PHILADELPHIA-CAMDEN-WILMINGTON-ATLANTIC CITY-READING | Metro Development Thread - Page 13

Kitchen Guy · #**241** Posted **Mar 25, 2006, 4:51 PM**

I mean the garage between the New Juniper/Barclays building and the train tracks.

it a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it.

Joey D · #**242** Posted **Mar 26, 2006, 2:12 AM**

The Ships Tavern garage ain't fuckin around. One day no activity, the next day I see a mountain of dirt.

I must say I think I like the damned garage more than Renaissance Center.

If anybody noticed, there is a "cap" on the top floor of the WSFS HQ that really finishes the building. I'm assuming it is something utilitarian such as the elevator mechanical room. The building I must say has really begun to complement the rest of the skyline. I actually don't think I would want that any taller than it is.

boo2 · #**243** Posted **Mar 26, 2006, 11:02 PM**

Hello
I ran into this forum while researching Wilmington real estate. I am moving to Wilmington and am trying to educate myself on buying a condo. You all seem to be quite informed, so I was hoping to get your opinions on the short term(3yr) investment value of a condo in the Brandywine Park condominiums at 1904 North Park drive(2BR2B for low 300's), especially with the new Pettinaro luxury condos being built right next to them. Will it help/hurt the value of the existing condos? I really appreciate any input. Thank you.

Joey D · #**244** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 5:35 AM**

Low 300s is reasonable for a 2B2B in that area, Boo, although I don't know that I would call it a deal.

I would say that if/when Pettinaro completes the condo, it will help the area in general, despite what many of the current residents would like to think.

However, I'm not quite sure to tell you the truth if the newer condos in the area being new in three years next to your older condo would be more valuable in the eye of the buyer and hurt your chances at selling. Especially if there are still river view condos left to sell.

However, the market is in your favor, but if you don't have a river view in your condo, and the newer ones do when someone is looking to buy you may lose some profit.

Ask MGlan80 and GreggPow. They both have leased apartments/bought condos in the past few years.

mglan80 · #**245** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 6:28 AM**

boo2,

Brandywine Park Condominiums are very nice units in a gated community (although, some finishes might be a touch dated). The units are partly corporate stay units (for people staying 1-3 years or so) and partly market. More units will only enhance the place. If you can snag one for $300,000 I wouldn't hesitate buying it; there are units with water views going for much higher in there.

Kitchen Guy · #**246** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 3:02 PM**

Pettinaro is working two shifts, 6 days a week to complete the project on time. I think you can treat the completion date as written in stone.

soynog · #**247** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 5:49 PM**

Boo2,

Pettinaro Construction seems to have a decent reputation as a commercial builder here. As a condo developer, they're terrible. For instance, in my development, they donated our club house to the Catholic Church as a write-off after they sold most the units

. I've heard other complaints about their management of Paladin Club. Granted, neither of these are luxury developments.

I actually think it might be a plus for you that the newer development is through Pettinaro. Yeah, they'be be newer but they will age quicker through poor maintenance and mismanagement.

Soynog

PS: I think you'll enjoy Wilmington; it has a lot of the cultural resources of a big city but it's a lot easier to get around. Oh, and lot of construction cranes, if you enjoy them as much as we do.

greggpow · #**248** Posted **Mar 27, 2006, 10:59 PM**

eom

boo2 · #**249** Posted **Mar 28, 2006, 5:02 AM**

Thank you all so much for your input. It is so useful. I know what you mean about the dated fixtures, but the amenities of the building are great, and it felt a little more modern than Park Plaza. Do you know what the new condos are supposed to start at? One person told me 400k, another person said 800k - if thats true, then wow!

I visited Wilmington last weekend and it seems like a great city. I am looking forward to exploring it more.

soynog · #**250** Posted **Mar 28, 2006, 2:44 PM**

Riverfront casino hopefuls sweeten deal

Wilmington project now includes high-rise condominiums, town houses

THE DETAILS
A proposal to expand a $300 million Christina Riverfront project would add two condominium towers with a total of 160 units and 50 town homes to the previously announced casino and hotel. The new proposal encompasses 15 acres of land and a third of a mile of waterfront property. The casino and 250-room hotel that originally were proposed for the project would move to the east end of the A Street parcel on land that is occupied by the Delaware Humane Association's animal shelter.

By STEVEN CHURCH
The News Journal

03/28/2006
Investors hoping to win state approval for a casino on Wilmington's Riverfront said they will expand their project, adding 210 condominiums and town homes on the Christina River.

Developer H. Hunter Lott III also said that he will continue pushing legislation to enable his partnership to build a hotel and casino across from the Wilmington train station at South Walnut Street. But the $300 million project, to be known as Riverfest, will now include residential units that will be built whether or not the Delaware General Assembly votes to expand gambling.

Construction on the housing would not start for at least a year, and no price has been set for the units, the developer said.

Lott's development group, Delaware Program, is working with a rival casino hopeful, Diamond Entertainment Group LLC, on efforts to change Delaware law so that both groups can build casinos. Diamond would like to put a casino on 40 acres on Wilmington's Seventh Street Peninsula between the Christina River and the Brandywine.

Diamond Entertainment lawyer and spokeswoman Claire M. DeMatteis said that the company also has a new, expanded vision for its project that the firm will unveil next week.

In January, Rep. Joe Di Pinto, R-Wilmington West, introduced a bill in the Delaware General Assembly that would legalize gambling at the two locations. A similar bill failed to get enough votes last year to make it out of the House Gaming and Parimutuels Committee.

Lott and DeMatteis both say that this year's version stands a better chance because lawmakers are beginning to realize that they need to do more to protect the state's gambling industry from competition from Pennsylvania later this year and potential competition from Maryland.

Both casino projects will face a political fight, both from Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, who has said she opposes any new casinos, and from lawmakers who back the three existing slots parlors.

A third casino project, which would have been on a barge in the Delaware River near Penns Grove, N.J., is no longer part of the bill being advocated by Diamond and Delaware Program.

The leading partner in the Penns Grove effort is now part of the Diamond group, said Joseph Petrilli, a lobbyist for Diamond.

The land deal Lott announced Monday boosts the size of the project to 15 acres along the Christina River with about a third of a mile of waterfront. The new proposal includes two condominium towers with 80 units each and 50 town houses.

The casino and 250-room hotel would move to the east end of the parcel, which is occupied by the Delaware Humane Association's animal shelter. J. Kevin Usilton, executive director of the Humane Association, said that the nonprofit group is looking for a new property to replace the 7,000-square-foot building it will eventually vacate. It will take the association about two years to move into a new home, Usilton said.

Lott and his partners agreed to buy the animal shelter property last year. That deal will close in October, Lott said.

Clarence White, who has run an auto body shop in the nearby community of Southbridge for 38 years, said nearby business owners are excited about the idea of bringing more shops, condominiums and a casino to the south side of the Christina.

"That is going to be one of the greatest things that has happened in this area for 30 years," White said.

Bringing a casino to the area would bring much-needed jobs to an area that is struggling with unemployment, White said.

Earlier this year, lawmakers agreed to boost the number of slot machines in the state and allow 24-hour gambling, but did not even consider calls for new casinos. There are only three casinos in Delaware, each located at a horse-racing track.

DeMatteis said that this year she believes she has a commitment from lawmakers to allow the new bill to get a full vote in the House of Representatives. The bill would still need to make it through the state Senate, where it also faces opposition, and overcome opposition by Minner.

Riverfest advocates argue that new casinos are the best way to blunt slots competition coming to Pennsylvania later this year. Gambling experts for the state say that new casinos in Pennsylvania will hurt Delaware's gambling revenue, which is the fourth-largest source of money in the state's budget. Diamond and Delaware Program officials say they will bring tens of millions of dollars into the state's treasury.

Only by adding new casinos can the state avoid a big drop in revenues, said Linda Graham, president of the development company behind Riverfest.

"The racetrack-only model is outdated," Graham said.

Delaware's three racetracks say that adding new casinos would only further cut up a limited pie, weakening them all.

Contact Steven Church at 324-2786 or schurch@delawareonline.com
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/p...603280342/1006

Joey D · #**251** Posted **Mar 28, 2006, 6:45 PM**

I like the new proposal, for a few reasons:

1. The Condos, duh.
2. Wilmington is working to attain critical mass in that area. I can't see why they would want to hurt something which could really help the local economy, and improve the Southbridge area.
3. This could really help Amtrak, and Septa in the way that people in Claymont, Chester, and surrounding areas could come to a vibrant, relatively safe downtown area to play via a reliable rail service.
4. This could be a great advertisement of Wilmington to people who pass through on the train.
5. Great tax benefits for the city of Wilmington to improve highway infrastructure and for neighborhood improvement.

I think Delaware Park may just have to bite the bullet on this one.

Kitchen Guy · #**252** Posted **Mar 29, 2006, 2:37 PM**

The politics of slots works against expansion.

Maybe I am being picky, but I wouldn't call 10 stories tall a "Tower".

even though Wilmington can't expand geographically, it is growing a new neighborhood. Hurrah for the tax base! Next step is to improve the train schedules to and from Philly and find a way to get a fast train to the beach!

soynog · #**253** Posted **Mar 29, 2006, 8:16 PM**

I think the condo (mid-rise?) development is good for the area. If the casino doesn't go through, maybe they'll use animal shelter section to add some more dense housing. There certainly seems to be potential profit in that area.

Now, in today's NJ, Wilmington is talking about making some real upgrades to the South Bridge:
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/p...NEWS/603290370

I don't agree with all of this plan. I think that Eden park already serves the area so using the interior for another park is wasting acreage. Also, I'm not sure if big box retailers are ready to move in . But, its good to see some long-range planning and hope for the area.

Kitchen Guy · #**254** Posted **Mar 30, 2006, 4:36 PM**

anybody know what Arhcitect H. Hunt Lott III is using?

Kitchen Guy · #**255** Posted **Mar 30, 2006, 6:14 PM**

Anybody know what Architect Firm H. Hunter Lott III is using?

(must have been a wrinkle in time that hid my first post)

soynog · #**256** Posted **Mar 30, 2006, 8:25 PM**

They have some renderings up on their web site:

Strangely it doesn't list the architect though.
They seem pretty PR focuses so if you asked them on their site,
http://www.riverfestslots.com/ they'd probably tell ya.

I didn't have time to look at the whole site, but I'm curious what a "Lifestyle Center" is.

Joey D · #**257** Posted **Mar 30, 2006, 8:28 PM**

Wilmington's 4W5 Closes to the Public Tonight

By RYAN CORMIER
The News Journal

03/30/2006
The 4W5 Cafe, one of the premier venues for original music in the state, will fall silent after tonight.

Owner Polly Koster says she is closing the Wilmington music venue at 4 W. 5th St. because it's been a financial drain.

Tonight's farewell, which starts at 7:30 p.m., will feature a blues jam with local musicians. Jam regulars like David Bromberg, Johnny "Duke" Lippincott and Kenny Thompson could be among the house band this evening.

While tonight is the final night the cafe will be open to the public, there will be an invite-only farewell Sunday afternoon, saying goodbye to the 5-year-old venue.

Read about the new original music venues that will be picking up where 4W5 Cafe left off in Friday's News Journal. Contact Ryan Cormier at 324-2863 or rcormier@delawareonline.com. Read his blog at www.delawareonline.com/blogs.

Here's the deal. I went to 4W5 to support one of the very few venues period in the city through the past two years.

I feel the need to blame Downtown Visions and the Wilmington PD.

Many a time I was there when crackheads were bothering (not me, I'm used to them,) and intimidating the decent people who would travel from the burbs or from PA or Jersey to stop down there.

Where were the cops? In Grotto's parking lot. In Trolley Square.

I wrote a letter to the mayor about this one day, no response. In my letter I explained that if they want decent stuff to happen downtown, they need to promote a safe, friendly ambience. This doesn't happen when crackheads come up and bet the customers smoking cigarettes outside that they can punch the parking meter as hard as they want without breaking their hand.

(I'm not making this up. The guy raised $5 dollars and probably a broken hand.)

Polly would always come out and chase these vagrants away, but I never once throughout all my time there saw a cop drive by. I knew it would come to this.

A similar thing happened to "Club X," a mixed club on (I believe) West Street. It was a decent club for a while, and drew a nice crowd on weekends who brought more people who brought their money, and bought beers.

Surprisingly enough, no police presence. The punks from the club around the corner would come and rob and beat up the people smoking cigarettes outside.

The people stopped going after this started happening.

Club X is nothing anymore.

And people wonder why downtown closes at night, and there is NO nightlife!

Farewell, 4W5 - We've lost another.

Kitchen Guy · #**258** Posted **Mar 30, 2006, 9:25 PM**

Joey, Never heard of 4W5, sadly it sounds like my kind of place.
Your right, Market Street should have a constant foot patrol until 2am at least.

Soynog, Lifestyle center is a strip mall featuring upscale retailers like Pottery Barn, William Sonoma etc.

If it were me, I would put a green roof/ terrace on top of the casino and hotel and put the high rise condo's on top of the casino parking garage.
that way, even your "1st floor" condos would have a view over the roof of the hotel. Yu cold include a conecting link from condo to hotel and offer room service to the condo owners and covered access to the parking garage for the hotel guest.

Kitchen Guy · #**259** Posted **Mar 30, 2006, 10:24 PM**

looking at the picture... if they got the scale right, then the banding appears to be every two floors, making them 19 of 20 stories tall.

greggpow · #**260** Posted **Mar 31, 2006, 6:15 AM**

There's some renderings of Justison Landing at the link below. Looks like a few lowrise buildings closest to the river with a highrise(maybe 20 stories?) toward the back of the lot.

http://www.deldot.gov/static/pubs_fo...nal_fy2007.pdf