Reuse / Rebuild : Development News

When walking by a vacant lot, it's easy to see only an eyesore. With her latest site-based sculpture, The House That Was Here, local artist Maria Möller hopes to shift that perception, reminding us that there's more to vacant land than stories of neglect.

Thanks to a grant from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority's new Fund for Art and Civic Engagement (FACE), Möller -- along with neighborhood youth and community members -- created a piece at 2025 Federal Street that evokes the history of the house that once stood there. Point Breeze is a part of town with its fair share of vacancy that is now experiencing an intense wave of gentrification.

Multiple sculptural recreations of the former home stand in the narrow lot. Four of them tell the house's story from 1877 through the 1960s when it burned to the ground. The four pieces incorporate original source material, neighborhood memories and a little bit of historical fiction to tell the space's history.

The fifth house has been created using three open houses -- the public was invited to share their own thoughts, memories of life in Point Breeze, and their hopes for the future of the neighborhood -- adding the community's voice to Möller's exploration of neighborhood change.
 
The exhibit runs through the end of August. If you can’t make it, check out thehousethatwashere.tumblr.com for photos and additional information. 

Source:  Maria Möller, local artist
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

It was 2008 the last time The Merchants Fund partnered with the Department of Commerce to offer ReStore Retail Incentive Grants for upgrading or establishing retail along neighborhood commercial corridors. West Philly's Mariposa Food Co-Op was one of the lucky recipients, successfully utilizing the funds to fill financial gaps and make the project a reality. Since opening, the Baltimore Avenue grocery has quintupled in size, created 30 jobs, remediated a food desert and helped stabilize a commercial corridor. That same level of success is what The Merchants Fund is after with their next round of grants; a Request for Proposals opens August 14.

According to Patricia Blakeley with The Merchants Fund, this year's round of grants is "more of the same" -- applicants must have at least two primary partners: a community non-profit and a future or current retail business owner or arts organization (for-profit or non-profit). Grants of up to $50,000 are available.

"We're looking for shovel-ready projects," explains Blakeley. "We want to sweeten the pot so projects can be completed by summer 2014."

To accomplish that, the ReStore Grants are being offered in tandem with a new program called InStore, a Department of Commerce and Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy forgivable loan program designed to help businesses with interior improvements. The retail locations must serve a low-to-moderate income population to qualify for the $15,000 to $50,000 grants.

In total, the two programs are offering $800,000 to help establish high-quality retail, encourage business attraction and aid commercial expansion in Philly neighborhoods. While some recipients could potentially benefit from more than one grant, Blakeley says the money will be divided up in a fair and strategic way.

"We haven't figured out the details of who will fund what, but we want to reach all corners of the city," she explains.

A briefing about the two programs will be held on at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, August 14 at 1515 Arch Street, 18th Floor, City Planning Room (18-029). 

Source:  Patricia Blakeley, The Merchants Fund
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

On July 20, folks from the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC) will join the Philadelphia Water Department, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Mural Arts Program and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to celebrate a slew of new features now open on its "Big Green Block." Councilman Mark Squilla, State Representative Mike O’Brien and a representative from Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez's office will also attend.

When Flying Kite last checked in with NKCDC and the others behind the "Big Green Block" initiative, they were prepping for a Volunteer Day to help complete some of the project's Phase Two features. With those now complete, the project's supporters are going to celebrate in style.

"We're having a celebration, ribbon-cutting and tours starting at 11 a.m.," explains Diana Jih with NKCDC. There will also be a resident-driven sustainability workshop on DIY rainbarrels.

Tours will showcase the site's new green features, including the newly opened Mural Arts Spray Park, basketball courts with an innovative stormwater drainage system and a grand re-opening of the Palmer Doggie Depot.

In addition, the Climate and Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) will offer a presentation on the relationship between green infrastructure and climate change.

The "Big Green Block" initiative has been around for over two years; the area is defined by Front Street, Frankford Avenue, Palmer Street and Norris Street, and includes the Shissler Recreation Center (next door to the Kensington High School for Creative and Performing Arts). Within Sustainable 19125 -- an NKCDC initiative working to make the zipcode the greenest in the region -- the site has become a model location for green infrastructure and sustainable education.

Source:  Diana Jih, NKCDC
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Ralph Brooks Park at 20th and Tasker Streets will undergo an ambitious $275,000 renovation, transforming the basketball court into "Rucker Philly," modeled after the famed court in Harlem. But this isn’t just a project to fix up a basketball court -- if Jeffrey Tubbs and his nonprofit Urban Roots get their way, the project will be the first phase of a much larger neighborhood-wide revitalization effort.

The project's first phase is a head-to-toe makeover of the park, complete with the addition of a rain garden and a community garden, all thanks to donations totaling about $241,495 from the City, the Philadelphia Water Department, Urban Roots, the ACE Mentor Program, I.am.SP and Ritter & Plante Associates.

On May 29, Urban Roots launched a crowdfunding campaign on Lucky Ant to close the gap needed for the first phase's $275,000 figure as well as raise money for future plans.

The Park honors Ralph Brooks Jr., a seven-year-old boy who was tragically shot a block away in 1988.

With future phases, Brooks' legacy will be expanded beyond the basketball court. "If you don't play basketball it doesn't mean this project won't benefit you," says Jessie Fox with Here's My Chance, an organization assisting Urban Roots with their crowdfunding efforts.

Tubbs is looking to transform other city-owned parcels nearby to bring a variety of much-needed services to the neighborhood. These include an urban farm, a senior pavilion, new play equipment, public art, and sidewalk and street resurfacing.

If enough money is raised, plans for affordable housing, a sporting-goods store and a commercial kiosk that sells fresh produce to the neighborhood could come to fruition. Tubbs says the three additional park renovation phases will cost about $700,000.

"Everyone is really excited for the project and the benefits it will bring," says Fox. "The effort is bringing the community back together."

For more information on the project, or if you’d like to make a contribution, click here.

Source:  Jessie Fox, Here's My Chance
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Wednesday marks a major milestone for Camden's $90 million state-of-the-art Kroc Center  -- City officials and community leaders will gather for the project's official topping-out ceremony.
 
Seen as a key to revitalizing the city's underutilized waterfront in the Cramer Hill neighborhood, the new community center has been in the making for over 8 years. In 2004, the Salvation Army USA announced a $1.6 billion gift from the estate of Joan Kroc (her husband founded McDonald's).
 
Through a competitive process, $59 million of this funding went to Camden to build one of 27 Kroc Corps Community Centers in the country. The remaining $31 million has been raised through philanthropic efforts.
 
Tomorrow's topping-out ceremony hopes to garner even more excitement for the city's newest destination. Once complete, the new center will resemble one in Philadelphia's Nicetown neighborhood, which opened in 2010.
 
Camden's Center -- which Major Paul Cain with the Salvation Army calls "a super community center" -- will be a behemoth. The 120,000 square-foot facility will provide recreational, health, educational, cultural, family and spiritual programming for area residents. Members will enjoy an early-childhood education center, a food pantry, aquatic centers, a worship center, a black box movie theater and dance studios. The Center's grounds will also include a park, outdoor water facilities, sports fields and a playground.
 
"The program model is holistic," says Cain. "The Center will have amenities geared towards the mind, body and spirit."
 
The anticipated membership fee for a family of four is $200; however scholarships will be available for those who cannot afford the fee.
 
"Joan Kroc's purpose for each [Kroc Center] was to provide access to a state-of-the-art facility for underserved communities," adds Cain. "Camden's will live up to that legacy."     
 
For information about joining the new center, visit KrocCenter.org

Source:  Major Paul Cain, The Salvation Army
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Maplewood Mall, a historic shopping center in downtown Germantown, is set to receive $2.2 million in city funds for a complete redesign. Councilwoman Cindy Bass and Kevin Dow, Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Commerce, made the announcement this past Saturday.
 
"In its current state, the Mall's design does not live up to its potential," explains Joseph Corrigan, director of communications for Cindy Bass’s Office. "The space could be a great urban place and an anchor for future redevelopment."
 
The redesign will build off the ideas summarized in the recently adopted Central Germantown Business District Beautification Plan, and input will be solicited through an aggressive community outreach process.
 
"The redesign will be driven by the community," adds Corrigan, explaining that once the vision is fleshed out, an official RFP will be released to hire a consulting firm. If all goes according to plan, final design work should be completed by fall 2014.
 
As part of the outreach process, Germantown United CDC and G-Town Radio are hosting a Re-Imagining Maplewood Mall Night Café and Block Party. The free event will take place on Saturday, June 22, 4 to 8:30 p.m. (a rain date is scheduled for June 29). Expect live music, activities for children and food from area restaurants.
 
Through Re-Imagining Maplewood Mall, the CDC hopes to reintroduce citizens to the area as a place to shop and socialize while garnering new ideas for the big makeover.

Source:  Joseph Corrigan, Director of Communications for Councilwoman Cindy Bass
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

In May 2012, Flying Kite covered the Community Design Collaborative's Transforming Urban Schoolyards design charrette, an event that aimed to rethink Philly's most asphalt-ridden schoolyards. West Philly's Henry C. Lea Elementary was one of the lucky recipients of the charrette's ideas. Now, those visions have a chance to come to life -- Lea is one of 10 finalists for a national $75,000 Green School Makeover grant from Global Green USA.

Julie Scott with the West Philadelphia Coalition for Neighborhood Schools (WPCNS) says the Green School Makeover grant will go towards Lea's ambitious sustainability plans. "We would utilize the grant to get a comprehensive recycling program started for the school," she says. "We’d start with relocating the dumpster off the grounds, which is a huge undertaking."
 
The dumpster would be relocated to the school's north yard to create an area for recycling and compost. This initiative would join other in-progress greening efforts. Last November, through a grant from SCI-West, the elementary school (in partnership with WPCNS) built a 1,400-square-foot planting bed, an early-action project identified during the charrette. Additional walking paths and plantings were added in the spring.

Once complete, the space will reorient the schoolyard as the primary entrance, leading visitors through a garden that would double as an outdoor area for science classes. In addition to the recycling program, the school also hopes to add additional stormwater mitigation features and rooftop solar panels.

The school is still actively searching for other ways to fund its master plan. If you're interested in getting involved in any way, please complete this brief survey or email [email protected] for details. 

Source:  Julie Scott, West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhood Schools
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Architects, designers, community leaders and affordable housing advocates take note: On Tuesday, June 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Architecture, the Community Design Collaborative (CDC) and Habitat for Humanity are holding a local launch for the acclaimed book Designed for Habitat.
 
The book profiles 13 smartly designed Habitat housing projects.

"Taken together, the projects illustrate that high quality designs are possible with Habitat Homes," says David Hinson, author and current head of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University. "Current conventional thinking in the design industry often assumes otherwise."
 
The 13 projects were chosen not just because they feature innovative design choices, but because of their collaborative nature. "Affordable housing in this country can always be improved upon and good design alone isn’t enough," adds Hinson. "Smart collaboration is key."
 
Located across the country, the homes represent a wide range of Habitat projects, from large and urban to small and rural. Two of them are local -- one in North Philadelphia, the other in West Philly. Hinson, a former Philadelphian himself, is quite familiar with both buildings.
 
The first, Project 1800, delivered a new dwelling and site design prototype for a post-industrial neighborhood in North Philly. The project's 15 new homes and five rehabilitated row homes provide an effective solution in a blight-ridden urban district.

The other project, the Stiles Street Homes, brought nine new-construction Habitat units to Parkside in West Philly. According to Hinson, this project shows how advocates can navigate the waters of community resistance and NIMBY-ism. Through a collaborative process and community outreach, they managed to deliver a context-sensitive solution.

At the event, Hinson will talk about these two projects in detail, as well as the 11 others outlined in Designed for Habitat. CDC board member Daryn Edwards will then moderate a panel featuring Hinson, Jon Mussleman, Maarten Pesch, Megan McGinley and Sally Harrison.

Source: David Hinson, author & head of the School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture at Auburn University
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Camden Business Façade Improvement Program has been up and running for almost two years, and helped nearly a dozen business owners finance the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their facades with $25,000 grants. In the next few weeks, the program is getting a big push across the city -- an additional 40 to 50 storefronts are expected to undergo renovations in the next calendar year.
 
"Expect to see a lot of dramatic changes in Camden," says Vince Basara, coordinator of the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) program in Camden. "The most noticeable improvements will happen on the 200 block of Market Street in Downtown Camden."
 
That stretch -- just a few short blocks from Flying Kite's On the Ground space -- is almost entirely owned by a single entity, making it easier to move forward. Basara expects to start the renovation process in the next two weeks
 
The program benefits UEZ business members who have participated in the city's energy-efficiency retrofit program, Camden POWER (Program Offering Widespread Energy Recovery), for commercial buildings. Most properties taking part in the program are along commercial corridors, though neighborhood and corner stores throughout the city will also be improved. 
 
Grantees have already installed new roofs and awnings, completed brick and masonry repair, replaced windows, improved signage, and added other historically sensitive treatments that conform to overlying design standards for the neighborhood.

"So far, there's been a lot of positive reaction to the completed storefront's improvements," says Basara. "With so many other storefronts in the pipeline, we’re expecting to make a big difference [over the coming year]."   

Source:  Vince Basara, Urban Enterprize Zone Program Coordinator, City of Camden
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Design work is moving forward on the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's (DRWC) latest streetscape project along Spring Garden Street. Late last month, DRWC and project designer RBA Group held a public open house to showcase the team's progress.
 
The presentation focused on two key improvement areas: streetscape enhancements along Spring Garden Street between Columbus Boulevard and 2nd Street, and a new lighting and public art installation by artist Leni Schwendinger under the I-95 overpass and Spring Garden transit stop.
 
The goal, according to DRWC's Karen Thompson, is to connect neighborhoods west of I-95 to the Delaware River. As part of the Master Plan for the Central Delaware adopted in 2012, similar efforts have been implemented on Race Street in Old City and Columbia Avenue in Fishtown.
 
Upwards of 40 people came out for the open house, which steered clear of design details and focused instead on the project's initial concepts.

"We had a good turnout and a positive response," says Thompson. "With the public on board, we can move forward on the project's next steps."
 
Those include developing an action plan to refine details of the $2 million streetscape project -- figuring out curb cuts concerns, identifying street trees and planting species, and developing a concise multi-modal connection.  
 
The team is also working to make sure their work goes hand-in-hand with the already-complete Spring Garden Street Greenway Plan set to run from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River.
 
For the lighting improvements, Schwendinger and DRWC will meet with SEPTA and PennDOT to nail down specifics. The design will have to take into account the fact that the overpass will be redone in 2018 as part of the Revive 95 project. Thompson anticipates that the installation will be taken off for the highway project and then reinstalled once work is completed.

Source:  Karen Thompson, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

On May 21, the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) officially accepted a $750,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation to help restore the legacy of West Philly's Lancaster Avenue as a thriving commercial corridor. First on the docket is the restoration of historic Hawthorne Hall.

The grant is the result of a year-long "Make Your Mark" neighborhood planning process facilitated by PEC. The program brought together stakeholders to discuss a vision for improving the community. The group agreed that it was important to revive the corridor as a cultural destination studded with restaurants and retail locations, fueling economic growth. The grant, part of nearly $1.5 million in total funding to support PEC, is the latest step towards that goal.

"We're very grateful for the investment," says Farah Jimenez, president and CEO of PEC. "It's the culmination of various communities working together for a common purpose."

The redevelopment of historic Hawthorne Hall is a priority project (as identified by the planning process) -- the building is seen as the gateway to the revamped corridor. PEC has purchased two major sections of the Hall for redevelopment. The first, 3849 Lancaster Avenue, has commercial space on the first floor and a theater space on the second.

PEC envisions a sit-down restaurant on the ground floor and a performing arts venue upstairs. For now, the theater will be a site for the Hidden City Festival, allowing visitors to explore the historic space before renovation.

The second section, 3859 - 61 Lancaster Avenue, will be used for two years by Mighty Writers for its afterschool program.  Four housing units on the second and third floors will be part of the future redevelopment.

In addition to these projects, Jimenez says the grant will help PEC hire additional staff to coordinate, organize and implement these exciting projects. 

Source:  Farah Jimenez, President and CEO, People's Emergency Center
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

The Lower Northeast District Plan was officially adopted by the Planning Commission last fall, and its designers are now turning their attention towards implementing its ideas. Working with the Mayor's Office of Grants, the Commission has developed a series of partnerships to secure funding -- they recently earned over $600,000 from federal agencies and private foundations.
 
"The Plan has been a guide for everything we do," explains Ian Litwin with the Planning Commission. "We are building on the strengths that Frankford already has which can catalyze future development."
 
The grants were awarded for three key initiatives: 

- A $75,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation and the Parks and Recreation Department will fund study of the options to return Frankford Creek to its natural state, connecting Frankford to the Delaware River and East Coast Greenway. A recommended trail alignment and suggested next steps will come from the study, which is already underway.

- A $200,000 EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant will fund a planning study and develop reuse alternatives for three catalyst industrial sites in Frankford and Bridesburg along the Frankford Creek. The plan will lead to recommended site designs and create the possibilities for myriad implementation grants.

- A $335,150 grant from ArtPlace America will support Destination Frankford, an initiative to improve Frankford's commercial corridor through artfully designed signage and street furniture; a Globe DyeWorks storefront for local artists; and an arts-focused marketing campaign and website. The initiative will also create art installations in Womrath Park. Of 1,200 submissions across the country, Destination Frankford was one of 40 to receive grants. The initiative will kick-off on June 1.

"It’s an exciting time in Frankford," says Litwin, an urban planner by trade. "With so much implementation happening, I feel like my new title should be 'doer.'"

Source:  Ian Litwin, City Planning Commission
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Over the next ten months, approximately 120 Youthbuild Philadelphia students will transform two vacant homes in Nicetown into models of sustainable living. The homes, located at 2006 and 2008 West Wingohocking Street, are the latest projects in a neighborhood experiencing a swell of investment.
 
The homes sit directly across the street from Wayne Junction Station, where SEPTA is investing $18 million in intermodal improvements. Down the street is Nicetown Court I, a mixed-use mixed-income project completed in 2011; Nicetown Court II, a 50-unit mixed-use development, is currently under construction.

Youthbuild Philadelphia, an offshoot of YouthBuild USA, is a charter school that gives students the opportunity to earn high school diplomas or GEDs while exposing them to real world trades such as construction.
 
For these homes, Youthbuild has partnered with the Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation, an arm of the world’s largest building materials company (their North American operations are based in Valley Forge), to ensure the structures are built with a sustainable, energy-efficient ethos.
 
"This project gives us the chance to pair young adults side-by-side with top-notch building scientists and experts," says Carmen Ferrigno, Saint-Gobain's vice president of communications. "It is a great opportunity for the kids to see people with careers in this field and see what it is like to have this type of job."
 
The Nicetown project will be the second completed by YouthBuild and Saint-Gobain as part of a three-year partnership. Accoding to Ferrigno, the first project -- located on Greene Street in Germantown -- "really surprised" his company with the impact it had on the young adults.
 
"We saw it was a very important experience for them to learn a new trade," says Ferrigno. "One student latched on to welding and has now earned an apprenticeship with a local union."
 
And ultimately, those stories are what the partnership is all about.

"These students go through a transformation," adds Ferrigno. "Using top-of-the-line building materials, we're pairing kids with experts to learn not just a new trade but the latest innovations in our industry."

Source:  Carmen Ferrigno, VP of communications, Saint-Gobain Corporation Foundation
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

Last September, a Delaware County-based grocery chain signed a letter of intent to open a new supermarket in Camden's Haddon Avenue Transit Village, signaling progress on the long-delayed project. Unfortunately, they've since backed out of the deal. Undeterred -- and with a potential $50 million in state tax credits in their pocket -- civic leaders and project boosters are moving forward.

The Transit Village is a passion project for its advocates, Grapevine Development, Cooper's Ferry Partnership, the City of Camden, Camden County, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center and the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA). The development's first phase calls for 30-to-40,000 square feet of office space (mostly for Our Lady of Lourdes),100 housing units, a 50,000-square-foot grocery and a parking garage.

"Once we get a grocery store committed -- and the retail plan largely complete -- we can move forward," says David Foster, president of the Cooper's Ferry Partnership. "We envision breaking ground later this year or early next year."

The site's 15 acres are in a prime location right between Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center and the Ferry Avenue PATCO rail station, which connects directly to Center City. The plans include streetscape and pedestrian improvements to Haddon Avenue.

According to Foster, the roadway improvements will eventually tie into the area's trail system, including the Camden Greenway, making the Transit Village a focal point in the regional trails network.

Source:  David Foster; President, Cooper's Ferry Partnership
Writer: Greg Meckstroth

On the heels of South Philadelphia High School's crowdsourced fundraising campaign for its Greening Master Plan and rooftop farm, Lauren Mandel, one of the project’s landscape designers, has released EAT UP.

The first full-length book about rooftop food production, EAT UP was published internationally by New Society Publishers, a carbon-neutral publishing house.

Mandel divides the book into three sections: one for small-scale rooftop gardeners, one for large-scale farmers, and one for urban planners and designers interested in implementing rooftop farming on a neighborhood scale.

The book is the culmination of three-and-a-half years of research for Mandel, who works as a project manager and rooftop agriculture specialist at the local green roof firm Roofmeadow. She started the book while still studying landscape architecture at Penn.

"EAT UP started as an academic exercise, asking 'Is rooftop agriculture viable?'" explains Mandel. "After quickly learning it was, I realized that what people need is an accessible, comprehensive resource on the matter."

In an increasingly urban America, more and more people are turning to their roofs as platforms for growing local, sustainable food. Places like New York, Portland and Chicago all have burgeoning rooftop agriculture communities. In Philly, the movement is just taking off.

"Small-scale home gardens are popular here," says Mandel. "For large-scale projects, we’re not quite there -- but we're on the cusp.”
  
EAT UP is available in print and ebook from New Society Publishers, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and local book stores.
 
Source:  Lauren Mandel, project manager and rooftop agriculture specialist, Roofmeadow
Writer: Greg Meckstroth