PHILADELPHIA | The Development Thread VIII - Page 152

EastSideHBG · #**3021** Posted: **Jun 4, 2011, 2:05 PM**

NIMBYs will protest against just about anything, huh?!?

Chestnut Hill College to launch $500 million expansion

By Vernon Clark
Inquirer Staff Writer

After a year and a half of negotiations with community organizations, Chestnut Hill College, a small coed institution on the northwest edge of Philadelphia, is set to move ahead with a long-term development plan, despite the lingering concerns of two neighborhood groups.

The college, on rolling hills in the 9600 block of Germantown Avenue, plans to launch a multi-decade $500 million development project that will include nine new buildings on the 32-acre property known as Sugarloaf, adjacent to its 45-acre main campus.

At Bells Mill Road and Germantown Avenue, the Sugarloaf site, which the college bought from the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation in 2006, is key to the expansion, officials said.

The goal of the college, established in 1924 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, is to increase the number of full-time undergraduates from the current 900 to 1,500 over the next few years, said Sister Carol Jean Vare, college president.

The college, with gray stone buildings with terra cotta roofs, also has about 600 evening undergraduate students and about 800 graduate students, she said.

Vare said the expansion plan was "critically important" to the college, which had been a women-only institution until going coed in 2003. Over the last few years, undergraduate enrollment has nearly doubled, Vare said.

"We have taken into account our vision for the future, and we have benchmarked against the schools with which we want to compete," Vare said.

She said the college had examined its plans "from every perspective and point of view and determined that we need to grow to 1,500 full-time undergraduate students."

Some neighbors, who say they may seek legal recourse if the current plan is approved, raised objections over increased auto traffic, environmental issues, and the view from surrounding roads.

The City Planning Commission approved the master plan on April 19.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...expansion.html

Aaamazarite · #**3022** Posted: **Jun 6, 2011, 3:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Some neighbors, who say they may seek legal recourse if the current plan is approved, raised objections over increased auto traffic, environmental issues, and the view from surrounding roads.

What legal recourse? What law is being broken? "Wah Wah I can see it from my mansion" "Wah Wah cars will be driving on roads" "Wah Wah the environment". Some people love to stand in the way of progress.

Reminds me of Princeton, NJ in the late 90's early 00's where a few super-rich households stopped the town from paving certain roads because they didn't want cars driving too fast in front of their houses, which were 200-300 feet away from the road. Then they stopped a bypass that was in another town because it was visible from their property. Not their house, their property. That's why driving in Princeton is endless gridlock.

Problem is these humans are rich enough to hire super-lawyers that can find any reason to screw anybody over. Just look at the Stamper Square mess where one rich lawyer neighbor can bring down whole multi-million dollar projects because he might be able to hear a sidewalk cafe 100 feet away.

skyscraper · #**3023** Posted: **Jun 6, 2011, 5:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaamazarite

What legal recourse? What law is being broken? "Wah Wah I can see it from my mansion" "Wah Wah cars will be driving on roads" "Wah Wah the environment". Some people love to stand in the way of progress.

Reminds me of Princeton, NJ in the late 90's early 00's where a few super-rich households stopped the town from paving certain roads because they didn't want cars driving too fast in front of their houses, which were 200-300 feet away from the road. Then they stopped a bypass that was in another town because it was visible from their property. Not their house, their property. That's why driving in Princeton is endless gridlock.

Problem is these humans are rich enough to hire super-lawyers that can find any reason to screw anybody over. Just look at the Stamper Square mess where one rich lawyer neighbor can bring down whole multi-million dollar projects because he might be able to hear a sidewalk cafe 100 feet away.

They are seeking legal recourse not because any law is being broken per se, but because they are petitioning a zoning change to the area from residential to institutional. If the college gets this zoning change, they won't have to apply for a variance every time they want to build ain institutional building in a residential area. The objections noted are that there would be an increase in traffic and noise.
This comes up all the time, not just for the "super rich." It so happens that Chestnut Hill is very blue-blood and old money and all that, but it would have happened almost anywhere else. Usually, it is some self-appointed neighborhood group just looking to have a developer buy them out with some concession or other. most people in the neighborhood wouldn't care one way or the other about a proposed development, but if they think they can get something out of the developers, they become the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. I'm sure it's no different here; the neighbors raise an objection to the college about the development that is going to make or break the future of the institution, so the neighbors shake the college down for whatever they are willing to pay in order to have this go ahead. It's part of the cost of doing business. The college must have known that this was going to be an issue, and built "neighborhood payoff money" into the $500 million budgeted for the project. It's probably a line item in their budget.

pwp · #**3024** Posted: **Jun 7, 2011, 4:08 PM**

Quote:

June 6, 2011
By JoAnn Greco
For PlanPhilly

Soon — most likely after the extended Welcome America-athon is over — the wrapping will come off of the $4+ million restoration of the Rodin Museum gardens.

http://planphilly.com/rodin-museum-g...dies-unveiling

GarCastle · #**3025** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 2:23 AM**

While all the other universities and colleges are spending huge amounts of money in Philadelphia, Penn continues to roll-out plans for additional facilities.

The 12-story offices on top of the 8th and walnut garage for Pennsylvania Hospital is a small slice of what is being planned. Presbyterian will likely be getting a new building added on for musculoskeletal and possibly trauma outpatient care. They also just put out an FRP for another building by HUP but I completely forget which that one is.

But the big news that I had never seen in the Penn Connects plan or any other plan involves the fact that the HUP buildings are getting quite dated and the University side needs room to expand without having to leapfrog over the hospital buildings.

The Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine was constructed to support three towers at its three sides, the first of which is just about done. To build the tower on the opposing side (or arm), they would have to tear down Penn Tower, garage, and move the street. So I kind of ignored all this since many folks at work had not even heard about Penn Tower's eventually doom. It seemed so far away.

Well today (and I'm sure earlier in other meetings), it was stated in the next couple years that Penn Tower and its garage will be leveled to make room for a new Hospital. In other words, the buildings that are now HUP will be handed over to other departments/schools in Penn and an entirely new hospital cluster will be built. While I imagine such a thing would HAVE to be done in phases, the bed count is preliminarily slated to be on the scale of 1,200 beds. To put that in perspective the bed count of HUP now is a bit over 700 so a 1,200 bed facility is both aggressive and rather optimistic. They better be giving us a decent raise after announcing that bit of news. :^)

With a clean slate for a hospital design, they would be able to optimize everything. They could actually move the Lab, Radiology, the operating rooms, and everything else into new positions in the new facility that make much better sense. Everything now is largely shoved into spaces where it could fit over decades upon decades of growth.

I have no idea how much square footage we would be talking about, other than it would be simply massive. The space for the patients is a relatively small percentage of the total need. If this pans out the way I heard about it, then even offices would have to be built. It's hard to imagine all that fitting in the space where Penn Tower and the parking garage are. Not to mention that they would have to build another parking garage in the new complex for employees and patients/visitors alike.

Cheers,
G.

volguus zildrohar · #**3026** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 4:30 AM**

The current HUP facilities, since they were constructed in phases over decades, are absurdly difficult to circulate through. Penn Tower will be no great loss but that is going to be a massive undertaking by the University. Do you know if anything is being made public soon?

pwp · #**3027** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 12:57 PM**

Quote:

City hoping for a Market rebound

By JASON NARK
Philadelphia Daily News

narkj@phillynews.com 215-854-5916

IMAGINE CENTER CITY as this big, delicious doughnut, made up of historic landmarks, eclectic eateries, hospitals and hotels, transportation, and most of all, throngs of people.

Planners, architects, politicians, bloggers and just about everyone else with an opinion seem to think that the jelly's been sucked out of the middle - at Market East - by bad planning, bad economies, bad retail and even some bad people who sometimes run amok in the much-maligned Gallery.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...t_rebound.html

pwp · #**3028** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 12:58 PM**

Quote:

Turning The Gallery into a showcase

By JASON NARK
Philadelphia Daily News

narkj@phillynews.com 215-854-5916

In Philadelphia, old and distinguished places like Independence Mall are cherished along with the new and exciting, like Citizens Bank Park.

The Gallery at Market East is not aged enough to be loved and it's certainly not new, stuck in a suburban time warp when teens roamed malls with Sony Walkmans and pinch-rolled jeans. Today, most people live in fear of the teens who roam The Gallery.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20...showcase_.html

McBane · #**3029** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 12:59 PM**

Interesting news about Market East. Eff Scrub. Their claim that the signs will "will mar the area's historical significance." is a joke. It's Market East, not Independence Mall, Old City, or Society Hill.

Leave it up to Paul Levy for the ultimate rebuttal:

Quote:

Market East's history is grounded in retail, and he thinks that the vintage black-and-white photographs of large signs on Market East stores a century ago prove it.

And can someone please tell me why the Society Hill Civic is involved? This is not their territory. Do people in SH even shop at Market East? My guess is no.

Quote:

City hoping for a Market rebound

IMAGINE CENTER CITY as this big, delicious doughnut, made up of historic landmarks, eclectic eateries, hospitals and hotels, transportation, and most of all, throngs of people.

Planners, architects, politicians, bloggers and just about everyone else with an opinion seem to think that the jelly's been sucked out of the middle - at Market East - by bad planning, bad economies, bad retail and even some bad people who sometimes run amok in the much-maligned Gallery.

"Market East needs help," said Alan Greenberger, the city's deputy mayor for economic development. "We need to get something going."

Market East will work again, its proponents claim, and you will be there more often in the future, shopping, eating and marveling at its beauty.

hammersklavier · #**3030** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 3:01 PM**

Woo! CCME's in there!

PhillyPantsAC · #**3031** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 5:04 PM**

CHOP is planning 1M sqft of space on the Center City side:

Quote:

The proposals - to develop 1 million square feet of potential offices and labs - will address new or renovated structures at the former Springfield Beverage warehouse site, which Children's acquired last year, plus the former JFK Vocational high school, a formidable ex-industrial structure gutted by developer Sam Switzenbaum for an abortive condo project before the real estate market crashed.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/i...erry-site.html

relnahe · #**3032** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 5:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhillyPantsAC

CHOP is planning 1M sqft of space on the Center City side:

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/i...erry-site.html

Quote:

Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia has asked builders to submit proposals for a building project almost as big as the Comcast Center or One Liberty (but not so tall) on a nine-acre site running from South St. south along Schuylkill Ave., on the Center City-South Philly side of the river, east of its existing University City complex.

McBane · #**3033** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 6:28 PM**

How big is 9 acres and what kind of development are we looking at? Will it be one big warehouse type building? A few low rise buildings spread apart in a suburban style office park setting? Is this going to be weaved into the existing urban fabric? Is there even an "urban fabric" to speak of in this area?

We Got Five · #**3034** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 8:07 PM**

Quote:

How big is 9 acres and what kind of development are we looking at? Will it be one big warehouse type building? A few low rise buildings spread apart in a suburban style office park setting? Is this going to be weaved into the existing urban fabric? Is there even an "urban fabric" to speak of in this area?

9 acres is plenty of room for 1MM sf. It'll probably be a cluster of 12-15 story buildings. It's not in anyway going to be anything like a Cira South complex.

christof · #**3035** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 11:05 PM**

As Penn and Drexel goes, so goes Philadelphia this century....

christof · #**3036** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 11:06 PM**

Penn made the jump over the river last year. Now CHOP....

hammersklavier · #**3037** Posted: **Jun 8, 2011, 11:32 PM**

The CHoP acreage basically extends between Schuylkill Avenue and CSX all the way from the South Street Bridge to the PECO plant. It includes the Springfield Beer distributorship as well as the vacant former JFK vocational high school, a handsome loft-type structure. Since it lies behind Naval Square, without Schuylkill Banks connections across CSX, and is only accessible via Schuylkill Avenue, it doesn't have much in the way of inherent urbanity.

This tract is, however, most of SWCC's Schuylkill frontage.

GarCastle · #**3038** Posted: **Jun 9, 2011, 12:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

The current HUP facilities, since they were constructed in phases over decades, are absurdly difficult to circulate through. Penn Tower will be no great loss but that is going to be a massive undertaking by the University. Do you know if anything is being made public soon?

Not sure VZ, I'll dig around and see if anyone knows. The old Penn Connects plan infers substantial construction in phases but it mentions no specifics. When the Sr. VP said 1200 beds, I was like whaaot? LOL It was our quarterly pep-talk so that may be why he told us.

phillyskyline · #**3039** Posted: **Jun 9, 2011, 1:58 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by We Got Five

9 acres is plenty of room for 1MM sf. It'll probably be a cluster of 12-15 story buildings. It's not in anyway going to be anything like a Cira South complex.

Thats a damn shame, i would have loved to see at least a 600-700FT skyscraper, imagine the center city & emerging u-city skyline views from this location! It would add so much more depth to the skyline.

GarCastle · #**3040** Posted: **Jun 9, 2011, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

The current HUP facilities, since they were constructed in phases over decades, are absurdly difficult to circulate through. Penn Tower will be no great loss but that is going to be a massive undertaking by the University. Do you know if anything is being made public soon?

The only public info I can find about it is in the updated Penn Connects info:
"Penn's growing medical campus is expanding and the Penn Connects plan envisions 1.55 million square feet of research and medical facilities between the Highline and the river South of South Street."

In the illustration they show a sizable blob where Penn Tower and the garage are now with the street moved to the outside of that future blob and the museum as well as another blob behind the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. The blobs, the Perelman Center horseshoe, and the new research building are all west of the Highline tracks so that makes me think the 1.55 million sf is in addition to the three towers/blobs and the Perelman horseshoe.

http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/ex...us.php#landUse

Regards,
G.