In The News

Eight-acre park to cover riverfront stretch of I-95?

PlanPhilly Tuesday, February 05, 2013

An intriguing vision of a waterfront park obscuring I-95 has been unveiled, and could mean a major green space achievement for Philadelphia. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation is currently seeking designers and engineers.

A preliminary rendering of Penn's Landing Park extracted from the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, shows a sloping lawn, roughly the size of Rittenhouse Square, through which people could walk from Front Street down to the water's edge, or where they could linger to watch fireworks or concerts. The park would sit on a structure that expands the existing partial cap of I-95, which covers the highway from Front to Columbus, and from Chestnut Street just about half way to Walnut Street.

Original source: PlanPhilly
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New York's model for free financial planning comes to Philly

The New York Times Tuesday, February 05, 2013

New York City’s Financial Empowerment Centers provide free financial planning to residents through neighborhood organizations. Thanks to a new grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the model is expanding to Philadelphia (as well as Nashville, Denver, San Antonio and Lansing, Michigan).

Personalized advice, moreover, adds more value for the poor. Wealthy people could manage their own money if they chose to spend the time, and tend to have the clout and confidence to negotiate favorable terms. But most poor people have no idea about their options. They may not be aware that they can get financial aid for college or tax credits for child care. “I didn’t know what was on my credit card statement,” said Ruben Felix, a tailor who has been Jaimes’ client since September, 2011. “Only the due date.”

Original source: The New York Times
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Curbed Philly is hiring a new editor

Curbed Philly Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Local chapter of the national real estate and development blog Curbed is looking for a new editor. Liz Spikol has held the position since the site's inception.

The times, they are a-changin -- and so is the masthead here at Curbed Philly. Founding editor Liz Spikol is making moves and shifting gears, which means we need a new captain to helm this mighty ship. We're looking for a new editor to keep Philly apprised of all the good neighborhood news and real estate gossip on a daily basis. While you don't need to be a real estate expert, it helps to be completely fixated on architecture, city planning, and all the only-in-Philly weirdness that makes this place so great. Think you're up to the task?

Original source: Curbed Philly
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Oscar Road Trip stops off in Philadelphia

Oscar Road Trip Tuesday, February 05, 2013

An Oscar statue's three-week pre-awards tour will make a stop in the City of Brotherly Love on February 6. Locals have extra reason to be excited for the big show this year, with Philly-centric Silver Linings Playbook garnering multiple Academy Award nods.

Follow @OscarRoadTrip on Twitter and tweet using #OscarRoadTrip to let us know where you’d like to see us bring Oscar. Or, if you’re old school, you can also shoot us an email to let us know where we should go next.

Original source: Oscar Road Trip
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SEPTA holds meetings on Norristown high-speed rail extension

Progressive Railroading Tuesday, January 29, 2013

SEPTA is weighing an extension of the Norristown regional rail line, which could potentially provide commuter access to King of Prussia and Valley Forge by train. They are holding public information sessions on the recently launched extension study which should be completed in 2014.

The extension would provide "a much needed public transportation alternative for thousands of people who regularly travel between Philadelphia, Main Line communities and King of Prussia, the largest suburban employment and retail center in the region," said Eric Goldstein, executive director of the King of Prussia Business Improvement District.

Original source: Progressive Railroading
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Four new hotels planned for Philadelphia after recession lull

Philadelphia Inquirer Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Hotel development has bounced back in Philadelphia, with four new projects on the docket. The latest addition is Hotel Indigo, planned for the Bailey Building at 12th and Chestnut Streets.

If all are completed, the four hotels would add a combined 1,268 rooms to the city's inventory of 11,600 - enough to support the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center, which officials say requires about 12,500 rooms.

In addition, a new hotel tax will kick in July 1, boosting the rate to 15.5 percent from 15.2 percent, or 50 cents per room night - additional revenue that will go toward marketing the city's tourism industry.

Original source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
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The Public Library joins in worldwide celebration of 'Pride & Prejudice'

The New York Times Tuesday, January 29, 2013

On January 28, the world celebrated 200 years since the publication of Jane Austen's classic Pride & Prejudice, and the Free Library of Philadelphia played its part. They hosted an all-day event featuring lectures, film screenings and "pop-up" theatrical performances of scenes from the novel.

"The enthusiasm and inventiveness that we’re seeing now has everything to do with what’s happened in the decades since that bicentennial in 1975," Ms. Wells said by e-mail. "The beloved 1995 mini-series adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice,' for sure, but also the influence of the Jane Austen Society of North America (founded in 1979) and of course the Internet and social media. So many people of all ages, nationalities, and walks of life now self-identify as Austen fans and are out and proud about that. They love, love, love 'P&P' and are overjoyed at any opportunity to celebrate and share that love."

Original source: The New York Times
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Local company Momentum Dynamics develops vital electric car tool

The Daily News Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Malvern-based Momentum Dynamics has developed a wireless charging pad for the Chevy Volt. The 10-person startup is helping revolutionize charging technology for electric vehicles. The Daily News chatted with the company's founder.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for wireless charging?
A: I was working on a project to deliver solar power to troops during the Iraq war, which led me to a safe, short-distance method of transmitting power wirelessly. The clear application was electric vehicles. The challenge was not the vehicle or battery but the charging connection to the grid.

Original source: The Daily News
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Redfin names next hot neighborhoods for 2013

Redfin Tuesday, January 22, 2013

According to Redfin, the next hot neighborhoods in the Philadelphia area will be...drumroll...Phoenixville, Brewerytown and our very own #ontheground home West Germantown.

West Germantown is a historic neighborhood that went from riches to rags. It was once the sought after destination by aristocrats, but its large stone homes sat dilapidated for years when the money left. Now these beautiful dwellings on both sides of Johnson Street are slowly and steadily being renovated.

Original Source: Redfin (via Curbed Philly)
To see the complete list, click here.

AIA's Honor Awards showcase sustainable design

Architect Magazine Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) might not have a specific category in its Honor Awards for sustainability, but the organization's Architect Magazine culled through the awardees to note the greenest efforts of the year. Standouts included the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.

Perhaps it's possible to read the lack of a sustainable design category for the Honor Awards a different way. Because sustainable design is the architectural obligation that Piano describes, then it's a given that sustainability will be a feature of prominent projects—or it should be a given, for architects and clients alike. Arguably, all of the Honor Award designs feature some green features. Nevertheless, sustainability helped some projects win out in their Honor Award categories more than others. So here is a list of the top projects in part because they emphasized sustainability.

Original source: Architect Magazine
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Wall Street Journal details Toll Brothers' foray into condo market

The Wall Street Journal Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The Wall Street Journal notes Toll Brothers' increasing stake in the national condo market. The Horsham-based company, known locally for its suburban developments before forays into Naval Square and the Loft District, already has ten condo projects under way in New York City. They are scheduled to announce their first project in the Washington, D.C. area.

"Baby boomers are downsizing and getting tired of mowing the lawn, and many are looking for a place where they don't have to drive for everything," said Christopher Leinberger, a Washington urban land-use strategist and partner in developer Arcadia Land Co. "The home builders in this country have been slow in getting into this market, but once they do, they find that it is a large market with pent-up demand."

Original source: The Wall Street Journal
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Local researchers examine impact of fracking on health

The New York Times Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The University of Pennsylvania's Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology is leading the effort to assess the health risks of natural gas extraction. They are heading up a national coalition of institutions set to analyze and map the risks of fracking.

The aim is to bring academic discipline to the unresolved national debate, which pits an industry that denies any link between fracking and environmental contamination against those who assert that fracking poisons air and water with natural and man-made chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects and other illnesses.

“There is an enormous amount of rhetoric on both sides,” said Trevor M. Penning, head of the Penn toxicology center and the driving force behind the Environmental Health Sciences Core Center Hydrofracking Working Group. “We felt that because we are situated in Pennsylvania, we had a duty to get on top of what was known and what was not known.”

Original source: The New York Times
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Lonely Planet names Philly as Top 10 U.S. destination

Lonely Planet Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Lonely Planet put together a list of the top U.S. travel desinations for 2013. Our fair city clocked in at number four.

Forget the cheesesteaks and tri-corner hat, Philadelphia is becoming known as an art capital. In addition to the world renowned Philadelphia Museum of Art, the formerly remote the Barnes Foundation, a once private collection of Matisse, Renoir and Cézanne, has a new central location. And it’s not just the big museums – Philly’s gallery scene is exploding with new venues like the Icebox garnering international attention and turning the Northern Liberties and Fishtown neighborhoods into the new hot arts hub. First Fridays, the monthly gallery open house, long a tradition in Old City, has expanded to the refurbished Loft District, where the party goes on in a host of new bars, clubs and live music venues.

Original Source: LonelyPlanet.com
For the full story, click here.

The New York Times spends 36 hours in Philadelphia

The New York Times Tuesday, January 15, 2013

A writer from the New York Times spends "36 Hours" in Philadelphia, hitting up the Philadelphia History Museum, Johnny Brenda's, 13th Street and one particularly spicy spot:

Across the Schuylkill in University City, the newest location of the locally beloved Han Dynasty (3711 Market Street; 215-222-3711; handynasty.net) has a wide-open dining room with modern lines, rough-hewn wood and a kitschy cocktail list. Bucket-size drinks like the Scorpion Bowl and Singapore Sling are $5 during happy hour. But the food is the real attraction. Plates come one after the other in family-style portions — dan dan noodles ($7.95), double-cooked fish ($17.95) and spicy, crispy cucumbers ($6.95), each rated 1 to 10 on Han’s hot-or-not index.

Original source: The New York Times
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Teva cancels development plans in Northeast Philly

Philadelphia Business Journal Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Teva, the Israeli pharmaceutical company, is nixing plans to build a proposed $300 million distribution center in Northeast Philadelphia. The company was to set to receive $4.7 million in grants and tax credits to aid construction.

Earlier this month, Teva, which is based in Israel and has its North American headquarters in North Wales, Pa., said it is reassessing its global network footprint as part of a plan to reduce costs by $1.5 billion to $2 billion over the next three-to-five years.Teva broke ground on the distribution project, which called for the construction of three buildings that would have employed more than 200 workers, in September 2011.

Original source: Philadelphia Business Journal
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