tourism : Development News

The Wagner Free Institute of Science wins Historic Preservation award, and more

Flying Kite Tuesday, June 14, 2011

When it comes to historic Philadelphia museums that take seriously their mission of historical accuracy and preservation, perhaps none is quite as accomplished as the Wagner Free Institute of Science, a self-described Victorian natural science and history museum that has been serving the city in North Philadelphia, not far from Temple University, since 1855.

On May 17, for instance, the museum became the recipient of three separate prestigious awards, one of which was the result of a restoration project that managed to update the museum's century-old heating system without sacrificing the historic or the aesthetic integrity of the building.

Ironically, the award--a 2011 Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia--was essentially the result of a 2009 boiler room fire that destroyed the Wagner's ancient Broomell Vapor heating system. Most modern museums, of course, would have simply updated the ruined system, which was installed in 1907, with something new and advanced. But at the quirky Wagner Free Institute, where "little has changed but the century," according to a blurb on its website, "modern" is very rarely equated with "better." And so a series of "green design principles and sustainable practices" were instituted instead, according to a press release. And thanks in large part to an engineering firm known as the Landmark Facilities Group, the Broomell Vapor was saved.

Coincidentally, the Wagner now has another renovation coming its way, thanks to recent funding from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage's Heritage Philadelphia program. Those funds will be used to update the museum's aged electrical system, and to install new lighting. The Wagner was also recently recognized for the strength of its science programming by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, and by City Council through its Councilman David Cohen Award.

Source: Abby Sullivan, Wagner Free Institute of Science
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

A master plan for the Delaware River, to be revealed at last

Flying Kite Tuesday, June 07, 2011

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been working for quite some time now on what it's referring to as a "master plan" for the future of development along a six-mile stretch of the Central Delaware Riverfront, from Oregon to Allegheny avenues.

And now -- finally, after months of waiting -- the public is being invited to experience the final presentation of the plan at 6:30 p.m. on June 13, in the Pavilion at Festival Pier. "What we're going to be showing," says DRWC president Tom Corcoran, "is a plan that makes parcel-by-parcel recommendations as to what our consultants believe would be the best use of all that land."

Along with comments by Mayor Nutter and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Alan Greenberger, a 45-minute Power Point presentation will be revealing a host of hugely exciting potential plans for the riverfront, including a wetlands park with marshes and aquatic life in South Philly, somewhere between Mifflin Street and Washington Avenue. Other possibilities include an aquatic theme park at Penn's Landing, as well as a longer-term plan to complete a deck over I-95 from Front Street to the waterfront, in between Walnut and Chestnut streets.

"Part of what will make this plan achievable," says Corcoran," is that it's had a tremendous amount of citizen input, and it's not being done by a group of planners working in a vacuum."

This presentation, by the way, will be the last chance for the public to provide feedback. So in other words, if you have any interest whatsoever in the development that will soon be taking place along the Delaware -- and especially if you'd like your voice to be heard -- this is an event you really shouldn't miss.

Source: Tom Corcoran, Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Metro Commercial Real Estate opens Center City office, and area retail begins to pop

Flying Kite Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Regardless of the fact that the Metro Commercial Real Estate organization -- which bills itself as "the Philadelphia region's leading full-service real estate company" -- has been doing business in the area out of its Conshohocken and Mount Laurel, N.J., offices for more than two decades, it was nevertheless considered big news in the commercial development community when Metro recently announced the arrival of a third office, this one in Center City.

Located in the historic Wachovia Building (now the Wells Fargo Building) at 123 South Broad Street, Metro president Steven H. Gartner says the company's new location is intended to "bring our experience to the heart of Philadelphia. We have been a significant player here for the past 25 years," he adds, "and now we will have the team on the ground to more capably serve our growing client base."

Over the past few weeks, in fact, Metro has been responsible for inking deals that have resulted in three new Center City retail shops. A fourth, much larger deal is currently in the works on the southeast corner of 15th and Walnut streets, where Metro is leasing multi-level properties with 45,000 square feet of potential retail; that project is expected to be complete in mid-2013.

The store that will almost certainly generate the most excitement locally, however, is the one that's scheduled to open at the end of this year. Jack Wills is the name of the retailer -- it offers preppy, British-influenced men's and women's apparel (think Vampire Weekend-meets-J.Crew) -- and it currently operates just four other U.S. locations, one each in Boston, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and New Haven, Conn.

Metro was also responsible for the new Krispy Kreme shop that's now open at 1535 Chestnut Street, as well as the nearby new flagship location of The Children's Place.

Source: Amy H. Orons, Metro Commercial Real Estate
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Race Street Pier's big splash: Philly's newest waterfront park officially open for business

Flying Kite Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) has been working to design and develop their namesake river's waterfront for well over two years now, although the recent afternoon of May 12 was one of the agency's most important days yet. At 2 pm that day, a press conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Mayor Nutter kicked off, and the long-awaited Race Street Pier was finally -- and officially -- opened to the public.

Located along the length of Pier 11, which sits just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge, the one-acre waterfront park was designed by James Corner Field Operations, a world class landscape architecture and urban design firm that was also responsible for the stunning High Line park in New York City.

As the DRWC's Master Planning Manager, Sarah Thorp, is quick to point out, "[The Race Street Pier was] designed to be a very spectacular place, both during the day and at night." The park, in fact, has its own extensive lighting system embedded in the pavement. The transformation in the park from daytime to nighttime, Thorp says, is simply spectacular.

Of course, The Race Street Pier is only one small example of what DRWC has in store for the city. The organization's currently-in-progress master plan, which will reveal all the upcoming waterfront development being planned between Oregon Avenue in South Philly and Allegheny Avenue in the north, will be unveiled on June 13. (Watch this space for more information.)

In the meantime, though, Thorp is encouraging everyone to take full advantage of the city's newest waterfront treasure. "The (designers) have done an amazing job creating a really different kind of place for Philadelphians," she says. "This is a really different park -- it's unlike any other in the city."

For more information about the park and its upcoming events, click here.

Source: Sarah Thorp, DRWC
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

On the Parkway, the little-known Sister Cities Park is getting a makeover

Flying Kite Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The downtown business improvement organization known as the Center City District has been working to improve the experience of an afternoon spent wandering along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for well over a decade now. But as the organization's CEO, Paul Levy, explains, the Parkway has always had one major downfall. "(It's) a wonderful cultural district," he says. "(It's) perfect in postcards, and great to drive on. But it's always been seriously lacking in pedestrian amenities."

And that's one major reason why Levy and the CCD have decided to seriously transform Philadelphia's 35-year-old Sister Cities Park, which is located on Logan Square. It's also just one small aspect of the $19.9 million renovation of the Parkway that will also include the forthcoming installation of the Barnes Museum, and the upgrading of the Rodin Museum.

Constructed in 1976, and located directly in front of the Cathedral-Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Sister Cities Park was originally intended to celebrate Philadelphia's relationship with its 10 international sister cities, which include Florence, Tel Aviv, and even Douala, Cameroon. But as Levy points out, "If you ask 99 percent of Philadelphians, 'Why is it (called) Sister Cities Park, and what does it say about sister cities?' there was virtually nothing (informational) there--just some names on stones."

In order to rectify that situation, a series of educational signs will be installed at the park. A fountain will also be added, with various plumes of water representing each of the sister cities. Landscaping and a set of benches will surround the fountain, and a garden designed especially for children's play will be constructed nearby.

The $4.6 million project, Levy says, which is expected to open in the spring of 2012, was funded by an especially wide range of donors, including the Pew Charitable Trusts and the William Penn Foundation.

Source: Paul Levy, Center City District
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Fairmount Park's Shofuso Japanese House and Garden to expand thanks to Pew grant

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Here's a little-known Philadelphia factoid: According to Sukiya Living, a bi-monthly journal of Japanese gardening, the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park is the third-ranked Japanese garden in all of North America. And yet according to Shofuso's Executive Director, Kim Andrews, the historic site is so underfunded that it doesn't even have its own on-site storage or office space. But thanks to Andrews, that's all about to change.

After recently penning a 10,000-word grant proposal for the Pew Center's Heritage Philadelphia Program, Shofuso was awarded $184,300 to historically restore two run-down "comfort stations" that were built as restrooms for the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Andrews' "most brilliant move ever," as she refers to it, involved combining the Pew Center's grant with an even larger funding source from Fairmount Park's Preservation and Development arm.

In total, Shofuso received well over $500,000. Beginning this May, that money will be used to restore both of the former comfort stations back to their 1876 glory; the historic architectural preservation team from John Milnar and Associates will be in charge of the design.

"This is just transformational for a small organization like us," says Andrews. "It makes it so that we can fulfill our mission in a way that we've never really been able to do, ever, in the history of our organization."

And while one of the restored buildings will be used primarily as office and storage space, Andrews explains that the other will be a multipurpose classroom, where photography classes, bonsai workshops, and origami and Japanese flower arranging classes will take place. It will also be used as a staging area for weddings. "This multiplies our story exponentially," says Andrews. "Now we're literally anchored in history."

Shofuso expects to hold its grand opening for the buildings during the 2012 Cherry Blossom Festival, in April.

Source: Kim Andews, Shofuso
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

From the ashes of the Spectrum comes Philly Live!

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 19, 2011

When the Spectrum met its final match last November--a bright orange wrecking ball that transformed the storied South Philadelphia sports and entertainment arena into a sad pile of brick and ash--public reactions were understandably mixed. The Spectrum, after all, is one of Philly's most beloved and historic attractions; performers and athletes who've plied their trade at the arena range from Michael Jackson to Michael Jordan.

But there will be a second act on the land on which the Spectrum stood: In a matter of months, The Cordish Company, a Baltimore-based developer, will begin the construction phase of new retail, dining and entertainment complex. The name of the soon-to-be-built complex, Philly Live!, is intended to evoke its purpose of being "an inviting center of community for Philadelphia sports fans, where enthusiasts (can) share their common experiences in supporting the home team," according to the Cordish Company's Megan Slattery.

And although Comcast-Spectator--the firm that also owns the Wells Fargo Center--hasn't yet finalized every detail of the complex, it's probably safe to say that the 350,000-square-foot Philly Live! will likely prove to be nearly as popular as the live entertainment on offer at the Stadium Complex's other facilities.

According to Slattery, Philly Live! will be constructed in phases. Groundbreaking for phase one, during which a 42,000-square-foot building will be constructed at the southwest corner of Pattison Avenue and South 11th Street, is anticipated to happen this summer. The building will be home to "multiple dining and entertainment venues," Slattery says, as well as "at least one private dining area and an outdoor event space." Slattery didn't comment on whether or not a rumored ice skating rink project will be going forward at the site.

Source: Megan Slattery, The Cordish Company
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Liberty Bell's new neighbor, Hotel Monaco, is latest addition to Old City's boutique lodging scene

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Given the unfortunate state of both the economy and the hospitality industry at the time, it was certainly a boon for Philadelphia when the Kimpton Hotels group announced last October that it would be transforming Old City's historic Lafayette Building into one of its many adaptively reused boutique hotels. According to Nick Gregory, Kimpton's Director of Operations, the project is still going forward, and the company expects the hotel to be complete by the third quarter of 2012.

"Location is important to us," says Gregory, explaining why Kimpton chose to purchase the Lafayette, which sits directly across the street from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. "And the ability to do another adaptive reuse is always exciting."

Kimpton Hotels, in fact, which also owns the LEED-Gold certified Hotel Palomar in Rittenhouse Square, has a long history of picking up historic buildings and adaptively reusing them. "We think they add a lot of charm," says Gregory. "And if the building tells a story, even better!" (The Lafayette Building, as Gregory explains, was developed by the ultra-wealthy Stephen Girard, who personally financed the War of 1812.)

When the Lafayette Building finally completes its transformation into the Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, it will be home to 271 guestrooms, roughly 13,000 square feet of meeting space, a 3,200-square foot ballroom, and a restaurant with a still-undecided concept. "We don't want it to be too stuffy or fancy," Gregory says, "because of the leisure component that Independence Park offers. So I think it'll be a casual place, but it'll definitely be a great, chef-run restaurant."

Kimpton Hotels is also planning to earn LEED-certification for the Hotel Monaco.

Source: Nick Gregory, Kimpton Hotels
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Fairmount Bikeway Trail keeps getting better

Flying Kite Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Bicyclists in the Philadelphia area have been buzzing for ages about the continued development of the ultra-popular Schuylkill River Trail, which in about five years time should be a fully accessible and continuous trail running all the way from Bartram's Garden to Schuylkill County. To be sure, the eventual completion of the 130 mile trail is a goal that is both ambitious and high-reaching. But on a chilly and overcast day in mid-March, Mayor Nutter and various members of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia were on-hand at a groundbreaking ceremony that marked the beginning of yet another small step towards the successful completion of that goal.

The Fairmount Bikeway Improvement Project was the enterprise being celebrated at the groundbreaking; the project's aim is to make a series of major improvements to the Fairmount Bikeway trail, which is the section of the Schuylkill River Trail between Falls Bridge and Ridge Avenue. As Mark Focht of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation says, "I'm not sure when this section was originally built, but it really doesn't meet the standards of the trails as we construct them today."

The plan, says Focht, essentially involves making the trail both wider and safer. Currently, the width of the trail varies between roughly six and 10 feet, and that'll be expanded to a width of between eight and 12 feet when the project is complete. As for the portion of the path that runs alongside the roadway - Focht describes it as little more than a glorified sidewalk - it'll be made considerably safer by the addition of a guiderail, which will be smartly positioned between the widened trail and the nearby traffic. Portions of the trail will also be sloped to allow for proper water drainage. The project is expected to be complete this June.

Source: Mark A. Focht, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

High-end billiards club project known as 1200 Bank gets a green light from City Council

Flying Kite Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Nearly six months have passed since we last reported on 1200 Bank, the decidedly swish billiards club being designed by DAS Architects, and which local developer Paul Giegerich plans to construct inside the once-grand Beneficial Bank building at 1200 Chestnut Street, the exterior of which has "become kind of a prime attraction for homeless people," as architect David Schultz puts it.

In the interim, residents of a condominium building located across the street objected to the club's plans to add a rooftop bar, citing the potential for excess noise. But last week, the project went before the City Council's Rules Committee and passed; it was also unanimously approved by the Historical Commission and the Planning Commission. That may have had something to do with the fact that the construction of the 1200 Bank project, according to Schultz, won't require any serious alterations to the historic building, which was designed by the noted Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer. "We're not going to alter the space," Schultz explains. "We're going to embellish the space."

Of course, 1200 Bank will involve some modern-day concessions, including an elevator, a minimalist staircase, and the aforementioned rooftop bar, which will be glass-enclosed and sporting a retractable roof. "If you can imagine what a turn-of-the-century billiards club might look like," says Schultz, "that's what we'd like to achieve. The branding and imagery of the project is high-end, old world luxury."

Currently, 1200 Bank's price tag is somewhere around the $6 million mark. And assuming the project passes its final City Council vote, Schultz estimates that the club's doors could open in as little as 12 to 16 months after that.

"This is not the concept that some people have of a pool hall," Schultz adds. "Nothing like this exists in Philadelphia now, and I don't even know if there's anything in the country that's quite like this."

Source: David Schultz, DAS Architects
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Renovation of historic Presser Home in Mt. Airy earns renters, recognition

Flying Kite Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Unless you're a local history buff or an architecture enthusiast, you've probably never heard of the building now known as Presser Senior Apartments, an historic structure at 101 West Johnson Street in Mt. Airy. It was commissioned in 1914 by the sheet music publisher Theodore Presser, and interestingly enough, it was developed as a home for retired music teachers.

Constructed of brick, limestone and terra cotta, the structure was one of only two in the world built specifically for retired music teachers. The other was Milan's Casa di Riposo per Musicisti; following a trip to Italy, it inspired Presser to create something similar in Philadelphia.

In 2002, however, the 52,248 square-foot building became vacant, and although it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, it nevertheless turned into something of a crumbling eyesore. Certainly, if not for its historic status, it would have been a perfect candidate for demolition. Instead, the building was acquired by the locally-based Nolen Properties in 2006. Working with the architecture firm JKR Partners, Nolen's resulting historic restoration was such a huge success that it won a 2011 Grand Jury Award from the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

"The biggest challenge we had," said Rick Sudall, Nolen's director of operations, involved "converting 86 single rooms into 45 apartments." In the Presser Building's original form, its rooms contained only a closet and a sink; shared bathrooms were located down the hall. Following the year-long, multimillion dollar renovation, however, the new apartments now come complete with all mod cons.

Even better, historic preservation societies clearly aren't the only interested entities: As of this writing, Nolen has received some 300 applications for Presser's 45 units. And while new residents certainly don't have to be former music teachers, they do have to be median-income senior citizens. The lucky few will be moving in sometime over the next few months.

Source: Rick Sudall, Nolen Properties
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Showtime in Market East: Newly expanded Convention Center is officially open for business

Flying Kite Tuesday, March 01, 2011

It's hard to believe that the $787 million expansion of Center City's Pennsylvania Convention Center has only been moving forward for a little over three years now. But on March 4, one of modern-day Philadelphia's most monumental economic growth facilitators will officially open for business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. And on March 9, when the International Flower Show kicks off inside the Convention Center's existing building, the 3,000 attendees of the NASPA convention will be simultaneously holding court inside the building's newly expanded section.

In other words, two events that will almost certainly encourage serious economic activity here will be taking place inside the Convention Center at the same time next week. The expansion, it's worth noting, has increased the size of the PCC by 62 percent; it now clocks in at a jaw-dropping 1 million square feet, and it's expected to have over $140 million in economic impact annually.

After all, as Jack Ferguson, CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, says, "The Pennsylvania Convention Center is the hospitality economic engine that drives Philadelphia. Now with this world-class venue, an expanded center is generating a greater buzz about Philadelphia as a destination throughout the nation. This will attract more events, meetings, conventions, tradeshows and businesses to want to invest here."

As Ferguson rightly points out, an economic upper-hand isn't the only important aspect of the expansion story; there are also the substantial bragging rights. The new center, for instance, will be home to the largest ballroom in the Northeast corridor (55,400 square feet), as well as 528,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space. Of course, words alone can't really do justice to the new Broad Street Atrium, or the multi-story glass entrance that will greet visitors at the building's Broad Street entrance. Click here and here to experience them yourself, online.

Source: Liz Sullivan, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.

Franklin Place development in Old City has hotel, retail, entertainment and some opposition

Flying Kite Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Clifton, NJ-based ARC Properties development company has been working for nearly two years now on an increasingly controversial hotel, retail and entertainment complex that will sit on the stretch of Race Street in Philadelphia between Fourth and Fifth streets and is scheduled to be operational sometime in 2012. But according to ARC's CEO, Robert Ambrosi, the project has only become controversial as a result of misinformation mixed with innuendo.

Ambrosi claims that his project, which is currently being referred to as Franklin Place, has the full support of the Independence Visitor Center and a number of other area groups. The Old City Civic Association, however, hasn't exactly given ARC Properties its undivided blessing, and Ambrosi thinks he knows why. "There's been a lot of wrong information in the press, unfortunately," he insists. "People are claiming we're putting in a nightclub. But this is really a hotel project with an attached restaurant and a small music venue."

Franklin Place will actually consist of two separate structures, one of them facing the residential community along Fourth Street, and the other facing Independence Mall, where no residential community exists. Understandably, the project has been the cause of much consternation among locals, although as Ambrosi explains, the Fourth Street-facing building will actually house a 55-unit residential complex. "We've been extremely sensitive that anything we do on the Fourth Street side of the project be very passive," he says. The structure facing Fifth Street, meanwhile, will be home to a 156-room Starwood Hotel, as well as a currently undecided combination of retail and dining venues.

Ambrosi originally wanted the complex to contain a bowling alley and a small live music space. His newest idea is to bring a Toby Keith-themed restaurant featuring live country-and-western music into the mix.

"This is a very, very important project to us," Ambrosi adds, "and we're going to make it a great project. I just want people to understand what we're doing."

Source: Robert J. Ambrosi, ARC Properties Inc.
Writer: Dan Eldridge

Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a cool new house being built in the neighborhood? Please send your Development News tips here.