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

[summersm343]

SAP says it will add 150 jobs in Delco

Read more here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...-in-delco.html

[summersm343]

Amazon adding hundreds of jobs in Delaware warehouses

Amazon plans to add “hundreds” of new full-time workers at its two distribution centers in Delaware, according to The News Journal. Most of the jobs will be added in the coming weeks at the e-commerce giant’s 1.2-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Middletown.

Amazon (NASDAQ; AMZN) has added about 500 new warehouse jobs in Delaware in each of the past three years. The News Journal said the company declined to provide the exact number of positions being created as part of the current hiring spree.

Read more here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...-delaware.html

[summersm343]

Philadelphia Region Walkable Urban Cities and Towns

I was bored, so I put together a list of what I would consider walkable, urban, cities and and towns located in the Philadelphia Region, outside of the city of Philadelphia itself. These cities or towns usually have at least two blocks of walkable commercial corridors surrounded by housing. Some have public transit options as well. The list is below:

Philadelphia Metropolitan Area (MSA)

Montgomery County, PA
Ardmore
Bryn Mawr
Conshohocken
Norristown
Jenkintown
Pottstown
Ambler
Hatboro
Narberth
Glenside
Lansdale
Royersford (Work in Progress)
King of Prussia (Work in Progress)
Bala Cynwyd (Work in Progress)

Delaware County, PA
Media
Upper Darby & Drexel Hill
Wayne
Lansdowne
Chester (Work in Progress)

Chester County, PA
West Chester
Kennett Square
Phoenixville
Oxford
Coatesville (Work in Progress)

Bucks County, PA
Bristol
Doylestown
Newtown
New Hope
Quakertown

New Castle County, DE
Wilmington
Newark
New Castle

Camden County, NJ
Camden
Collingswood
Haddonfield
Haddon Heights
Voorhees (Work in Progress)
Westmont (Work in Progress)

Burlington County, NJ
Burlington
Mount Holly
Bordentown
Riverside
Maple Shade

Gloucester County, NJ
Glassboro
Pitman
Woodbury

Salem County, NJ
Salem

Philadelphia Combined Statistical Area (CSA)

Berks County, PA
Reading
West Reading & Wyomissing
Boyertown
Hamburg
Kutztown

Cumberland County, NJ
Vineland
Bridgeton
Millville

Atlantic County, NJ
Atlantic City
Ventnor City & Margate City
Pleasantville
Hammonton

Cape May County, NJ
Ocean City
Wildwood & North Wildwood
Wildwood Crest & Diamond Beach
Cape May
Sea Isle City
Avalon
Stone Harbor

Kent County, DE
Dover

Cecil County, MD
Elkton

[skiesthelimit]

Idk, may just be me but I wouldn't consider New Castle as walkable considering someone gets hit by a car what seems to be every week and the main corridor outside of the historic district is along a 4 lane road with highway speeds.

Dover might be pushing it, but I haven't been there lately.

[SJPhillyBoy]

Rowan Burlco builds first-class student hub

http://www.courierpostonline.com/sto...hub/602120001/

[SJPhillyBoy]

Rowan Boulevard nearly complete as more buildings open

http://www.courierpostonline.com/sto...ing/591001001/

[Urbanthusiat]

Rowan is doing some good things. I'd love to see it really take off if (when) PATCO extends to Glassboro.

[summersm343]

Rowan has transformed Glassboro.... just impressive.

[Jawnadelphia]

Article illustrates some of the issues facing Downtown Wilmington's office market--

"Wilmington's past as a corporation hub may be strangling its future as a startup capital.

The city's revitalization plan is centered on luring technology startups into downtown office buildings, where they would grow and create jobs. Officials hope these businesses attract millennial workers who have disposable income and choose to live downtown.

Startups pride themselves on efficiency. They want less office space than their large corporate predecessors. CEOs of startups typically work alongside employees rather than hide in ornate offices.

But several downtown Wilmington office buildings were designed to serve as single-tenant corporate headquarters. Those properties — including the Hercules, DuPont, Brandywine and Bank of America buildings — have massive floor plans and long distances between offices to central services like elevators, fire stairs and restrooms.

Such features, once demanded by the likes of DuPont, MBNA and Hercules have now rendered those buildings obsolete. The Brandywine Building is facing a sheriff's sale, while the Hercules Building's mortgage was sold to a New York investor at half its value because of the property's low occupancy rate.

"The old, very corporate users of the past lived in a world where there were long corridors and everyone had an office," Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said. "That world has changed. Property owners have to redesign these buildings to fit the world we live in."

All over Wilmington, the conflict between stodgy old corporations and nimble startups is leaving landlords struggling to fill buildings.

Properties built for single-user tenants are struggling. The 405,844-square-foot Brandywine Building — built in 1969 for DuPont — is about 59 percent vacant, while the 518,000-square-foot Hercules Plaza, once entirely occupied by Hercules Inc. is about 50 percent occupied.
...
"You have millions of feet of vacant space so how can you build new space?" McConnell said. "We have to hit the reset button and start over with these older buildings."

Entire article here:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/...wth/590813001/

[jonesrmj]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

Article illustrates some of the issues facing Downtown Wilmington's office market--

"Wilmington's past as a corporation hub may be strangling its future as a startup capital.

The city's revitalization plan is centered on luring technology startups into downtown office buildings, where they would grow and create jobs. Officials hope these businesses attract millennial workers who have disposable income and choose to live downtown.

Startups pride themselves on efficiency. They want less office space than their large corporate predecessors. CEOs of startups typically work alongside employees rather than hide in ornate offices.

But several downtown Wilmington office buildings were designed to serve as single-tenant corporate headquarters. Those properties — including the Hercules, DuPont, Brandywine and Bank of America buildings — have massive floor plans and long distances between offices to central services like elevators, fire stairs and restrooms.

Such features, once demanded by the likes of DuPont, MBNA and Hercules have now rendered those buildings obsolete. The Brandywine Building is facing a sheriff's sale, while the Hercules Building's mortgage was sold to a New York investor at half its value because of the property's low occupancy rate.

"The old, very corporate users of the past lived in a world where there were long corridors and everyone had an office," Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said. "That world has changed. Property owners have to redesign these buildings to fit the world we live in."

All over Wilmington, the conflict between stodgy old corporations and nimble startups is leaving landlords struggling to fill buildings.

Properties built for single-user tenants are struggling. The 405,844-square-foot Brandywine Building — built in 1969 for DuPont — is about 59 percent vacant, while the 518,000-square-foot Hercules Plaza, once entirely occupied by Hercules Inc. is about 50 percent occupied.
...
"You have millions of feet of vacant space so how can you build new space?" McConnell said. "We have to hit the reset button and start over with these older buildings."

Entire article here:
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/...wth/590813001/

This is exactly why when building the Hercules Building, they should've went with Plan A which was the 42 story cyllindrical tower which would have been more like an office tower suitable for today (On a side note, the current Hercules Building looks ugly imo) This was Plan A for the Hercules Building:



This also makes me wonder why Wilmington is taking away it's office space and converting it to residential/retail. I'm pretty sure we do not need a million thousand apartment/condos when there really is not much of a point right now to live in Wilmington because of the fact that it is loosing offices. Also, we already have dead/vacant shopping centers. Why do we need more shopping centers when we have like 3 next to each other that are dead/loosing stores? It's almost like they are building for a demand that is not there. And then we wonder why Wilmington has gone down office wise. I could be wrong with my reasoning, but that is how I feel about Wilmington right now, and it disappoints me.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Philadelphia Region Walkable Urban Cities and Towns

I was bored, so I put together a list of what I would consider walkable, urban, cities and and towns located in the Philadelphia Region, outside of the city of Philadelphia itself. These cities or towns usually have at least two blocks of walkable commercial corridors surrounded by housing. Some have public transit options as well. The list is below:

Philadelphia Metropolitan Area (MSA)

Montgomery County, PA
Ardmore
Bryn Mawr
Conshohocken
Norristown
Jenkintown
Pottstown
Ambler
Hatboro
Narberth
Glenside
Lansdale
Royersford (Work in Progress)
King of Prussia (Work in Progress)
Bala Cynwyd (Work in Progress)

Delaware County, PA
Media
Upper Darby & Drexel Hill
Wayne
Lansdowne
Chester (Work in Progress)

You're missing a lot for Delaware County. They're mostly not trendy, but the following are most certainly walkable...and most also have train stations:
Prospect Park
Ridley Park
Marcus Hook
Morton
Swarthmore

I'd even argue parts of Springfield are walkable as well.

[mcgrath618]

^I'd also be willing to argue that Havertown is also walkable for Delco

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

You're missing a lot for Delaware County. They're mostly not trendy, but the following are most certainly walkable...and most also have train stations:
Prospect Park
Ridley Park
Marcus Hook
Morton
Swarthmore

I'd even argue parts of Springfield are walkable as well.

I did have these in mind, and took a look at them.

My problem with these towns is none of them really have a significant and walkable commercial corridor. I'm looking for commercial corridors or Main Streets which are urban in format, with commercial/retail fronting the street, on both sides of the street, for at least two blocks.

A lot of Delaware County towns certainly have the dense housing, and have the public transit options, but do not have the urban, walkable commercial corridors.

If we do include those towns above for their urban housing, there are a lot of other towns we have to include as well. I wanted to try to limit it in some sense.

[Brandywine Rocks]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Philadelphia Region Walkable Urban Cities and Towns

I was bored, so I put together a list of what I would consider walkable, urban, cities and and towns

Delaware County, PA
Media
Upper Darby & Drexel Hill
Wayne
Lansdowne
Chester (Work in Progress)

A Death in Progress might be more apt here.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by summersm343

I did have these in mind, and took a look at them.

My problem with these towns is none of them really have a significant and walkable commercial corridor. I'm looking for commercial corridors or Main Streets which are urban in format, with commercial/retail fronting the street, on both sides of the street, for at least two blocks.

A lot of Delaware County towns certainly have the dense housing, and have the public transit options, but do not have the urban, walkable commercial corridors.

If we do include those towns above for their urban housing, there are a lot of other towns we have to include as well. I wanted to try to limit it in some sense.

They most certainly do.

Two blocks is not far.

Prospect Park is walkable for the length between Chester Pike and it's Train Station. I count 5-6 blocks in this stretch. It's wall to wall commercial for 3-4 of them.

Marcus Hook is walkable for 2-4 blocks depending on the direction from the intersection of Market and W 10th.

Morton's walkable blocks are along Kedron, S Morton, and Woodland Avenues.

Eagle and Darby Roads are walkable for much more than 2 blocks in every direction in the center of Havertown.

I'll give you Ridley Park.

[PhilliesPhan]

I happened to be on the express to Bryn Mawr yesterday, and was able to quickly snap a pic while passing through Ardmore!

[summersm343]

Movies and shopping a fix for downtown Philly? It's a hit in Stone Harbor

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20170831.html

[summersm343]

BET Investments readies for $150M mixed-use project in Upper Dublin

BET Investments Inc. has secured the preliminary approvals it needs to move forward with a $150 million mixed-use project on 75 acres at the corner of Welsh and Dreshertown roads in Upper Dublin.

Called the Promenade at Upper Dublin, the project is intended to be an even newer but smaller version of the Village at Valley Forge and King of Prussia Town Center, which has become a popular mixed-use community in Upper Merion.

The BET development will have an apartment complex with 402 units with rents in the $2,000 range and 137,000 square feet of retail space on 25 acres. The retail tenants the developer will seek to land are a series of fast-casual and other full-service restaurants, including Red Stone, and high-end tenants similar to what is found at other area life-style centers such as Suburban Square, said BET President Michael Markman.

Plans also call for a 2.7-acre park with a water feature for children and, with the nearby retail, Markman envisions parents coming out with their kids, having them play for a bit and then stay for a meal at one of the restaurants or cafés. There will be trails that connect to a system of other nearby paths as well as a series of other amenities such as a bike-share program and dog day care with walking services. The apartment complex will have its own set of amenities just for residents.

The remaining 50 acres will have 113 age-restricted cottages. This portion of the development will abut an existing residential neighborhood, which is a transition Upper Dublin officials sought, said Paul Leonard, township manager. The positioning of the retail in one area and the residential in another was deliberate.

“This project is pretty big for Upper Dublin Township, but the scope of it fits into the comprehensive plan,” he said. “Across the street in Upper Moreland and Horsham, there’s a lot of big -ox retail with Walmart, Lowes and Sam’s Club. We see Upper Dublin primarily as a residential community and this has a much smaller scale retail and apartments, and will distinguish us from what is across the street.”

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...e-project.html

[summersm343]

I was also just passing through Ardmore and managed to snap a shot of the tower crane at One Ardmore Place. So cool seeing a tower crane up here!

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by summersm343

BET Investments readies for $150M mixed-use project in Upper Dublin



https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...e-project.html

This is turning into the new normal. At first I was skeptical about the KOP Town Center, it's most definitely a sterilized version of an urban environment, but after driving through there it's actually kind of a cool concept. My biggest problem is that there are neglected Main Streets and 'Town Centers' scattered across the region that already have an existing infrastructure begging to be rehabbed. These concepts are acknowledging that people want to live where they play, then plopping that down in the middle of a field or golf course.

I'm sure from a developer's standpoint, it's much easier to build from the ground up in an untapped environment rather than dealing with all of the infrastructure issues and small government problems (not to mention NIMBYs) that existing towns have, I'm just all for fixing what we have before starting over.