University City : Development News

Last week, the University of Pennsylvania made an effort to bridge the gap between itself and Center City by opening a newly-constructed 24-acre park. Penn Park, which combines a former postal service parking lot with university property, is bounded by Walnut and South Sts. to the north and south, and rail tracks to the east and west.

One of Penn Park’s most notable qualities is the opportunities it provides for pedestrian connection to Center City. According to Anne Papageorge, Penn’s Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services, the park is "knit together" by three pedestrian bridges. One bridge connects the park with Walnut St. just past the Schuylkill River, while another bridge enables pedestrians going to or coming from downtown to access the park from the South St. bridge.

Another of Penn Park’s accomplishments is that it transformed a parking lot into something sustainable. Papageorge was proud to list some of the park’s environmentally friendly components, including "cisterns, energy efficient lighting, and native plants." What this means is that 548 local trees were planted in the park, all of which can be irrigated using recycled rainwater from cisterns. Also, energy-efficient lighting should save the park 300,000 watts of energy per hour. 

Penn Park is expected to become a pivotal part of Penn’s athletic system. The park is graced by three multipurpose NCAA-worthy fields, including one that seats 470 spectators, as well as 12 tennis courts, which can accommodate another 200 sports fans. Steve Bilsky, Director of Athletics at the university, believes the park is a leap forward for athletics. "Because it's a park, more and more people will visit the athletic facilities," says Bilsky. He adds that it will be a worthwhile, albeit contemporary, addition to the famed Palestra and Franklin Field.

The park cost $46.5 million, paid for by the university and donors, and created 233 local jobs. Penn celebrated the park’s opening last Thursday by offering everyone a free picnic with hotdogs and soda and setting off fireworks at dusk. Onlookers on the Walnut St. bridge were treated to an up-close showing of the fireworks, which were set off from a parking lot below. In keeping with the theme of connecting with Center City, the fireworks were also clearly visible from the Schuylkill River Trail.
  
Source: Anne Papageorge, University of Pennsylvania
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is the second busiest train station in the country, but you wouldn't know it by the sparse pedestrian traffic on adjacent Market Street, a spot surrounded by two historic buildings and within 1,200 feet of more than 16,000 jobs. While a steady stream of cars zip in and around 30th Street Station, there is little to recommend hoofing it anywhere but to a friend's idling car.

That is poised to change with the transformation of the station’s outer parking lane along Market Street into a 40-foot wide sidewalk. The project, expected to be completed by Labor Day and a collaboration of Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, the Planning Commission, the Streets Department, Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, and a host of University City institutions, is part of a broader PennDot initiative.

The University City District also sees this project as a foundation for the creation of an inviting and animated public space, one that would provide amenities like abundant and comfortable seating, sun and shade, and trees and plantings. In the spirit of public placemaking, UCD is holding a contest to name Philadelphia’s newest public space. The winner gets a $500 gift certificate to Amtrak and pretty rare bragging rights.

To enter, submit your suggested name, reasons for choosing it (up to 150 words), your name, phone number and email to [email protected] by midnight on Sept. 30. A winner will be chosen by a 10-person jury that has yet to be selected. Winner will be announced on or around Oct. 19.

If you’re looking for hints – UCD's work on this space will be informed largely by the Project for Public Spaces’ "lighter, quicker, cheaper" placemaking interventions. According to a news release issued by UCD, a future phase of development that would include food kiosks, plantings and a permanent buffer from Market Street is likely. First, however, movable tables and chairs and seasonal plantings will set the stage. Also envisioned are activities that will draw people to the space, like yoga classes or music performances.

Source: Lori Klein Brennan, University City District
Writer: Joe Petrucci

Despite the poor economic climate for development, Radnor-based Brandywine Realty Trust continues to exceed profit forecasts. This has been evidenced through out 2011, and has been true in the Delaware Valley and across the country. In fact, Brandywine has been able to execute almost 2.5 million square feet of leases through June of this year. As a result, "all operating and financial metrics equaled or exceeded our business plan targets," says Gerard Sweeney, President and CEO of Brandywine.

One major reason for Brandywine Realty's success in attaining leases can be found in Center City. This is where the realty titan inked a long-term lease with Janney Montgomery Scott at Three Logan Square, located on the 1700 block of Arch St. Brandywine "executed a 146,321 square foot, 15-year lease with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC at Three Logan Square," says Sweeney.

While Brandywine expanded its leased space in Center City, it also sold unloaded property in South Jersey. "During the second quarter of 2011, we completed the sale of Three Greentree Center, a 13.9-percent occupied 69,300 square foot office building in Marlton, NJ," says the CEO. The company was able to use considerable profits made on this sale to reduce their credit balance.

Brandywine Realty Trust is one of the largest comprehensive real estate companies in the country. It has properties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Texas, California, and elsewhere. They are well known for sustainable building practices, as many of their buildings nationwide are either LEED or Energy Star certified.

Brandywine's success shows that developers can still meet profit forecasts, even with the present economic uncertainty. Judging from Brandywine, sustainability seems to be one key to succeeding in leased properties. Another key seems to be the ability to know when to sell unprofitable properties.

Source: Gerard Sweeney, Brandywine Realty Trust
Writer: Andy Sharpe  

It's a park that fits in a pickup truck. Philadelphia's newest public space initiative, The Parklet, made its debut on Aug. 4 in University City. Flanking the sidewalk on 43rd Street at Baltimore Avenue, the 40-foot long decked platform functions as a highly flexible seating area that takes the place of about three parked cars. The seasonal structure, made of Trex, steel and wood, can be disassembled into its 4'x6' component parts and loaded into the back of a University City District truck.

"West Philadelphia in general is open to innovation and new ideas," remarked State Representative James Roebuck, on hand for the dedication. The Parklet experiment is slated to continue, with three more planned in spaces to be determined. According to designer Jules Dingle of the Center City firm DIGSAU, the next one will be on Lancaster Avenue, but the others have not yet been sited.

The intersection of 43rd and Baltimore is heavy with pedestrian traffic, thanks to Clark Park. The popular Green Line Cafe, with its own outdoor seating, is at the same southeast corner as the Parklet, and  the new seating appears to be an extension of the cafe, but officials were quick to point out that the Parklet is open to the public. "It really is a front porch in many ways," said Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler. The design quotes elements of the new Race Street Pier, added Prema Katari Gupta, UCD Director of Planning and Economic Development. The Parklet idea originated in San Francisco and New York, and UCD put a Philadelphia spin on an imported idea, according to Gupta.

At a cost of $10,000 in materials and a design fee that adds about 10 percent to the total, the Parklet is a quick and easy way to create convivial space. Designer Dingle explained that while the configuration of the present parklet is meant for cafe tables and chairs, potential add-ons include bike racks and fixed tables and benches, which may figure in to future versions.

Source: James Roebuck, Rina Cutler, Prema Katari Gupta, Jules Dingle, UC Parklet
Writer: Sue Spolan

PHOTOS by Ryan Collerd

Local bicycle entrepreneur Brian Hackford, refers to his third Keswick Cycle shop as "somewhat of a personal victory." Keswick is a high-end bicycle outpost with locations in both Glenside, Montgomery County, and Cherry Hill, N.J., and Hackford plans to cut the proverbial ribbon on his third retail space sometime this August, at 4040 Locust Street in University City--the former home of Strikes Bowling Lounge.

To hear Hackford himself tell the tale, the fact that he managed to secure the location at all is by far the most dramatic bit. University City and bicycle shops, it seems, have not always gone hand and hand.

"I've been trying to get on Penn's campus for seven years," he insists, In today's economic climate, of course, landlords aren't nearly as picky. (The 4,000-square-foot shop is being rented by Campus Apartments.) And it didn't hurt that Hackford's rental agent was himself a cycling enthusiast.

As for the Keswick Cycle retail philosophy, it tends to take bikes just a touch more seriously than your average cycle shop. Keswick sells and repairs bikes, of course, and all manner of biking gear and apparel is on offer. But you'll also find a 'fit studio' at the new shop, where pros and hobbyists alike can be properly fitted for an appropriately proportioned ride.

A grand opening celebration, Hackford says, will likely be planned for September, once school is back in session.

Source: Brian Hackford, Keswick Cycle
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Mayor Nutter first introduced Philadelphia's ambitious Green 2015 initiative, which aims to add 500 new acres of accessible green space to the city by the year 2015, he made it perfectly clear that the goal couldn't possibly be achieved by the efforts of municipal entities working alone. As it happens, Lucy Kerman, who works as Drexel's Vice Provost for University and Community Partnerships, felt exactly the same way when she first heard about Green 2015. "We also felt it was really important that the universities around the city step up to the plate," she says.

And so Kerman and her colleagues at Drexel approached the city's Department of Parks and Recreation with something of a partnership proposal. The idea, as she explains it, was partly to help the department in greening parts of the Mantua neighborhood, which surrounds Drexel. But it also involved lending to the city the intellectual expertise of Drexel's Environmental Engineering department, which is particularly interested in sustainability issues.

According to Kerman, Drexel sees the partnership as both multifaceted and long-term, and on April 18, an announcement on the university's campus officially introduced the partnership, and spelled out some of its goals, which include the giveaway of 200 trees to Drexel employees living in Philadelphia.

Three area playgrounds--including Miles Mack Playground, where members of the partnership recently planted 28 trees--will also be greened and otherwise improved. Drexel's environmental engineering students, for instance, will be creating new storm water treatment systems for the parks. And students in the school's Interior Design department will be studying ways in which playgrounds can be created "that support not only children's play, but children's learning," Kerman explains. What's more, the partnership will be heading up a number of 'greening days' that will take place throughout Mantua in the coming months.

"You know, it's really a win-win-win-win," says Kerman.

Source: Lucy Kerman, Drexel University
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Right around this time last year, relations between the University City Science Center and Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority (RDA)--which is responsible for encouraging development in the city--were slightly strained, to say the least. In May, the Science Center filed a lawsuit against the RDA in an attempt to stop the seizure of a portion of its University City research park. The undeveloped lots, which had fallen into default due to the financial crisis, were meant to become future additions to the Science Center's campus.

But thanks in part to a clause in the original agreement between the two agencies which disallowed foreclosure in the instance of "unforeseeable causes," the Science Center managed to hang onto its property. The two entities have also shaken hands and made up, metaphorically speaking. And on April 29, the Science Center published a press release announcing that the "longstanding redevelopment agreement" had been amended.

That's certainly good news for anyone who believes in the technology-based economic development happening at the Science Center. And according to Saul Behar, the Science Center's Vice President and General Counsel, the center now has the buffer of an additional 10 years to develop the four parcels on its campus that are still vacant. If the center is willing to shell out for additional fees, Behar says, that decade can legally be extended to 13.

As for what may or may not eventually be developed on the space over the next decade, the Science Center isn't quite sure--or isn't telling. "There's nothing solid right now," says Behar. "But we're continuing to market the parcels, and we're always looking for opportunities."

Source: Saul Behar, University City Science Center
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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When Microsoft's $63 million School of the Future opened in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park in September 2006, expectations among area parents--some of whom nearly battled in order to secure a spot for their children--couldn't have possibly been higher. But by the time that first class of students was preparing to graduate, attitudes surrounding the school--which didn't require textbooks, and where many of the core subjects required for university admission weren't offered--had shifted considerably.

Today, many of the school's educational kinks have been duly worked out. But if such a project was proposed within the city today--that is, if a public development project was proposed to take place within Philadelphia's public park land--the eventual outcome would almost certainly be different. That's because on April 15, Mayor Michael Nutter signed an ordinance to amend the approval process that takes place when the city's public park land is transferred to some sort of non-park use, as was the case with the Microsoft high school.

"It's an effort that's really been spearheaded by the Parks and Recreation Commission," explains Patrick Morgan, who works underneath Commissioner Mike DiBerardinis. "What it does," he says, "is it establishes a process that's predictable and transparent for all the parties: for City Council, for citizens, and for the (Parks and Recreation) Commission."

And while there aren't currently any plans in place to change usage of city parkland, this new ordinance, which is set to take effect with the change of the fiscal year (July 1), will set in motion that new process of transparency.

"Right now, all (city) parkland is being used for its intended purpose," says Morgan. "But if someone proposes changing the use for whatever reason, then this process kicks in."

Source: Patrick Morgan, Department of Parks and Recreation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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It's certainly no secret, at least to those of us who call Philadelphia home, that the University City district has for many years now been the proverbial nucleus of an incredibly well-connected and highly knowledgeable cluster of medical, science and academic professionals. But unfortunately, the area's so-called 'Eds and Meds' leaders have never fully succeeded in branding their community as one of the nation's most important research centers. That perception--or rather, the lack thereof--may soon be changing, thanks to the work of a newly-formed group calling itself the University City Innovation Collaborative.

The group is being headed by the University City Science Center; the nonprofit University City District; and the Science Center's development partner, a Baltimore company known as Wexford Science and Technology.

The aim of the group, according to Stephen Tang, the Science Center's CEO, involves making University City a world-class innovation center along the lines of similar regions like Cambridge, Mass., and San Francisco's Mission Bay district. And yet what sort of development that will actually entail still remains to be seen, because as Tang explains, "This is all a work in progress; the project doesn't really finish until April."

Part of what the project will almost certainly involve, however, aside from more spaces where innovation can take place, are recreational facilities. "You have to have amenities that allow creative people to be with like-minded people for extended periods of time," Tang says. "So that means retail, it means entertainment, it means after-hours places. All those things need to come together."

Tang is also quick to point out, however, that while "it's important that we have facilities, it's more important who's in those facilities, and for what reason. We need to foster better collaboration between organizations and institutions," he offers. "And that's not only to tell the story, but to build a better story as well."

Source: Stephen Tang, University City Science Center
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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There certainly isn't anything particularly headline-grabbing about a wealthy university alumnus making a financial donation to his alma mater, as the former tobacco executive Bennett S. LeBow did back in 1999, when he gave a gift of $10 million to Drexel University. But this past November, when LeBow once again opened his checkbook to Drexel and made a stunning $45 million donation, well, that was big news.

As it happened, the gift couldn't have arrived at a more opportune time: Administrators at Drexel have for years now been planning to make a significant upgrade to the 45-year-old Matheson Hall, which houses the business college that is named after LeBow. LeBow's most recent financial contribution, however, will now allow for Drexel to fully demolish Matheson, which it plans to do sometime this summer. The 12-story LeBow College of Business Building will be constructed in its place, and if the architectural renderings and statistics can be believed, it may in fact end up being more of an attention-getter than the donation that is largely making its construction possible.

For starters, the 177,500 square-foot building will contain an entrepreneurship center with business incubator space, not to mention a five-story atrium, a finance trading lab, a 160-seat event space and a behavioral studies lab.

"The hallmark of business education at Drexel is experiential learning," said the university's dean, George P. Tsetsekos, who was instrumental in securing the LeBow donation. "A new and beautiful building will help us to better connect with the Philadelphia business communities and allow our students to learn in a setting that is less like a classroom and more like the corporate environment."

Drexel still needs to raise some $30 million for the construction of the new LeBow Building, which is scheduled to be open and operational sometime in 2014.

Source: Mark Everly, Drexel University
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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As one of the first businesses to establish a presence at the University City Science Center's Port Business Incubator, Integral Molecular built relationships with nearby universities and received instruction from experienced entrepreneurs that helped them stay afloat in the company's pivotal, early years. Now that Integral Molecular is an established company with a 10-year track record of protein and drug discovery research, they are returning the favor with an investment of their own.

This month, Integral Molecular announced a 10,000 sq. ft. expansion to the Science Center that will add new laboratory and office space to 3711 Market Street. Since launching in 2001, Integral Molecular has grown to inhabit nearly half of the incubator space at 3701 Market Street. This build-out comes on the heels of a 10-year lease with the Science Center, keeping biotech jobs in Philadelphia and adding 10 new positions to this growing firm.

"We have been able to customize the features we wanted here all along," says Integral Molecular President and CSO Benjamin Doranz. "The building itself is designed to house lab-based biotech companies like ourselves so putting in the kinds of features we need--like chemical hoods, required ventilation--those kinds of features are already designed into the building, making things easier for us."

The addition, which is 60 percent new lab space, will bring features like sterile tissue-culture rooms, lab glass washers, purified water systems and improved ventilation systems. But the main feature of the addition is space, allowing Integral Molecular to meet the demands of many pharma projects it hopes to pursue in 2011. The addition is currently under construction and expected to open in March.

"We have labs at 3701 but we are really outgrowing them," says Doranz. "This will give us lab space that is not necessarily better in general but better for us because they are customized for exactly what we do."

Source: Benjamin Doranz, Integral Molecular
Writer: John Steele

When Disney's California Adventure unveiled 'World of Color,' the park's massive water-and-light animation show, officials hoped to create a focal point for nightly visitors to end their evening on a high note. The Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas has a similar show, where synchronized fountains create an aquatic ballet for visitors. But those are tourist destinations, where spectacle and showmanship are included in the experience. How would such a show be greeted in a highly-trafficked urban center like Philadelphia?

The principals at Philadelphia-based WaterMagic LLC hope the city will appreciate a little showmanship as they attempt to bring a similar fountain show to the Schuylkill Banks area by 30th Street Station. The installation, created by 'World of Color' designer Robert Nonemaker, would include a 70-foot water screen displaying digital images and a solar array to power all fountains and lights. WaterMagic has received $3.5 million that it must match with private funding in order to move forward. With support from city officials like Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler and former Governor Ed Rendell, principals John Randolph and Rob Stuart started the push for private financing this week.

"We hope this will extend the hours of useful life along the Schuylkill to include the nighttime hours," says Randolph. "And it will add to the image of the river as a gateway between Center City and West Philadelphia."

After talking to park users and residents, the most common complaint about the area was the noise level of traffic from nearby highway entrances and thoroughfares. WaterMagic hopes its installation will provide a noise barrier and a distraction from automotive noise.

"The water screen acts as a noise blocker and the plumes act as a masking with pleasant noise of falling water, that people find relaxing," Stuart says. "Our sense is that this will be something that will bring people to Philadelphia and keep them here at night to witness this phenomenon."

Source: Rob Stuart, WaterMagic LLC
Writer: John Steele

University of Pennsylvania's board of trustees this week gave the go-ahead for Shoemaker Green, the sustainable landscape project unveiled in May that will connect the Palestra and Franklin Field. After being chosen in May as one of more than 150 pilot projects to test a new LEED-based ratings system for landscape design, Shoemaker Green's design plan, created by local architects Andropogon Associates, received a budget of $8 million to complete the park, which officials hope will provide a more pleasing pathway between the Penn campus and the new Penn Park at S. 31st Street.

"The design of Shoemaker Green continues Penn's open space tradition," says Penn's VP of Facilities and Real Estate Services Anne Papageorge. "By linking College Green via Smith Walk to Penn Park, Shoemaker Green incorporates numerous sustainable features, providing a passive recreational landscape surrounded by the iconic historic buildings of the Palestra and Franklin Field."

Shoemaker Green hopes to address serious stormwater runoff issues present on the underutilized former greyfield parcel at 33rd Street. By adding three rain gardens, porous pavers, a cistern for rainwater reuse and tree trenches, architects and Penn officials hope to absorb some of the rainwater known to flood local buildings. The land will also be used to test innovative new storm water management technologies.

The open center of the project is adaptable to a variety of special events, like commencement and the Penn Relays. The lawn can accommodate large groups as well as those looking for a secluded area to hold an outdoor class or have a quiet lunch.

Source: University of Pennsylvania
Writer: John Steele

Since adopting the Civic Vision for the Central Delaware plan in 2008, city planners have considered mixed use development and even new transit options to draw visitors to the Delaware waterfront. But according to a new study released October 25 by Penn Future and the Coalition for Philadelphia's Waterfronts, all they need to do is add green space. If they do, the study claims, the city will see $30-$40 million in annual health care savings, $800 million in aggregate household wealth gains and up to $24 million annually in new tax revenues from increased tourism activities and higher property values. This report will help shape city planning decisions as various city agencies look to complete waterfront plans in the next year.

"We were not playing the role of advocate with this report and, if anything, erred on the side of conservatism so as not to be seen as overstating," says Lee Huang, a report consultant from University City's EConsult. "We see this report as useful as city planners weigh the costs and benefits of building the waterfront greenway. As you can see, there is a long list of beneficiaries to this project."

Health care savings from people using bike lanes and pedestrian trails are significant. But the largest increase would come from what the report calls the "equity of access," whereby properties in waterfront-adjacent neighborhoods would now be within walking distance of parks and waterfront activities, increasing home values. This benefit has been observed in cities like Atlanta, Ga. and helps legitimize projects, like the Race Street Pier greenway, that are already underway.

"The universe of people that are not currently near an outdoor amenity is about 98,000 individuals representing 44,000 households," says Huang. "That is a very important consideration to keep in mind."

Source: Lee Huang, EConsult
Writer: John Steele

With 25,000 state-owned bridges, Pennsylvania has the third-largest number of bridges in the nation. Few see as much traffic as Philadelphia's South Street Bridge. The thoroughfare connecting the western section of the Graduate Hospital neighborhood to University City and I-76 sees over 25,000 vehicles per day. So when the bridge was closed for repairs on Dec. 8 2008, the construction had to be completed quickly. Now, less than two years later, the bridge is set to reopen on November 6. 

"This was an aggressive schedule," says Streets Department Civil Engineer David Perri. "But that bridge serves too many folks that need to cross the Schuylkill. The longer it's closed, the more of a negative impact it has on the business interests and on people who need to walk and bicycle to work."

But this Pennsylvania bridge wasn't going to go through a closure without getting a few bells and whistles. The Streets Department added widened sidewalks, dedicated bicycle lanes, a crossing to the Schuylkill River trail, and four pedestrian overlooks at the base of the decorative towers. And the neighborhoods surrounding this arterial passage couldn't be happier. To celebrate the reopening, a formal ribbon cutting will follow the ceremonial first motorist, first pedestrian and even first cyclist to cross the bridge.

To mark the occasion, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will offer half-price admission to everyone on both sides of the bride who comes to the museum without a car. Also, various South Street merchants will be throwing block parties to welcome the traffic back to the community.

"If you take this many vehicles out of a neighborhood, it will have an impact on the commercial businesses," says Perri. "This will restore the traffic to the level it was at before the bridge closure."

Source: David Perri, Philadelphia Streets Department
Writer: John Steele