CDAG Sends Letter To Gaming Board On Wynn Casino

The Central Delaware Advocacy Group recently sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board last week, reports PlanPhilly.  The letter states that the Wynn Philadelphia Casino proposal  wkould be a better Central Delaware fit if river access was improved, the parking garage took up less space, its roof was open for river-viewing and the entire design was more "contextually compatible" with the region.  The letter also states that CDAG "represents no particular disposition toward gaming and does not oppose, nor does it support, the Wynn Philadelphia Resort Proposal."

Wynn would not be bound by the Central Delaware Master Plan should he be granted the license.  If that happens, the city would place special casino zoning on the Richmond Street and Delaware Avenue parcel, which overrides underlying zoning, including the overlay.

Race Street Flows To The Sound of Music

In a few weeks on October 1, Philadelphia musician and sound designer Michael Kiley and his ensemble, The Mural and the Mint, will release Animina: A Race Street Pier Sound Walk.  Kiley used recorded sounds found along the river- including the train whistle, and wrote lyrics and music that play on themes related to the river, the pier, and the city's overarching goal for the pier and other Central Delaware projects, "Re-linking the city to the riverfront."

Artist: Michael Kiley

The music can be accessed through the use of a $.99 cell phone app and GPS technology.  The song changes while the listener walks from 2nd and Race streets in Old City to the end of the Pier and back again.  For example, the lyrics "In front of you/ at the end of the road/ is someone you once lost long ago," will be heard as " Is someone you once lost long ago/ in front of you/ at the end of the road" when the listener walks in the opposite direction.

The app's use of GPS limits user ability to requiring people to physically visit the Pier and Race Street Connector to fully experience Kiley's art. It forces users to visit the neighborhood to experience the art. The concept could prove successful, leading to future adaptations to other sites along the river.

Wynn Casinos Surprising Community Support

Members of the Olde Richmond Civic Association overwhelmingly in a 191-20 voted voiced their support for the proposed Wynn Resorts riverfront casino at 2055 Richmond Street.  Wynn likely appealed to the desire of the neighborhood to create a brand for itsELf while also offering beautiful public space, and unadulterated views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

In addition to 2,500 slot machines and 100 game tables, the resort will contain luxurious hotel suites, spa, restaurants, a 30,000-square foot nightclub, green space that includes a dog park, ice cream stand, skating rink and other features.  The $900 million Wynn Philadelphia casino would be the largest private development min the history of Pennsylvania.

Renaissance Plaza

The new plan for Renaissance plaza on Delaware Avenue involves a residential and retail complex developed by Carl Marks Real Estate.  The project will take the place of the former World Trade Center site proposed years ago.  The new proposal calls for shorter towers, more retail, and more green public space.  The complex is half the height of the 430 foot-tall proposal presented last summer. Architect Bill Alesker of Alesker & Dundon said the height changes and dramatically altered plan was due in part to feedback from civic organizations and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. In my personal opinion, the design could be more innovative and blend more seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhoods.  The architects are extremely bland and lazy when it comes to design, evident of all their previous work.  Short buildings can still be beautiful..... Always a let down Philadelphia.

Old proposal

Continuing on....... under this years proposal, the tallest of five towers is 240 feet.  The 1,411 units are mostly two bedrooms with two equal-sized master suites and one-bedroom units.  Rents are estimated to be about $1,800 to $3,300 per month.

The project would seek LEED Gold status, and would be built in five phases.  The developer is committed to building the first two buildings along with parking and public green space, and the other phases would follow, depending on demand.  Construction should start in Spring 2014, with a following 16 month timeline for the first phase.

Designers added a swath of landscaped public space to run through the property with hopes that it will draw people from the neighborhoods through the property, and down to the river.  Some roofs would offer additional green space.  The developers also hope that the early phases of the development will not only create demand for later phases, but would also spur other development along the Central Delaware.

Will The Navy Yard Stand on Its Own As Innovation Hub?

The Navy Yard has now reached its 10,000 jobs mark with more people working there than ever before, and appears to be on track to influence more companies to relocate to the neighborhood.  Part of its success is due to a buoyant technology business community, with some of that growth occurring at the expense of Center City.  Now many are asking if the Navy Yard can stand on its own.  Many have faith, but the biggest commitment will need to come in the form of infrastructure, in order to really see its full potential.  Read more at Technically Philly Here.

Three Project Get Approval By Philly Art Commission

On Wednesday three projects along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers received final approval by the Philadelphia Art Commission.

The first project calls for improvement at the Flat Rock Dam at the Manayunk Canal.  This project is overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation and the Philadelphia Water Department.  The dam is in imminent danger of collapse  and could be triggered by any level of flooding from minor to severe.  The dam has also stopped the flow of water in the canal allowing algae byproducts to flourish affecting the taste and odor of drinking water.  Fixing the trail will also make it better suited for recreational uses along with the trail.

A second Manayunk Canal project involves the construction of a new bridge connecting Lock St. to Venice Island.  the art commissioned piece is a sculptural piece that serves as seating for a new children's spray ground and is made of natural boulders, sourced from California, where the artist, Masayuki Nagase, lives.

Along the Delaware a second of a series of planned connectors linking the street grid, as prescribed in the Master Plan for the Central Delaware.  Artist Donald Lipski designed a pice for the Columbia Ave. connector which references Lenape origin myths and the animals associated with its three clans, the wolf, turkey, and turtle.  The connector connects the I-95 underpass to Penn Treaty Park, the site where William Penn signed a treaty with the Lenape.  The project involves better lighting, access, streetscaping, as well as the construction of another smaller park.

Lipski's project takes the form of Cavawood light stanchions guiding the way to the river.  Two lamppost will flank the entranceway to the underpass, one with a fiberglass wolf sculpture on top, and the other with a turkey.  At the opposite end a series of light poles attached to the backs of cast bronze turtles will lead into the park.

DRWC Chooses Hargreaves To Design Plan for Penn's Landing

PlanPhilly announced today the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation hired Hargreaves Associates to create a redevelopment plan for Penn's Landing.  Hargreaves has an extensive resume which includes the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London and Louisville's Waterfront Park.  The firm will cover issues of engineering, feasibility and design, all paid for under a $425,00 contract, funded with grant money from the William Penn Foundation.

Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger praised the firm as having a proven track-record in creating high-quality public spaces that will attract private development.  He also stated that this was another step in a very deliberate process to make connections from the city to the Delaware River, ultimately leading to the redevelopment of Penn's Landing and a significant return-on-investment for the city.

The study will look at land between Market and South streets and Front St. and the Delaware River.  In addition to the highway cap of I-95 the team will examine development of a six-acre site at Market Street, Redevelopment of the four-acre western and southern edges of the Marina Basin site with mid-rise residential, commercial and other uses, and extending the South Street pedestrian bridge to Penn's Landing.

The firm promised to strongly consider and use the feedback from community groups and citizens as to what they want to do when they are in the park space.

Read More Here at PlanPhilly

Is Future I-95 Park Worth Federal Funding?

We reported a few weeks ago about the proposed park over I-95 and Columbus Boulevard in Penn's Landing, and proponents have made it very clear as to how important a gesture of this scale is for both connecting the city to the waterfront and also serving as a visual gateway to the waterfront, one that is very much needed.  Large scaled gateways are visual markers for both tourists and citizens alike, just take for example our own Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a powerful procession leading from the City to the Park.  It also seemed like back then, the government had no problem tearing down neighborhoods for the sake of establishing and urban identity for our city.  In this case we are not asking to displace residents, only simply to mask the transportation eyesore that is I-95, and help transform the perception of Philadelphia residents' from thinking of the waterfront as a hard to reach not so desirable urban island to a cultural oasis full of opportunity and possibilities.

In this most recent push for a large scale public works project, the concern is not what existing structures or people need to be displaced or even the actual engineering of the project, It's a money issue.  A problem many of us are all to familiar with.  PennDOT experts say building the eight-acre park over I-95 and Columbus Boulevard from Walnut to Chestnut street would not be an issue for engineers and construction crews.  District 6 Engineer in charge of Design Chuck Davies doesn't think the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation would have much trouble getting a permit to build the structure that would allow people to walk from Front Street to the riverfront or hang out in-between. PlanPhilly reports that, justifying  the expense of transportation dollars for the highway's effect on the waterfront is going to be the central task.  The separation of a city from the waterfront is not commonly recognized as being a problem that requires mitigations.

The other problem with facing the project is fact that the partial cap currently in place still has a few decades of life left before it should need to be replaced, and the federal government will not provide transportation funds to replace the partial cap until needs to be replaced.  It is also not yet know whether or not the existing cap can be incorporated into the design of the new bridge.  The Central Delaware Master Plan calls for a much shorter timeline for the completion of the Penn's Landing project, expecting it to happen within 10 to 15 years, well before the current structure would need replacement. All in all the organizations biggest challenge will be to convince those in charge of federal money that there really is a connectivity problem, regardless of the many existing streets that lead to the waterfront.

Race Street Pump Station Transformation Begins

The new home of Philly Fringe and Philadelphia Live Arts Festival has begun its transformation from a 1903 riverfront pumping station into a 21st Century concert hall.  Resting on the corner of Race and Columbus Boulevard, the facility is conveniently located on the edge of Old City and accessible by public transit, foot, bike, and car.

The goal is to have the  new 240-seat theater, studio and offices complete for the 2013 Fall Fringe Festival (Sept. 6-21).  More amenities to come late Spring of 2014 are an indoor restaurant and bar, outdoor plaza space and further building restoration.  Currently workers are tearing out old pumps and shoring up the brick structure.  They will also be spraying the ceiling with six inches of material designed to both improve acoustics and provide insulation.

The festival will continue to host events in unique spaces around Philadelphia, but having a home-base allows Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe to become a year-round presence in Philadelphia.  This new expansion of the performance season allots for more opportunities for local productions and acts, like the possibility of mixed visual and performance arts installations on the waterfront, along the  pedestrian and bicycle trail, and even in some of the existing strip-malls, says President and Producing Director Nick Stuccio.

RFQ for 8 Acre Park Connecting City to Penn's Landing

The city of Philadelphia searches for engineers and designers to plan a n eight-acre park that would connect Penn's Landing to Center City by fully covering I-95 and Columbus Boulevard between Walnut and Chestnut streets, continuing on a gradual slope down to the water.  A rendering from the Master Plan for the Central Delaware shows a large lawn spanning from Front Street to the water offering a destination for outdoor films and a place to view fireworks and concerts.

The study will also consider:

• A large, mixed-use development in what is currently a Market street parking lot.  Additional space would be created by removing the Market Street scissor ramp structure.
• The extension of the South Street pedestrian bridge to the southwest corner of the great water basin.
• Mixed-use development, including residences and restaurant barges, in and around the basin.

Responses to the RFQ are due March 4, and the DRWC Board is expected to make a decision in April.  The engineering and design work will be done in two phases, with Phase I comprised mostly of engineering.  It will include structural plans for the I-95 Columbus boulevard cap, a circulation plan for transit, cars, bikes and pedestrians, and a conceptual design for the South Street pedestrian Bridge.  Phase I is to be completed toward the end of this summer, and once the board approves renderings and models for Phase II will be produced, which should be completed by early winter.

Request For Qualifications Link:

Penn Street Trail Construction

According to PlanPhilly, construction will begin next month on the Penn Street portion of the Central Delaware River trail.  The trail will stretch from the end of Spring Garden Street, along Delaware Avenue to Penn Street, through the SugarHouse Casino Parking lot connecting to the finished portion of the trail behind the casino, of which SugarHouse will take the responsibility of building according to the same standards and specs of the rest of the trail.

The trail includes separate paths for walkers and cyclists, separated by pavers, and protected from traffic by rain gardens and trees, grasses and shrubs.  Solar powered lamps will illuminate the pathway.  Also included in the park is a pocket park located in the triangle-shaped lot created where Penn street branches off of Delaware Avenue.

The project will be funded by a combination of grant money totaling $1.55 million from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the William Penn Foundation and city capital dollars.  DRWC is also seeking more grant money for the rain gardens, from the Philadelphia Water Department, freeing up funding for other projects.  Goals are set for a summer completion.

Delaware Riverfront Trail Updates

Owners of property along the Central Delaware waterfront would be encouraged, but not forced, to allow public access to the river if current language under consideration for a zoning overlay is adopted by city council.  The goal is to design the overlay so that, along with base zoning, it guides future development according to the principles of the Central Delaware Master Plan.  Key Master plan goals include: Mixed-use, mostly neighborhood-scale development with active ground-floor uses; public access to the waterfront and the creation of a multi-purpose trail, and extension of the street grid to the river.

The plan requires that developers and owners leave 50 feet between the river and any permanent structure.  Stream buffer legislation that would set a setback requirement on all rivers and streams is working its way through council.  if the final legislation doesn't change from current discussions, landowners could chose from a menu of ways to allow public access, including granting access while retaining control of the section of their property where the trail passes or selling that section of property to the city.

Current language now calls for a 100-foot cap on building height except where underlying zoning sets the height lower. The Philadelphia City planning Commission can grant exceptions allowing for additional height.  However, a bonus structure may be implemented , similarly to other parts of the zoning code, would include a chart establishing clear conditions that can be met to earn specific bonuses.  Give-back options could earn a developer more height.  This would allow the city to build the trail through a property would yield some increase.  Developers who paid for the construction of that trail or built it themselves according to the trail standards would get even more height.  The developers will know exactly what the bonus will be for granting height depending on how much open space his or her project has, affordable housing, apartment rentals, LEED certification, and infrastructure for transportation or art.

On another note, renderings for the Penn Street portion of the Central Delaware Waterfront were revealed DRWC planners at last Fridays meeting.  This section of the trail will connect a greenway on Spring Garden Street to the Central Delaware trail.  it will run north from Spring Garden on Delaware Avenue, turn onto Penn Street and into the SugarHouse Casino parking lot.  The Casino has agreed to to build the section of the trail through its parking lot, which will hook onto the existing trail the casino has built on the waterfront.

Key design elements include trail-side rain gardens, and a new kind of solar street lights where the wrapping of the pole is the solar collector.  The planning commission has approved materials for the trail, but must vote on other aspects, including curb relocations and traffic flow on Penn Street which is expected to take place in November.

Navy Yard Builds First Hotel

Photos courtesy of Erdy McHenry Architecture

The Courtyard by Marriott will be the first hotel to be constructed in Philadelphia's progressively emerging new business district, the Navy Yard.  Construction began earlier this week on the $34 million project set to be completed in late 2013.

The 99,000 square-foot five story hotel will offer 172 guest rooms, a restaurant, lounge, fitness center, and 2,000 square feet of meeting space.  The new hotel will dock itself at Rouse Boulevard and Intrepid Avenue, sporting an energy efficient design seeking LEED certification.  The hotel design by Erdy McHenry Architecture is being developed by Ensemble Hotel Partners LLC and Liberty Property Trust/ Synterra LP.

The exterior of the building at the guest rooms will be clad in a Composite Metal Panel rain-screen system, giving the building an ever changing skin that depends upon the time of day and amount of sunlight.  The exterior rain-screen creates a system to reduce the building's overall heat gain by using a series of sub-girts and custom aluminum clips to prevent transfer of heat to the building sub-framing.  The base of the building is comprised of a mix of aluminum storefront and porcelain wall tile that also extends up the vertical circulation towers.

Spring Garden Connector Project

Last week an RFP went out seeking a designer for the Spring Garden Connector project improvements.  The project goal is to make walking or biking from Northern Liberties to the waterfront a more pleasant experience.  Link for RFP  The connector project is part of two larger projects, the redevelopment of the Festival pier and the Spring Garden Greenway project.

The RFP will remain open for bids for four weeks, after which candidates will be interviewed.  The work will stretch from Delaware Avenue/ Columbus Boulevard to 2nd Street, with much of the project focused on the area beneath the huge I-95 overpass.  The design will have to take into consideration that the overpass is going to be redone in about five years as part of the Revive 95 project.  DRWC is hopeful that many of the elements can be stored for inspection, and then put back once the highway work is completed.

Source: PlanPhilly