it was agreed upon that the PIDC would loan the transit system up to $175 million for its smart card project, "as well as related improvements to infrastructure, communications and customer service," according to a press release written by SEPTA Press Officer Andrew Busch. The PIDC is offering the loan at a low interest rate--1.75 percent.

Interestingly enough, SEPTA is planning to implement a fare collection system known as an open system, "where a customer is not going to need a SEPTA fare instrument to ride the system," says Busch. In other words, while smart cards will eventually replace tokens and paper transfers, customers will also have the option of swiping a debit or credit card as they pass through the turnstile. According to Busch, SEPTA is hoping to award a contract to build the new fare system by May or June, and the system is expected to be in place by January 2014.

SEPTA also released a rather ambitious sustainability plan in January known as SEP-TAINABLE: The Route to Regional Sustainability. The plan involves a total of 12 economic, social and environmental goals and initiatives that SEPTA hopes to attain between now and 2015; stay tuned to Flying Kite for more details and information. 

Source: Andrew Busch, SEPTA
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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One of the most consistently exciting aspects of the Philadelphia's current dining scene is its propensity to never slow down or grow stale. Here's our regularly occurring rundown of restaurant opening buzz:

Native Philadelphia chef Joshua Lawler, along with his wife, Colleen Lawler, will be debuting what will certainly be one of the city's most talked about new farm-to-table restaurants, The Farm and Fisherman, at 1120 Pine Street. Most recently the chef de cuisine for Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York State, Lawler's first solo venture will be sustainably sourced, as he plans to develop relationships with area farmers and New Jersey fisherman.

Other new area cafes and eateries worth investigating include Plenty, a Tim McGinnis-helmed prepared-foods deli that will feature cold cuts and both lunch and dinner options to-go. It's scheduled to open Feb. 1 on the ever-evolving East Passyunk strip.

Meanwhile, the recently opened Elixr Coffee, in Center City, is the newest entrant to Philly's community of coffee shops that take the sourcing and preparation of espresso beans incredibly seriously. Elixr's drop-dead gorgeous interior design makes a visit worthwhile all by itself, as does the PT's Coffee and Marathon Grill sandwiches currently on offer.

Source: Profile Public Relations
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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It's hardly a stretch to refer to Philadelphia's Postgreen Homes as one of the most eco-conscious developers in the city, not to mention the most design-literate. After all, this is the group that executed the legendary 100k House in Fishtown, which in 2010 won the LEED for Homes Award from the U.S. Green Building Council.

And although the Postgreen group is now working on two equally impressive minimalist home projects--the Two point Five beta house in East Kensington and the incredibly cool Avant Garage rowhomes in Fishtown--the company is also prepping the details for what may very well be its largest and most ambitious development yet. Currently being referred to as the reNewbold project, it'll feature not only 16 rowhomes and two condos near the intersection of 16th and Moore--that's in the Newbold neighborhood, naturally--but also a corner retail space.

"Of all of South Philly, (Newbold was) one of the areas we were most interested in," says Postgreen's Nic Darling. "It's adjacent to a pretty vibrant and growing neighborhood in the Passyunk Square area, and at the same time, it still has the price point we want to get our stuff in at."

As of now, reNewbold is still a speculative project, and as Darling says, groundbreaking may not happen until early summer due to zoning and permitting issues. In the meantime, potentially interested rowhome and condo buyers can follow reNewbold's progress on the company's website and its 100k House Blog.

Not so interested in South Philly development? Not a problem. Postgreen's next project in the development pipeline is the much-ballyhooed, 14-house Awesome Town, which will be breaking ground this April or May along Fishtown's Moyer Street.

Source: Nic Darling, Postgreen Homes
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

It's unlikely that anyone who spent a significant amount of time hanging around the South Street commercial corridor of the 1970s will have forgotten about Paper Moon, which served as both an indoor newsstand and a countercultural institution during its heyday. While news of the shop's Thanksgiving weekend reopening at 520 South 4th Street by its original owner, Bill Curry, came as a welcome surprise to the shop's former customers, it has also been considered a touch curious, what with the unfortunate economic state of the print publishing world today (not to mention that of the retail industry in general).

"This all came about because we had a 40th reunion of the people that had the [South Street] Renaissance," explains Curry, who also owns the nearby Copabanana restaurant, referring to the economic revival of the area that took place during the late 1960s and early 70s.

At the reunion, which happened at Isaiah Zagar's Magic Gardens last October, someone suggested to Curry that he reopen the old shop. And since Curry is currently in the process of transferring the management of Copabanana to his nephew, he decided to give it a go.

As Curry points out, though, "magazines are only about 20 percent of my business." Paper Moon also stocks obscure greeting cards, a selection of high-end candies and snacks, and a number of cookbooks and New York Times-bestsellers that can even be rented, library-style, for $3 a week.

Curry has a wide range of future plans for the shop, including wireless Internet access and printing capabilities. "I'm still feeling my way (in terms of) how the store will evolve," he says. "But I know it has to be a 21st-century version of what I did in the '70s and '80s."

Source: Bill Curry, Paper Moon
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Even in a down economy, workers with solid construction skills can generally find decent paying jobs. And if those workers have been trained in environmentally-sustainable green building techniques, they're even more employable still. That's the general idea, at any rate, behind the YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School in North Philly, where for the past 17 years, high school dropouts and at-risk youth have been earning diplomas and picking up valuable green construction skills while building affordable homes in their communities.

YouthBuild Philadelphia's current project kicked off recently at 4620 Greene Street in Germantown, where a dilapidated and crumbling house that has sat vacant for the past two decades will soon be rehabbed by a rotating group of 40 YouthBuild students. After completion of the project, which will be energy efficient and supplied with sustainable appliances, the group plans to apply for LEED Gold or Silver Certification for the house.

Germantown residents can thank Philadelphia Neighborhood Housing Services, a local community development corporation, for the environmentally conscious changes taking place on Greene Street. "I live in the area, and that's how I first became aware of (the house)," says PNHS Executive Director Bernard Hawkins. "The property was in abandoned condition, and it looked to me like it might be a potential site for a renovation project, so we began the process of acquiring the title to the property. That was several years ago now."

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