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

[1487]

Originally Posted by Milksteak

Agree completely. Schools are certainly a part of the city population loss...but we need to compete on a national and international level or we will remain stagnate. Poaching people from the suburbs and vice versa isn't going to do the region any good.

schools in almost every major city are not a major factor in attracting new residents. It's not like schools in other urban centers are considered top notch. So that's almost a equalizing factor amongst major cities- DC is growing but it's not based on stellar public schools.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by 1487

schools in almost every major city are not a major factor in attracting new residents. It's not like schools in other urban centers are considered top notch. So that's almost a equalizing factor amongst major cities- DC is growing but it's not based on stellar public schools.

As a new person to this forum, can someone explain to me why Philly isn't growing like other cities? I can't really wrap my head around it.

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by 1487

schools in almost every major city are not a major factor in attracting new residents. It's not like schools in other urban centers are considered top notch. So that's almost a equalizing factor amongst major cities- DC is growing but it's not based on stellar public schools.

I think you misread my statement, schools are definitely a reason people leave the city for the suburbs...but they are not the reason somebody moves to DC instead of Philly. We need to compete more with these other cities for a national and international job base.

[SEFTA]

because Pennsylvania is not a forward-thinking state, firmly planted in the middle of the road, always at odds with it's big cities

[jjv007]

The article makes some decent points but misses the main issue imo. The primary key to a city's success is economic viability and competence. Philly is lagging behind some of its peers there and it shows.

[1487]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

As a new person to this forum, can someone explain to me why Philly isn't growing like other cities? I can't really wrap my head around it.

define "other cities". Not every city is growing, some are but most in the rust belt are not.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by 1487

define "other cities". Not every city is growing, some are but most in the rust belt are not.

And Philly is actually doing better than most rust belt peers. Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland are all losing population. Baltimore, Cincinnati, Providence, Chicago, and Newark are all growing slower than Philly.

[Larry King]

Originally Posted by Milksteak

I think you misread my statement, schools are definitely a reason people leave the city for the suburbs...but they are not the reason somebody moves to DC instead of Philly. We need to compete more with these other cities for a national and international job base.

I really believe that most of the people that leave for the burbs because of the schools would've left either way. People that really want to raise families in town tend to find a school that works for them, there's tons of schools in philly and alot of them are good.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by 1487

define "other cities". Not every city is growing, some are but most in the rust belt are not.

We are not rust belt though.

[PA Castaway]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

because Pennsylvania is not a forward-thinking state, firmly planted in the middle of the road, always at odds with it's big cities

As a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton native I can back up SEFTA's statement. The vast space that fills PA's boarders sees itself more like rural West Virginia than commercial New Jersey and it appears that the lawmaking powers reflect that attitude.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by Larry King

I really believe that most of the people that leave for the burbs because of the schools would've left either way. People that really want to raise families in town tend to find a school that works for them, there's tons of schools in philly and alot of them are good.

What makes you believe this? I constantly struggle with the question of whether the cultural benefits of living in a city outweigh the poor schools when it comes to raising a child... and I haaaaate the suburbs. Of course people are leaving the city because of the schools.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by Justin7

What makes you believe this? I constantly struggle with the question of whether the cultural benefits of living in a city outweigh the poor schools when it comes to raising a child... and I haaaaate the suburbs. Of course people are leaving the city because of the schools.

Research shows that the quality of schools, and especially those of elementary schools, is not really important to a child's success if they come from a family with educated, high-earning parents. As long as there isn't a safety issue at the school I will not hesitate to send my future children to Philly schools.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by jjv007

We are not rust belt though.

The definition is subjective. Geographically we may be outside of the rustbelt core but we fit the profile to a large extent. We're kind of a hybrid between the rustbelt cities and the coastal cities of DC, NYC, and Boston.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by br323206

Research shows that the quality of schools, and especially those of elementary schools, is not really important to a child's success if they come from a family with educated, high-earning parents. As long as there isn't a safety issue at the school I will not hesitate to send my future children to Philly schools.

Very true, family structure and resources are very much tied to a kid's success, quite a bit more than schools alone actually, but it's not PC to say that. Good schools are obviously vital and crucial, but if we create a better economic environment as a whole, we create a better environment for families which feeds into the kids' ability for future success.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by br323206

The definition is subjective. Geographically we may be outside of the rustbelt core but we fit the profile to a large extent. We're kind of a hybrid between the rustbelt cities and the coastal cities of DC, NYC, and Boston.

Agreed, but if we say we're Rust Belt we're holding ourselves to such a low standard. Sure, 1487 can say "oh wow, compared to Rust Belt cities we're doing great" but in reality that doesn't say much of us at all (not a slight at 1487, just an observation).
That being said, though we hold some Rust Belt characteristics, very rarely are we classified as such directly. A more accurate term I believe would be recovering post-industrial.

[Frontst17]

So we don't need to fix our schools as long as rich families can afford the few good ones? How's that gonna fly in the poorest large city in the country?

[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by br323206

Research shows that the quality of schools, and especially those of elementary schools, is not really important to a child's success if they come from a family with educated, high-earning parents. As long as there isn't a safety issue at the school I will not hesitate to send my future children to Philly schools.

Same here! When I get to the point of having children, I plan to send them to Philly schools. I believe that raising a child in the city is FAR superior to raising one in the suburbs. I should know, as I was raised in both environments. School quality also means a lot less compared to how a child is raised at home. Hell, I attended Chester-Upland, the WORST-ranked school district in the Commomwealth of PA, and yet I'm a senior at Temple getting ready to graduate with his BBA in Finance next May.

In my opinion, the Philadelphia School District is not as bad as the media makes it out to be. That's not to say that it doesn't have its problems, but it has improved since I was a little kid living in West Philly in the 2000s. Back then, the ONLY good schools one would hear about were Masterman, Central, St. Joe's Prep, and Germantown Friends. Now, along with the aforementioned schools, there is MaST, Penn Alexander, Franklin Towne, and more. When it comes to neighborhood elementary and middle schools, McCall, Meredith, Penn Treaty, and others will all provide one with a solid start. By the time I reach my 30s, I believe that Roxborough High School will also be a standout school.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Not a chance. It was not for lack of trying. AC was unable to attract the funding and clientele to be "not run down" and a "Vegas East" even before there was immense competition through numerous casinos in nearby states. And the nicest resorts - though not without their problems- have been a tremendous flop. Revel. AC cannot be a greater gambling destination than it was in its heyday with the amount of competition and without the warm temperatures Vegas enjoys yearround. It needs to focus on both other tourist points of interest and other kinds of industry and development. As far as casinos, it's about at its saturation point in this climate. Borgota and Trop for upscale. And the other existing ones for low rent.

I just don't see how being yet another family friendly NJ destination is going to do that much good for it, it needs to be something really different to stand out.


Norristown borrows $10M for capital improvements; receives favorable bond rating
http://www.timesherald.com/general-n...le-bond-rating

[summersm343]

King of Prussia gets a downtown

In real estate, as often is the case in life, patience has its rewards – though that can often be difficult to see at first.

For the Village at Valley Forge and its master developer, Realen Properties, fortitude along with the financial wherewithal to survive a decade of litigation, a long, detailed planning process and the Great Recession, has ended up producing one of the most notable real estate developments in the Philadelphia region and for that reason, it along with its King of Prussia Town Center, have been named the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Project of the Year.

“It’s transformative,” said Cathy Coate, senior vice president at SSH Real Estate, who served on a judging panel for the Best Real Estate Deals of 2016 that named the Village at Valley Forge and its companion King of Prussia Town Center as Project of the Year. “It’s a very, very big deal that is creating a whole community where there had been no center to King of Prussia. Before the mall, before the highways, Route 202 was a sleepy road you could take to rural Bucks County. The center of King of Prussia was the post office. This creates a real center.”

“Most economic development projects are fantastic as individual projects but it’s pretty rare that an economic development project literally changes the game for the community that it is going into,” said Eric Goldstein, executive director of the King of Prussia District who also sat on the judging panel. “The Village at Valley Forge and the King of Prussia Town Center are literally rewriting the script for the entire township. King of Prussia has been so autocentric with no walkability component to it and the Village at Valley Forge gives it a big area that is walkable and mixed use. It’s everything King of Prussia wasn’t before.”

At build out, the Village at Valley Forge will eventually have 2,000 to 2,500 residential units. It has roughly 500,000 square feet of retail space of which includes the Wegmans and the King of Prussia Town Center. The project also includes a 125,000-square foot building that the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia developed. Office development is one of the last pieces of the master plan to get executed and, through approvals, upwards of 1.5 million square feet of office space could be built.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...-downtown.html

[summersm343]

In Camden, site of former prison struggles to get developer attention

When it comes to Camden, developers focus on the central portion of the city’s waterfront and appear to be leaving the site of the former Riverfront State Prison, a parcel that some have called the “most valuable piece of real estate in North Camden,” as an outlier yearning for attention.

The state prison site that is up for grabs totals 8.75 acres on the Delaware River. It has an unparalleled view of Philadelphia’s skyline and is nestled up against the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. New Jersey wants to sell the land, have it developed and join the revitalization efforts now underway, particularly along sections of the waterfront south of the bridge. Even though it’s well located and a developer would have million of dollars in financial incentives at its disposal to get a project done, there so far appears to be little interest in the site.

Liberty Property Trust is “singularly focused” on its multiphased development along Camden’s central waterfront, said Jeanne Leonard, a company spokeswoman. Brandywine Realty Trust never comments on any acquisition or investment activity either way, said Brian Berson, a vice president at the company who oversees its Camden projects.

Brandywine is also amid a large-scale development in Camden. It is constructing Knights Crossing, a mixed-use community that includes a new headquarters for Subaru America on 13 acres off Newtown Avenue between Admiral Wilson Boulevard and 11th Street. Another group led by George E. Norcross III that has recently been active in Camden real estate, isn’t eying the site at this time, according to Dan Fee, a spokesman for the group.

Economic development officials as well as Freeholder Nash, envision a mixed-use development on the property with commercial space that would create jobs along with residential and recreational components. A portion of the prison site, a separate parcel totaling about four acres, has been set aside to become a park.

Nash is confident that the property will eventually have a bright future. “The primary economic development activity is in the central waterfront and this is a natural progression,” he said. “It may take longer, but I’m sure you will see a natural economic development progression for North Camden. It’s just a matter of time.”

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...son-river.html