Tourism : Development News

If you’re strolling along Lancaster Avenue between 35th and 40th Sts., you probably notice something looks different. In fact, you’re right, as Drexel University, the University City District, and other community groups have partnered on a two-month art exhibition running through Nov. 30 called LOOK!.

There are three main components to LOOK!, which are art displays in the windows of unused buildings, group art events in galleries or public spaces, and performances open to anyone. The most omnipresent of these components is the art that now adorns the fronts of vacant buildings. According to University City District’s Mark Christman, there are thirteen such displays. These displays speak to the corridor’s history as well as the resiliency of the community, and include audio and visual artwork.

Additionally, the opening night of LOOK! Featured some fascinating performances. This included a dance exhibition that wound its way down Lancaster Ave. called Dances for Imaginary Places Barely There. The troupe made sure to modify its dance routine depending on the unique culture of every block. The opening night also saw some theatrical shows, which examined American culture, mental illness, and burlesque.

The University City District believes the success in organizing LOOK! is a great sign for the Lancaster Avenue corridor.

"The fact that community members, landlords, neighborhood institutions, and artists were able to successfully collaborate on a project of this scale is clearly a strong sign of the broader commitment to continue to transform the Avenue," says Christman. "Lancaster Avenue is clearly a great ‘main street’ in the making."

Christman builds on the "main street" theme by lauding the neighborhood farmers’ market, nascent galleries, cafes and dining establishments, and fencing academy. He says it only made sense to run a community arts show given how much is already going on with the avenue. While Christman is unsure as to whether LOOK! will ever be done again, he did say that community groups will make sure to analyze how art can beautify public space.

When the involved organizations announced they were seeking artists to participate in mid-July, they received an overwhelming response. Despite giving artists just three weeks to submit proposals, they received about 200 requests. Christman acknowledges how creative many of the proposals were, but says "we ultimately put together a panel that included representatives from neighborhood institutions, community members, and even two Pew Fellows."

Source: Mark Christman, University City District
Writer: Andy Sharpe

The Philadelphia-based music label Data Garden will be launching their idiosyncratic brand of music and visual art in a most unusual location for DesignPhiladelphia. This unveiling will take place at Bartram’s Garden, in what is being called "The Switched-On Garden."

Data Garden is the progeny of local musicians Joe Patitucci and Alex Tyson, and web designer Ian Cross. Within Data Garden are a number of musicians and visual artists, with names like Tadoma, Ray, and the Prisms, Cheap Dinosaurs, Cosmic Morning, and DJ Ryan Todd.

Because of the diversity and eclectic nature of Data Garden’s artists, it’s next to impossible to pigeonhole them into any particular genre of music or artwork, says Patitucci. "For instance, Cheap Dinosaurs uses Game Boys and 8-bit sounds, but there’s so much more to their music than what you would normally see classified as 'chiptune' or 'chip' music," elaborated Patitucci.

Yet, the true news of Data Garden’s release will be the convergence of music, nature, and sculpture. To set themselves apart from other labels, Data Garden will highlight their "Switched-On Garden" with "bio-interactive sound sculpture where people can interact with plants and each other to make music," said Patitucci.

To be sure, respect for nature will be high on the agenda for "The Switched-On Garden." To demonstrate this, Patitucci, Tyson, and Cross will be printing download cards on seed paper with water-based ink. This way, attendees can recycle the cards, which will eventually be planted at the garden, after they've downloaded Data Garden's offerings. 

Data Garden is certainly confident that they chose Bartram’s Garden. Tyson explains that the event will specifically highlight many of the garden’s natural gems, including its native plant species, meadow, pond, and trail that runs up to and along the Schuylkill River. Patitucci doesn't hesitate to add that there’s an area on a hill that acts as a "natural amphitheater." He suggests guests bring a blanket and relax on the hill.

The trio also didn’t give a second thought to releasing their album as part of DesignPhiladelphia. "Like Data Garden, DesignPhiladelphia is about finding the unexpected, combining disparate forms of design into an experience that can inspire people to create art themselves," says Cross.

The "Switched-On Garden" will unfold on Sunday, Oct. 16 from 3-8 p.m. at Bartram’s Garden. Admission is free, and the event is wheelchair accessible.

Sources: Joe Patitucci, Ian Cross, and Alex Tyson
Writer: Andy Sharpe

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

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

The design firm Bryan Hanes Studio has begun to embark on a study that could make a long-supported but perpetually stalled Philadelphia project move forward. This study is examining how to design a park on the abandoned railroad tracks up high on the Reading Viaduct in the city's Callowhill neighborhood.

Specifically, the design study concerns the SEPTA-owned portion of the tracks. This is actually just a spur of the viaduct, as the rest is owned by the Reading Company, which has left the rail business and now dabbles in film in California.

The group that has perhaps been the most vocal in support of developing a park is the Callowhill Reading Viaduct Neighborhood Improvement District (CRVNID), which is effusive in its praise of a park. "A park would make the neighborhood more livable," points out John Struble, a cofounder of the Reading Viaduct project with CRVNID. "There is no green space and no park in our neighborhood, (so with this) people can enjoy the outdoors."

This design study is the second phase of examination for the proposed Reading Viaduct park. A year ago, an environmental impact study gave a favorable review to the idea of a park. According to Struble, the design study, which is financed by the William Penn Foundation, is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Struble, who calls himself a "neighborhood advocate" eagerly pinpoints other cities like New York (the High Line in Manhattan's Lower West Side) that have succeeded with similar parks. "This caught on in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Atlanta."

The one shortfall of the Reading Viaduct park proposal is that funding sources have not currently been confirmed. Struble did make sure to add that Poor Richards Charitable Trust might provide some capital. Despite the financial question mark, it looks like Philadelphians might be looking up in the sky for their newest park.

Source: John Struble, CRVNID
Writer: Andy Sharpe

Casino-Free Philadelphia is planning to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Sugarhouse Casino in September with a new anti-gambling campaign. This campaign will focus on the amount of SugarHouse patrons who have taken out a line of credit to support their gambling.

"500 people have taken out a line of credit at SugarHouse," complained Kaytee Riek, the director of Casino-Free Philadelphia, an anti-casino group in Philadelphia that formed in 2006. Riek dramatizes her point by saying that the minimum line of credit is $500, which is quite a sum of money for many Philadelphians.

Casino-Free Philly is calling their campaign "quicksand credit," which is an analogy to how rapidly money can disappear when its gambled. "Quicksand credit drives people to addiction," said Riek. Riek is especially concerned about the affects of gambling on low-income players. "Preying on poor people is not a way to get customers."

This is simply the latest campaign held by the anti-gambling group. In 2010, Casino-Free orchestrated a "reclaim the riverfront" campaign, which focused on safety and jobs. One hallmark of this campaign was the formation of a casino town watch to document SugarHouse's tactics to attract patrons. Before SugarHouse opened, the advocacy group concentrated on convincing investors and elected officials to reject the proposed SugarHouse and Foxwoods casinos.   

The campaign is slated to be unveiled on September 23, which is one year after the opening of SugarHouse. With so many potential low-income Philadelphia gamblers living near SugarHouse, this promises to be an interesting campaign.

Source: Kaytee Riek, Casino-Free Philadelphia
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

Consider it crowdsourced city planning. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's Master Plan is open for public comment until August 26. Since June 13, when the summary report was released, Master Planning Manager Sarah Thorpe says about a hundred comments have come in, and the entire effort has been a significant public process. "Urban planning has changed a lot over last 30 years," says Thorpe. "Today, people are very interested in how the environment develops. We are addressing different problems and a different demographic."

Essential to the new master plan is access. It's not your 18th century waterfront model. When I-95 was built, the Philadelphia stretch of the Delaware river was an aesthetically bereft industrial zone best left to longshoremen. Interstate 95 is a huge barrier, says Thorpe of the 1960s era public works project that was once considered a beneficial rampart. "People didn't want to live next to a sugar factory or a coal yard." Now, she says, the highway keeps residents from what they want. The main point of the DRWC's master plan is to make 95 less of an impedance.

Philadelphia 2035, the citywide planning effort, is underway, but Thorpe says the waterfront couldn't wait. While there are actually 47 streets that cross over or under the interstate, "it's more of a perceived barrier in peoples' minds."

The new plan creates connections in two ways, says Thorpe: by adding destinations to  the riverbank, and by making connections more attractive through lighting and landscaping. Several early action projects, the Race Street Pier and Washington Avenue Green, were completed during the Master Plan design phase as a way to give the public a glimpse of the future.

As far as feedback, Thorpe says comments have ranged from overarching issues like density, boat access and parking, to small problems like typos in the document. After the August 26 deadline, Thorpe and team will compile public input, make judgement calls on priority, and expect to release the final revised version in October. But, stresses Thorpe, it will be a living document, subject to accommodation and change.

Source: Sarah Thorpe, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Sue Spolan

The 4-percent increase in ridership that SEPTA announced last week isn't surprising considering it follows national trends and that gas prices have surged higher.

However, considering fare increases and little improvement in area unemployment, the increase of 13 million trips in the last fiscal year (July 1-June 30) is encouraging. The total of 334 million trips on SEPTA's buses, trains and trolleys were the Authority's highest yearly total since 1989.

SEPTA had cut its capital budget by 25 percent last year, keeping some improvement plans on ice. SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey cited an increased focus on SEPTA's aging infrastructure and customer-service initiatives as reasons for the positive report.

"We look forward to the possibilities ahead as these conditions improve," he said in a news release.

Regional Rail trips increased by nearly 500,000 and nearly broke a ridership record set in 2008. In addition, passenger revenue exceeded budget projections by $22 million, or 5 percent. A list of all SEPTA's recent reports is here.

Source: SEPTA
Writer: Joe Petrucci

If you're the sort of hard-living live music fan who goes out regularly to see rock, hip-hop or indie bands perform, you may be under the impression that Philly has enough venues to satisfy the needs of every slam-dancer and head-nodder in the city. And yet Avram Hornik, a local nightlife entrepreneur whose Four Corners Management company operates a handful of beloved local bars, begs to differ.

To wit: In less than eight weeks, inside the former Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant at 10th and Spring Garden streets in Center City, a midsize but upscale concert space known as Union Transfer will introduce itself to the city. (A train depot of the same name once operated there.) Hornik is a partner in the venture, as is Sean Agnew of R5 Productions. Agnew will be booking bands with the help of a third partner: the New York-based Bowery Presents. "We had all been aware of each other," Hornik wrote in a recent email, "and were just waiting for the right time and the right space to open a live music venue."

And while Philly may in fact have its fair share of spots to take in touring or local live acts, Union Transfer, Hornik says, will be something truly unique: large enough to handle 1,000 fans, but with ample parking nearby and a central location, convenient to the freeway. In fact, Hornik claims that the project's ultimate goal involves "showcas(ing) bands that have passed by the city because there hasn't been the space to play."

If the architectural renderings and the minor details that have already been released are any indication, that'll be an easy goal to reach. Union Transfer, for instance, which was designed by local firm Fishtank PHL, will be home to a D&B Audiotechnik sound system, professional-level lighting, both a mezzanine and a balcony, and--get this--parking for 150 bicycles.

The party kicks off on Sept. 21, with an inaugural concert featuring Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Source: Avram Hornik, Four Corners Management
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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How perfect is a summer night at a cafe on the bank of the river? "It's a dream come true," says Peg Botto of her newly opened Cosmic Cafe at Lloyd Hall. Located at the beginning of Kelly Drive just across from the Azalea Garden, Cosmic Cafe opened this spring, thanks to a collaborative effort by Botto and Fairmount Park, and it's set to continue operation year round.

"There's always been a cafe at Lloyd Hall," explains Mark Focht, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Commission. "Peg Botto's sustainable approach to business meshed very well with the Parks and Recreation mission." Botto, whose previous retail outlet was at the Chestnut Hill Farmers Market, also runs Cosmic Catering. With the fully outfitted new kitchen at Lloyd Hall, Botto can run both the cafe and catering operation on site. Botto saw right away that the space would be great for catering, with lower and upper outdoor decks, plus an upstairs room. In all, Cosmic Cafe can hold up to 250 people for private events.

Open seven days a week from 8 to 8, Cosmic Cafe offers the kind of healthy food athletes crave, including organic produce, eggs and poultry, nitrate free bacon and locally baked bread. On a recent visit, smoothies, watermelon gazpacho, baked goods and a full range of sandwiches were on the menu. Several nights a week, there's live music, and Botto also barbecues several times a month out on the deck. "It's right on the river. You can't get any closer than that."

Botto says that she worked on the Lloyd Hall RFP for about 4 months, and she won the contract from a pool of ten applicants. After an $85,000 kitchen makeover and the hiring of about a dozen staffers, business is good. "We pay rent to the city plus a percentage of the gross," says Botto, who adds that these costs are in line with what she would pay for a similar space elsewhere. But nowhere else offers a constant stream of bikers, walkers, joggers, rollerbladers and tourists, whose stars are cosmically aligned for an alternative to the hot dog and ice cream carts of Kelly Drive.

Source: Peg Botto, Cosmic Cafe
Writer: Sue Spolan

You can't argue with this one: Real estate agents have it tough these days. Buyers do too, of course. But when your very livelihood is dependent upon the whims of a mortgage broker and the all-around insecurity of banks these days, making an honest buck isn't easy.

Consider, as an example, the precarious situation of MM Partners, a small real estate development firm whose business involves the construction, the design, and the sale of modern apartments in Brewerytown, of all places.

"Something we talk about a lot," says Jacob Roller, MM Partners' co-founder, "is that the neighborhood needs more exposure, and in a positive way. People may not know about Brewerytown, or they may have just heard its name in a negative way, and that's not really the case. But perception is reality. So you have to work on that."

And work on that he did. Along with his partner, David Waxman, Roller came up with the idea for BrewerytownLiving.com, a well-designed blog that advertises the free cultural events that Roller and his co-workers are organizing in Brewerytown. Recent events have included a Doggie Yappy Hour, during which dogs and their humans meet in a park for socialization and snacks. There are also jazz concerts, clothing swaps, art shows, and food festivals.

"We'd been doing a little bit of this on our own," says Roller. "So we said, 'Let's do it in a more comprehensive way, and in a more organized way.' And that led us to Brewerytown Living."

Roller, by the way, is insistent that Brewerytown Living isn't a mere marketing ploy. "We don't want to use (the website) to try and sell people a house," he adds. 'It's really all about community building, you know? Getting people together, and having a good time."

Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Jacob Roller, MM Partners LLC

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Here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at least, those of us who care deeply about things like regional bicycle trails have been talking (and talking, and talking for years) about someday completing a trail -- or perhaps even a series of trails -- which connect one part of our region to another. And on June 23, as it happens, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the DVRPC joined forces here in Philadelphia to host the Active Transportation Summit, a day-long conference during which the ultimate goal of creating a regional trail network for the Delaware Valley was discussed and debated by a seriously impressive group of both local and out-of-town trail enthusiasts.

One of the main goals of the summit, says the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's Spencer Finch, was to "reinforce the partnerships" among the various agencies that have the power to make a regional trail network a reality. "The picture of the jurisdictions is so fragmented," Finch explains. "There's so many different state, federal, and county agencies just here in the metropolitan Philadelphia region, so completing a regional trail network is a challenge."

A number of guests who've successfully tackled that challenge elsewhere, however -- including the former Portland, Ore., Pedestrian and Bicycle Coordinator Mia Birk -- shared stories about how they managed to complete regional trail networks in their own section of the country.

The second major goal of the summit, Finch adds, was to celebrate and promote the good news that regional cyclists may not be aware of.

"There's over $76 million of funding already dedicated to construction of multiple trail segments around the region," he says. "In the next two years, you're going to start seeing groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings (for new regional trail segments) almost every month. You're going to start seeing the city and the region transformed before your eyes."

Source: Spencer Finch, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Even if you don't happen to be a skateboarding enthusiast, there's still a decent chance--assuming you've lived in Philly for any amount of time--that you're familiar with our city's legendary status among skateboarders worldwide. What you might not be aware of, however, is that a local nonprofit organization known as Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund (FPSF) is currently in the process of reviving and growing the skateboarding scene here, and in a very major way.

Near the end of May, FPSF, which is "dedicated to the advancement of skateboarding in the Greater Philadelphia region," according to a recent press release, made public an ambitious 31-page master plan for the future of Philadelphia's skatepark development.

The plan was created in partnership with the city's Parks and Recreation Department, and was completed by the Center City-based Friday Architects/Planners. According to FPSF's Claire Laver and Josh Nims, it's only the first phase of a study that will eventually see $11 million spent on the planning and construction of somewhere between 30 and 40 skateboarding spots throughout the city and the surrounding region.

"It's our goal to continue working on this, and to eventually create a plan that covers every corner of the city," says Laver. "But we have a lot of projects on our plate with this first phase."

The master plan's first phase focuses exclusively on sites in the west and southwest regions of the city, and according to Nims, one of the first projects involves the skatepark at McCreesh Playground, which will see further development this summer. The Miles Mack Playground is also mentioned in the master plan, as is the Rose Playground in Overbrook.

In the meantime, FPSF is sponsoring the international Go Skateboarding Day on June 21; among other area skate spots, both Miles Mack and McCreesh will host events.

Source: Claire Laver and Josh Nims, Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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Located in Bucks County's Doylestown for nearly a century now, the Mercer Museum is so highly regarded as a cultural and historic institution that it was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. For decades, schoolchildren, amateur anthropologists and tourists from throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond have studied the many thousands of handmade tools and cultural artifacts on display there--all of them objects that were created prior to the Industrial Revolution.

But because the museum has literally run out of space, and has no room for traveling exhibits, the Mercer has seemingly always had the unfortunate reputation of being the sort of place visitors experience only once in a lifetime.

"A lot of people would say, 'Oh, I visited you in fourth grade, and I haven't been back since,'" says Gayle Shupack, a museum spokesperson. "So we really needed to give people a reason to come back again and again, to visit us," she adds.

That reason, it turns out, is a new $12.5 million, 13,000-square-foot wing that is being unveiled to the museum-going public on June 18. And although a series of traveling exhibitions have already been booked to appear in the new addition, the wing's inaugural show will actually be a rare exhibit featuring items from the Mercer's own 40,000-piece collection. Some of them have never before been publicly shown.

The new wing is also a green-friendly space. Recycled blue jeans were used as insulation, for instance, and the restrooms feature water-conserving fixtures. "It was our chance to come up to the 21st century," Shupack says.

A 1,000-square-foot education space known as the Learning Center will also be located in the new wing, and the changing exhibition gallery clocks in at 3,500 square feet. During the wing's opening day, the first 100 visitors to the museum, says Shupack, will be admitted free-of-charge.

Source: Gayle Shupack, Mercer Museum
Writer: Dan Eldridge

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