PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Jayfar

The basin really doesn't have much to do with mitigating river flooding.

The Venice Island Underground Storage Basin project is located between the Manayunk Canal and the Schuylkill River, between the Lock and Cotton Street bridges in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia. The purpose of the enclosed basin is to temporarily store diverted flow from the sanitary interceptor sewer during intense rain storms. The basin is capable of storing nearly four million gallons of water that is later pumped out and directed to a treatment plant.

More here:
http://www.phillywatersheds.org/what.../venice_island

Ok, that makes sense. If the Schuylkill River water level rises high enough from a 100 year storm (1% chance every year), then, the island and whatever is on it will get flooded. Got it.

[Urbanthusiat]

The article mentions bringing in dirt to lift the site out of the floodplain. I imagine all of the buildings will be built on a parking podium anyway, like the other new buildings on Venice Island, so flooding shouldn't be too much of a concern. I'm sure ESmith is well aware of the flood risks and how to mitigate. Developers successfully build next to rivers all the time. It's not something that can't be done, it just costs a extra.

[McBane]

It's definitely an intriguing project and I'm curious to see how discussions with the community will pan out and how that will affect Curtis Jones' stance. If this is a serious proposal (it's certainly ambitious), then the city needs to roll out the red carpet and do whatever it can to make it happen.

[PHLJD13]

Concept announced for Stephen Girard adaptive reuse in East Market.

https://philly.curbed.com/2018/12/3/...th-development

[iheartphilly]

Pearl buys Embassy Suites in Center City

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...l-parkway.html

Article does not mention any renovations to the exterior. That's a shame if Pearl chooses only to renovate the interior, but not the exterior. This building has a lot of visibility. I'm hoping they throw some money to update it both inside and outside. Re-branding it to above budget traveler status would be good since the articles said it wants to cater to business travelers, tourists, and conventioneers.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by McBane

Obviously, yes, Venice Island is prone to flooding but does anyone really believe that Manayunk neighbors are altruistically concerned about the prospect of unsuspecting employers/residents becoming victims of a flood? If a builder decides to build in floodplain and the banks lend the money, and people decide to live/work there - then why should it matter to others? There is a history of employment here and plenty of demand to live on Venice Island, flooding be damned. Those flooding arguments just ring hollow to me.

Not really a point either for or against this project, but why should it matter, re flooding----because when the floods do come and cause lots of problems who do you think the property owners look to for relief? Us!

[reparcsyks]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Pearl buys Embassy Suites in Center City

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...l-parkway.html

Article does not mention any renovations to the exterior. That's a shame if Pearl chooses only to renovate the interior, but not the exterior. This building has a lot of visibility. I'm hoping they throw some money to update it both inside and outside. Re-branding it to above budget traveler status would be good since the articles said it wants to cater to business travelers, tourists, and conventioneers.

The article doesn't mention updating the exterior, but this building needs it badly. It is an eyesore, it doesn't belong in such a prime spot in our city. After seeing the beautiful reclad on the old Glaxo building, I pray that Pearl guts this POS and gives it the similar treatment, but I doubt they will, sadly.

[Aaamazarite]

Orens Brothers is finally about to start their 49th and Spruce development. Its down to 8 stories from 9 and will be 151 units with an affordable housing component. Here's an old rendering, its probably changed by now since i don't think it will have retail:

[Jerryiz]

Originally Posted by Aaamazarite

Orens Brothers is finally about to start their 49th and Spruce development. Its down to 8 stories from 9 and will be 151 units with an affordable housing component. Here's an old rendering, its probably changed by now since i don't think it will have retail:

Thats realy nice to see. I grew up not too far from there and went to the "old" West Philly High right across the street. I guess this will be on the old field?

[Aaamazarite]

Originally Posted by Jerryiz

Thats realy nice to see. I grew up not too far from there and went to the "old" West Philly High right across the street. I guess this will be on the old field?

Its at 4900 Spruce, currently a parking lot

[Nova08]

Some hope, but still a lot of fuzzy details.


Philly litter czar says new street sweeping program coming in 2019
http://planphilly.com/articles/2018/...coming-in-2019

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney will soon announce a street sweeping pilot program following years of criticism over litter-strewn streets, said Nic Esposito, the director of the mayor’s Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet.

“Right now we are looking at a possible pilot program, hopefully in the spring,” Esposito told WHYY Radio Times host Marty Moss-Coane during Wednesday’s show. “We are putting it together with the cabinet, Managing Director’s Office, the Streets Department and the administration. We’ll see what that looks like, there will be more details to come.”

Esposito said that the city has not yet selected a target area for the pilot. The official announcement of the program will come from Kenney, Esposito said.

The on-air announcement comes a week after Kenney told Radio Times' Moss-Coane that the city was exploring the restoration of “some form of street cleaning” after nearly two decades without a regular, citywide street cleaning program.

Philadelphia is the only big city without regular street cleaning.

In his earlier Radio Times interview, Kenney outlined the obstacles that had led the city to eliminate the last remnants of regular street cleaning. The mayor had said that his political confidant and former South Philly councilman Frank DiCicco had nearly lost reelection due to residents furious over being ticketing for failing to move their cars.

“[DiCicco] was concerned with his re-election because people were so angry about having to move their cars when the streets were being swept,” Kenney said. “Think about how insane that was. So everyone was gun-shy after that.”

Kenney had promised to restore citywide cleaning during his 2015 election campaign and formed the Litter Cabinet to make good on that pledge. Since, Esposito has maintained that street sweeping is “not a silver bullet” for the citywide litter problem.

“We could sweep and then two days later it will go back to looking like it did,” he said.

He has said that the cabinet favors a holistic approach that includes data analysis, enhanced enforcement around short dumping and an initiative to give out trash can lids in certain neighborhoods.

Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Newall, a Radio Times guest who has criticized the cabinet’s efforts to date, countered that the city sometimes seemed to be using studies as an excuse to delay the reintroduction of basic sanitation efforts.

“I think it’s great we’re doing all these studies … if it was on top of a basic service that the city was long past the need for,” he said. “Do the studies, then start the trucks. I’ll drive one.”

[Londonee]

“Right now we are looking at a possible pilot program, hopefully in the spring..."

Translated, sometime in 2021. Could you possibly maybe partly utter a sentence with more hedging, potentially?

In the meantime, write to your state rep and ask that they get the Bottle Bill back on the table. There's probably $10,000 worth of bottles on just Washington Ave alone.

Where's 1487 when you need him/her to defend the city with this:

"Philadelphia is the only big city without regular street cleaning." (so pathetic)

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Where's 1487 when you need him/her to defend the city with this:

"Philadelphia is the only big city without regular street cleaning." (so pathetic)

Yea but GQ magazine says we are the best city in the country because a guy who happens to be contracted with one of the pro-sports teams at the moment is concerned about the criminal justice system!

[Boku]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Yea but GQ magazine says we are the best city in the country because a guy who happens to be contracted with one of the pro-sports teams at the moment is concerned about the criminal justice system!

What?

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Yea but GQ magazine says we are the best city in the country because a guy who happens to be contracted with one of the pro-sports teams at the moment is concerned about the criminal justice system!

Hah, Zach Baron is the man though.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by Boku

What?

Sorry for the non sequitur. I had just finished reading this when I saw Londonee's post:

GQ Magazine Names Philly “City of the Year”
Read more at https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/...Om5qxVbsFMh.99

[Boku]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Sorry for the non sequitur. I had just finished reading this when I saw Londonee's post:

GQ Magazine Names Philly “City of the Year”
Read more at https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/...Om5qxVbsFMh.99

Ha ha, I love this town.

"National magazine: Philadelphia is the city of the year!

Locals: No it's not, and here's why it stinks: "

Some things never change!

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by Londonee

“Right now we are looking at a possible pilot program, hopefully in the spring..."

Translated, sometime in 2021. Could you possibly maybe partly utter a sentence with more hedging, potentially?

In the meantime, write to your state rep and ask that they get the Bottle Bill back on the table. There's probably $10,000 worth of bottles on just Washington Ave alone.

Where's 1487 when you need him/her to defend the city with this:

"Philadelphia is the only big city without regular street cleaning." (so pathetic)

Another translation-----in 2020 there will be a 6 month program where 3 or 4 workers along with 2 supervisors are assigned to clean up a couple blocks in one of the river wards, but half way into the program Philly.com finds out that the workers have never been issued any equipment and besides picking up liter in a local park during the first week no other trash removal has been done.
At the end of the pilot program the mayor declares the program a total success and promises to seek State funds to expend the program to the whole City; the State House breaks out in laughter and passes a declaration pronouncing that Philly is official a clean city, and then adjoins for a 3 month recess, but only after passing themselves a pay raise and a increase in retirement benefits. The 40th annual bottle bill was tabled in committee.

[iheartphilly]

A First Look Inside The National in OId City

https://www.phillymag.com/property/2...l-in-oid-city/

The photos from the digital mag help changed my mind about how this thing looks. And, the inside is very nice. Overall, given the circumstances, it came out pretty decent. Some will love it or hate it but again it came out decent.

[Aaamazarite]

Office conversion and small addition planned for old garage at 725 South Broad