When
Community Design Collaborative (CDC) Executive Director Beth Miller ran
into volunteer Scott Page at
Reading Terminal Market two years ago, a
chat about their favorite Amish pastries turned to what was next in
industrial redevelopment. Page mentioned a partnership between
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and the
City Planning Commission to create an industrial reuse strategy. CDC's
Infill Philadelphia project was already on the lookout for opportunities to
lend a hand and this project seemed like a perfect fit.
In
February, Infill Philadelphia launched its
Industrial Sites initiative, a
design proposal contest searching for three types of industrial
redevelopment. The Neighborhood anchor focused on creating an incubator
for new industry. Mixed-use focused on creating new industry
side-by-side with housing. And the Making Connections challenge coupled
industry with environment to create an industrial campus and riverfront
amenity in one. Three volunteer design firms unveiled redevelopment
proposals to the design community in May. On Tuesday, CDC released a
publication to show off the projects to the rest of the city.
"Industrial
redevelopment is one of those problems that seems unsolvable," says
Miller. "There are so many older buildings out there and nobody quite
knows what to do with them. We thought this was a good strategy to
showcase a new generation of urban industry."
The Industrial
Sites initiative is the third phase for Infill, an ongoing redevelopment
advisory project that has worked on affordable housing, commercial
corridors and food access. With their new publication showing what they
can do, Miller hopes to draw inspiration for her next project.
"We
hope to make this an ongoing thing through our service grants, so
non-profits can apply to us to address an industrial site in their
neighborhood," says Miller. "We've already gotten two or three
applications like that so we hope to continue that work on a
case-by-case basis."
Source: Beth Miller, Infill Philadelphia
Writer: John Steele