Lansdowne : Development News

While Philadelphia is known for many distinctions, far too many Philadelphians don’t realize that we lay claim to one of the largest urban natural wildlife refuges in the country. We’re not talking about Fairmount Park. In fact, we’re talking about the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, which sits peacefully in Southwest Philly and Tinicum Twp. amidst the roar of aircraft from the airport and the din of tractor-trailers from I-95. Now is an exciting time for the refuge, as it is finalizing steps to become even more sustainable and protect itself against flooding.

This week the wildlife refuge is completing an energy efficiency project. This means the Cusano Environmental Education Center will be getting new solar panels by the end of the week, according to Gary Stolz, the refuge manager. Stolz says that these solar panels, combined with the refuge’s existing sustainability efforts, means 80-90% of the facility’s power will be solar or geothermal. What’s even more interesting is that Heinz was able to pay for the recent batch of solar panels using internal funding.

Stolz also says that the refuge is almost finished with its efforts to protect against flooding. “We’re re-building the dike road along the Darby Creek,” he points out. He adds that the road, which has existed since the early Swedish and Dutch settlers, has been raised about three feet in the last couple of months. While Stolz confirms that the road still needs some cosmetic work, it should be completed shortly.

Finally, the refuge is working on repairing a boardwalk that was severely damaged last year because of Hurricane Irene. The boardwalk is currently inoperable due to safety issues, but it should be ready for action in about a month. 

The John Heinz Wildlife Refuge is a 1,000-acre preserve that is home to migratory birds, fish, deer, opossums, and even foxes. In addition to being one of the largest natural wildlife refuges in the U.S., it contains the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. The Cusano Environmental Education Center holds the pulse of the reserve, and is popular for classes and environmental fairs. Cusano is built mostly of recycled materials, such as beams from old shipyards.   

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Gary Stolz, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
?Photo courtesy of Michael Weaver 

It’s a well-known fact that many low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia are food deserts, meaning there is no grocery store or other source of fresh foods nearby. The city of Chester in Delaware County must be the Gobi Desert of food deserts, as the entire city is currently without a supermarket. This is despite the recent construction of both a soccer stadium and a casino. However, this is about to change as Philabundance, with the help of the Delaware Valley Regional Economic Development Fund, recently acquired a building to open up a non-profit grocery store.

The grocery store will be called Fare and Square, and will be located on Ninth St., a few blocks south of Highland Ave. Lindsay Bues, a spokeswoman for Philabundance, reports that Fare and Square will sell both deeply-discounted and free food, and will accept and teach the community about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. “This model promotes food equality by offering a full range of food products at one convenient location on a regular basis while allowing people to maximize their purchasing power,” reports Bues.

Chester’s first grocery store is made possible through a $1 million grant through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This grant will comprise a good chunk of the $4.5 million price tag behind offering fresh food. According to Bues, the store will take up 13,000 sq. ft. and provide 30 new jobs, many of which will go to local residents. The store will likely open its doors in about a year.

Local and federal lawmakers are still trying to get a bigger supermarket to open in Chester, and it sounds like they might be close. Two chains that might be interested in opening are Shop Rite and Fresh Grocer, although nothing is firm at this moment. There’s no word on what will happen to Fare and Square when a larger grocery store does set up shop. 

Writer: Andy Sharpe
Source: Lindsay Bues

Now that it's finally turned cold, are you desperately searching for something fun to do? If you are, you might want to think about a round of miniature golf.

That's right, Linvilla Orchards now offers indoor miniature golf. Yet, Delaware County's newest mini golf course is about so much more than hitting a ball into a hole, as Linvilla worked with the Academy of Natural Sciences to turn every hole into a lesson about the environment around us.

Linvilla's course, called Fore! The Planet, stands out for its scientific theme. This means every one of the course's 19 holes conveys a lesson about the Earth's environment and the organisms that inhabit it. Think of each hole as a textbook, with the golf club serving as a bookmark. The ball, on the other hand, represents different things depending on the hole. The layout includes a hole where the ball is a bat following sonar, a hole about landfills where the ball is supposed to be garbage, and a hole about water pollution with water traps denoting brackish water.

Rob Ferber, the senior manager at the orchards, enjoys hole No. 8 the most. This hole is "Predator and Prey,” where the ball is a rolling metaphor for a fly trying to elude its predators and find a safe place to lay eggs. Ferber is amused at this hole's sound effects. He's quick to point out that one of the fly's predators, the frog, has a decoy hole that spits the ball out and makes a frog noise. To Ferber, the course consists of "museum exhibits" that are reflective of Linvilla's work with the Academy of Natural Sciences. 

This course is also unique because it's one of only two public mini golf courses in Delaware County. It's also one of only a few indoor mini golf courses in the Philadelphia area. It represents a fresh idea and a fresh partnership for what many consider to be the Delaware Valley's most famous orchard. Linvilla has been known for its apple, pumpkin, and Christmas tree picking for decades, but never for golf. It's also emblematic of a new collaboration between the orchard and the Academy of Natural Sciences, which also has no prior experience with mini golf. 

Fore! The Planet, opened the day after Christmas, and has proven very popular. "It's been a big hit, especially the first week when kids were out of school,” confirms Ferber. He adds that Fore! has proven popular with adults as well, probably elated to see a miniature golf course open during the winter. Ferber makes sure to add that some of these adults take their golf quite seriously, as they have come bearing their own clubs.

Source: Rob Ferber
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Unlike many other local colleges and universities, families of Swarthmore College students often have to go miles out of their way to find lodging. It's not uncommon for these families to have to stay as far away as the Airport area. However, if a proposed new Town Center continues on its path to fruition, those visiting the college or the borough won't have to skip town to find a bed. Swarthmore College has begun the re-routing of utilities to allow for Swarthmore Town Center West, which is a complex slated to include an inn, restaurant and lounge, and re-located campus bookstore. 

The idea of an inn in the borough of Swarthmore gets a lot of people excited, whether they're affiliated with the college or live in town. The college is endeavoring to build a 40-45 room inn, which would be open to anyone visiting Delaware County. "It's an idea that's been discussed and debated for a number of years," offers Marty Spiegel, Swarthmore Borough's town center coordinator. This will "draw more people into downtown (Swarthmore)," he adds. Spiegel  especially covets the increased pedestrian traffic he says this inn will generate.

While the inn has a lot of students and townsfolk talking, so too does the idea of a restaurant and lounge. Spiegel recounts that the community would like a restaurant that is a short and non-treacherous walk for residents, as well as an appropriate gathering place for people to meet and chat. The coordinator says the grades are still out as to whether the restaurant will be formal or casual, as the college is currently embarking on marketing studies to see what kind of eatery would work best.   

Currently, Swarthmore College is moving ball fields to potentially make way for the Town Center. Spiegel estimates that plans for the new complex will be ready for preliminary review and analysis in a few months. If all goes according to plan, he believes construction will commence in 2013, with a possible completion and opening date in 2014.  

If Swarthmore Town Center West does get approved, it could also result in a re-engineering of the Route 320 underpass by SEPTA's Swarthmore Station. "This brings added importance to that issue," says Spiegel, who is concerned about the dangers of existing traffic at the intersection of Swarthmore Borough and College, and the commuter traffic from the station. While the southernmost exit of the college, which stares the underpass down, would have to be removed for the Town Center, the new development would undoubtedly bring increased vehicular traffic. 

Spiegel wants to emphasize his wish that the new complex minimize the need to use a car. He explains that the development is "ideally suited" by being convenient to the center of the borough, the college and the train station. He envisions residents and students walking from the borough and the college to grab some dinner, and visitors taking the train to stay at the inn. 

Source: Marty Spiegel, Swarthmore Borough
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Map art by Alex Forbes

Despite a budget shortfall, SEPTA will be able to resume purchasing hybrid diesel-electric buses thanks to two grants from the US Department of Transportation. For the first time ever, SEPTA will purchase hybrid 60-foot accordion buses, which are the longest buses in the system. SEPTA’s current assortment of hybrid buses is about 30 percent more fuel efficient than equivalent clean diesel buses.

SEPTA is the beneficiary of $15 million in federal funds to cover the difference in cost between hybrid and clean diesel 60-foot buses. Luther Diggs, who’s in charge of operations at SEPTA, says it will stretch out the acquisition of these longer buses over four years, with the first year’s purchase entirely hybrid. Over the four years, SEPTA will be replacing 155 longer buses, with an option for 65 more. The percent of these that are hybrid will depend on how much more grant money becomes available. 

This opens the possibility that additional bus routes might see these longer buses. "We have some additional need for 60-foot buses," confirms Diggs. He suggests that the Route 47 bus, which was the subject of the failed skip-stop pilot and more successful attempts to speed it up, might end up seeing longer buses. Also, he hints that the extremely well-traveled Route 17 bus, which runs up and down 19th and 20th Sts. in South Philadelphia and across Center City, might be another new candidate for the 60-footers.

Shortly after the $15 million grant was announced, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced another grant of $5 million to pay for additional hybrid 40-foot buses, the most prevalent of SEPTA's fleet. This is welcome news for many local environmentalists, who earlier this year were dismayed to hear that funding difficulties meant SEPTA would cease acquiring standard-size hybrid buses. According to Diggs, SEPTA will resume purchasing these hybrid buses in 2013, and only purchase hybrid 40-foot buses in 2014. 

Diggs is convinced that hybrid buses represent the most financially sensible way for SEPTA to green its bus fleet. Diggs says SEPTA did examine running buses using compressed natural gas (CNG) in the mid-1990s. However, hybrid buses were ruled more effective than their CNG counterparts because of "infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, and cost," says Diggs. While some transit agencies in California and Texas use CNG, there are legitimate concerns about the cost of putting in CNG infrastructure and the health risks associated with natural gas.  

Source: Luther Diggs, SEPTA
Writer: Andy Sharpe 

While the stagnant economy is hurting sales in many industries, it is likely contributing to a bonanza in multifamily building sales in the Philadelphia area this year. In fact, hopeful landlords seem to be gobbling up buildings to rent them as apartments or sell them as condominiums. This is evident both in Philadelphia and its suburbs.

According to Christine Espenshade, senior vice president for capital markets at Jones Lang LaSalle Realty, 2011 multifamily sales have already set a record in the Delaware Valley, with a couple of months left in the year. Espenshade reports that sales have already hit $410 million. Yet, with two months remaining in the year, she predicts sales will touch $500 million. Compared to these figures, the $150 million in multifamily sales in 2010 seems downright paltry.

There are a number of explanations for this explosion in multifamily sales. Espenshade cites a durable growth of rent in the Philadelphia-area, a glut of new supply of apartments and condos, and an educated buyer’s market. Additionally, “With the availability of financing to purchase assets through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, investors can borrow sufficient capital for good, long term investments,” says the senior vice president. Finally, one of the more sobering explanations is that more Philadelphians are renting because they can no longer afford to own a house.

Philadelphia’s recent uptick in population bodes well for multifamily sales in the city. Espenshade confirms that a growing number of people are looking to rent apartments or purchase condos in the city because of its retail scene, colleges and universities, and varied employment market. However, this exponential growth isn’t limited to the city. Interestingly, Jones Lang LaSalle says there have more multifamily purchases in the suburbs. A possible reason for this is the sheer size of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Camden and Wilmington.

The forecast for multifamily sales remains strong for 2012. Espenshade says rents will continue to rise next year, which should make multifamily investing more profitable. She also sees both private and institutional entities rushing to become involved in the multifamily market next year, which would be a repeat of this year. Most importantly, without any strong signs of economic improvement next year, more and more people likely won’t be able to afford to buy their own home.

Source: Christine Espenshade, Jones Lang LaSalle
Writer: Andy Sharpe

If you're jonesing for a hamburger, you may soon have a new fix nearby. Jake's Wayback Burgers, which started in 1991 as a few ultra-popular burger shacks in Northern Delaware, recently opened locations in Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery Counties, and plans to open its first location in Philadelphia soon.

These locations include Northeast Philadelphia, West Chester, and Chadds Ford. Northeast Philadelphia will be the business' first foray into the city, and will be located at Welsh Rd. and Roosevelt Boulevard. According to Jake's the target opening for the Northeast location will be in two to three weeks.

Jake's Burgers has been a staple in New Castle County, Delaware, consistently garnering local awards. As Gillian Maffeo, the marketing director at Jake's, puts it, the restaurant has a "cult following" in the First State. The original location in Newark hasn't changed very much, as it still has just four tables inside, picnic tables outside, and the original hand-made burgers and milkshakes. These burgers and milkshakes have attracted the accolades of Delawareans, as they have repeatedly been voted the "best burger" and  "best milkshake" in the state by Delaware Today and Delaware News Journal readers. This is despite stiff competition from another old-fashioned burger joint, The Charcoal Pit.  

The restaurant is currently flipping burgers in Wayne, Willow Grove, Springfield (Delaware County), Exton, Kennett Square, and Pottstown. Some of these locations have only been open a few months, while others have been open for a couple of years. With this in mind, there are a number of locations that will be opening in the coming months.

Maffeo is most enthusiastic about the role Jake's plays in the surrounding communities. Individual restaurants do everything from "fundraising events to cancer and diabetes walks," said Maffeo. The marketing director added that some Jake's locations will be serving turkey burger dinners at local homeless shelters for Thanksgiving. She was also especially proud of the diabetes walk that employees at the Exton location participated in.

To emphasize the popularity of Jake's burgers and milkshakes, the restaurant has begun to feature a "burger of the month" and a "milkshake of the month." While hamburgers and milkshakes will always be Jake's most notable offerings, the restaurant has expanded its menu beyond just those. The burger joint now sells all-beef hotdogs, turkey burgers, various sandwiches, and salads.

Source: Gillian Maffeo, Jake's Wayback Burgers
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Don’t let Chester, Delaware County’s suburban location fool you; it’s a patchwork of neighborhoods afflicted by crime and poverty. Just in the past couple of weeks, Chester saw six people shot and a man commit suicide after a traffic stop by ingesting cocaine. With those woes in mind, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) recently undertook a study analyzing how a train station can connect fans of the Philadelphia Union soccer team that plays there, office workers, and perhaps even future Chester residents.

The DVRPC study, called the “Chester Riverfront and Community Rail Access Study,” researched how Chester’s currently struggling Highland Avenue Station can better serve residents, visitors, and workers. Presently, “Highland Avenue is one with (a) very low number of boardings (84 boardings per day in 2009) and might be considered a candidate for closure under other circumstances,” says Dr. Joseph Hacker, manager in DVRPC’s Office of Transit, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Planning.

Yet, the Union’s soccer stadium, PPL Park, stands in the way of closure, as does the recently built office complex Wharf at Rivertown. Due in large part to these destinations, DVRPC looked into rebuilding a station at Highland, or moving the station to one of two nearby locations, Townsend/Engle Streets or Flower Street.

Hacker thinks a rebuilt or relocated Highland Ave. train station could be a catalyst for some new housing development, which is something not often heard of in Chester. Specifically, Hacker points to Rivertown as an area that could be ripe for new housing. “It is my understanding that SEPTA would be eager to partner on a new station if there was a coterminous development supporting a new investment,” said DVRPC’s manager. “A $27 million investment (the cost to build a new station) is not warranted by the weekly soccer ridership.”

According to DVRPC, distance and accessibility to PPL Park and the Wharf at Rivertown are two of the greatest factors that went into the study. Accessibility is defined as “the legibility and the safety of the path between the station and the respective destination,” in the words of Hacker.

In fact, DVRPC’s current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) addresses the Chester study. Both the Flower and Townsend/Engle St. sites have improved pedestrian crossings over a freight line leading to the PPL Park and Rivertown programmed into the TIP. As for the Highland Ave. site, there is a TIP item concerning signage and streetscaping there, to make for a better walking environment.

While Chester continues to be plagued by high crime and low incomes, a train station might lay down the track for the resuscitation of the suburban city. While a rebuilt or relocated Highland Ave. Station would be a good thing for Union fans and office workers, it could be a marvelous thing for residents. 

Source: Dr. Joseph Hacker, DVRPC
Writer: Andy Sharpe

At a press conference this past week, SEPTA announced that its Board will be voting on an ambitious plan to modernize the Regional Rail fare structure in September or October. This comes after the Regional Rail Fare Policy Advisory Group, which consisted of 14 suburban and urban transportation planners and transit activists and had been meeting since May, released a report concerning SEPTA’s New Payment Technologies proposal.

However, before the Board votes on reforming Regional Rail payment, SEPTA wants more input from riders. To this end, SEPTA has placed a brief survey soliciting opinions about New Payment Technologies on its website. The authority has also promoted the survey in stations and vehicles. John McGee, SEPTA’s chief officer of New Payment Technologies, is eager to see rail riders participate in the survey. This survey "really impacts what we’re doing," said McGee. "It will help us lay out the foundation of a gated railroad system."

For Regional Rail riders, conductors, and engineers, the installation of turnstiles in the five designated Center City stations, which are Temple University, Market East, Suburban, 30th Street, and University City Stations, may be the most noticeable proposed change.

Because of this, the addition of turnstiles is also proving controversial.

"Turnstiles are both a physical and psychological barrier to riding the train," said Matt Mitchell, a director at the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers (DVARP) and a vocal member of the advisory group. "They slow down people as they’re rushing to catch the train." Yet, SEPTA remains eager to install turnstiles and gates. "We’ll buy gates soon after the Board vote in September or October," pointed out McGee.

Another notable aspect of New Payment Technology concerning Regional Rail is that, if approved by the SEPTA Board, riders to some stations closer to Center City will have to pay for traveling further, and then collect a refund when they disembark the train. McGee looked to brush off skepticism about this for riders paying with credit or debit cards. "The refund will be instantaneous for contactless credit and debit card users," reassured McGee.

It is important to add that many of these proposed changes are still at least a couple of years away. Also, some of the changes are not even etched in marble yet. "We’re still open," said McGee. "That's why we’re asking for wider input."

This means that debates over whether fares will be collected in one or both directions and what to do about paying with cash and transferring vehicles are not over. 

Source: John McGee, SEPTA
Writer: Andy Sharpe

A small borough in Delaware County is looking to celebrate its heritage in the upcoming 7th annual OcTrolleyFest. OcTrolleyFest is a unique fete of Darby Borough's rich history, which examines transportation, desegregation, and Darby's relationship with surrounding boroughs and Southwest Philadelphia.

OcTrolleyFest is the pride and joy of husband and wife John and Jan Haigis, who are widely known for their love of singing, history, and Darby Borough. These passions helped to inspire OcTrolleyFest, which "brings more attention to history and brings people together," John Haigis points out. His wife gushed "people can reconnect with Darby and people who've moved away can see there's still stuff going on in Darby."

The festival's calling card is the use of an old fashioned trolley, which provides free rides between Darby and Southwest Philadelphia the day of the festival. The rides act as rolling history lessons, as docents aboard the trolleys discuss the many historic buildings en route. Some participants, naturally including the Haigis duo, also impersonate historical figures important to Darby.

OcTrolleyFest is remarkable for Darby, since the low-income, high-crime borough is not used to festivals. The borough has been widely known for its crime, political bickering, and severe flooding for decades. Haigis' festival gives residents a chance to forget about all this for at least a day, and as the pair would eagerly say, hopefully instills a sense of civic and historical pride in borough denizens.

John and Jan Haigis have a lot of heartwarming memories from previous celebrations. John's favorite memories are punctuated by the time rock-and-roll chart-topper Charlie Gracie performed. As for Jan, she relishes the "150th anniversary of the horse-car line (now the Route 11 trolley) from Philadelphia to Delaware County" in 2008. She also fondly reflects on last year's event, which honored the century anniversary of the formation of the Darby Hilldales, which was a wildly success Negro League baseball team.

As for this year's OcTrolleyFest, scheduled for October 15, there are still some question marks as to what the Haigis couple will do. "There will be scarecrows for kids and a pumpkin parade," says Jan Haigis. However, the trolley route is still to be determined, especially since SEPTA is doing construction on the preferred route between Darby, Yeadon, and Southwest Philadelphia. John and Jan definitely want to reach out to local cemeteries in Collingdale and Southwest Philadelphia to recognize the work of African American visionaries who are buried there. With these uncertainties in mind, John Haigis promises there will be "music, fun, and surprises."  

Sources: John and Jan Haigis
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey announced last Tuesday that Pennsylvania would receive $47 million in federal transit and infrastructure grants as part of the Federal Transit Administration's State of Good Repair program. As SEPTA updated its hybrid bus fleet two years ago, the lion's share of the funding went to Pittsburgh's Allegheny County Port Authority for a clean diesel fleet of their own. But SEPTA didn't come away empty handed, receiving $8.1 million for two infrastructure improvements a long time coming.

The first grant will revamp SEPTA's Parkside Bus Loop, helping reconnect this West Philly neighborhood. But the second, more universal improvement will aid in future upgrades. Using $6.4 million, SEPTA will install an asset management system to aid in record-keeping as many of Philadelphia's transit assets come up for repairs.

"A lot of our infrastructure dates back to the early 1900's and were taken over from other private companies," says SEPTA CFO Richard Burnfield. "What the FTA was trying to focus on is knowing what you have out there in the field before you can make an assessment as to what your overall needs are, coming up with a plan for when things should be replaced."

The system will help SEPTA keep better records so when funding is available, the authority can make a more organized, more compelling case for further federal dollars as the fleet is upgraded.

"Right now, we do a very good job of managing our assets so while the records are not as computerized as we'd like them to be, we have so much knowledge within our engineering staff that I feel we make excellent decisions," says Burnfield. "But I think this will help us going forward so we can do a second check on things as our staff reaches retirement."

Source: Richard Burnfield, SEPTA
Writer: John Steele

In science fiction novels and books about the future, a few technologies are boilerplate: flying cars, meals in pill form and the ability to teleport instantly from place to place. National commuter rail company Amtrak took another step toward teleportation on Tuesday with its announcement of a high-speed rail vision plan. In Tuesday's news conference from University City's 30th Street Station, with Governor Ed Rendell on hand, Amtrak officials laid out their goal to create a line with average speeds well over 130 mph, saving passengers between one and two hours on average.

"Amtrak is putting forward a bold vision of a realistic and attainable future that can revolutionize transportation, travel patterns and economic development in the Northeast for generations," says Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman.

The plan, entitled A Vision for High-Speed Rail in the Northeast Corridor, proposes a full build-out to be completed by 2040. Its construction, Amtrak says, would create more than 40,000 full-time jobs annually over a 25-year period, building new track, tunnels, bridges, stations, and other infrastructure. Predictably, the cost for such a project is high, $4.7 billion annually over 25 years. But Amtrak's feasibility studies peg the Northeast as a "mega-region" capable of drawing the type of rail traffic to make such an investment profitable. And with some premier legislative voices like New Jersey's Frank Lautenberg and Massachusetts' John Kerry already voicing their support, we may be teleporting out of 30th Street Station sooner than we think.

"Amtrak's High Speed Rail plan will create jobs, cut pollution and help us move towards a modern and reliable transportation system network in the Northeast," said Kerry in a recent statement. "As countries around the world continue to build out their transportation systems, we
cannot afford to fall further behind. This is an important down payment on the massive commitment necessary to bridge our infrastructure gap." 

Source: Joseph Boardman, Amtrak
Writer: John Steele