Blemenfeld's High School Campus

Here are a few preliminary master plan drawings by EB Realty showing Eric Blumenfeld's ambitios plan to convert his vacant parcels next to the Divine Lorrain into an educational campus that would combine four nearby high schools into one green campus.  Combining the schools would in theory save millions in maintenance fees and operational capacity.  It would also create new vocational focus on hospitality, culinary arts and technology, with partnerships with restauranteurs Starr and Vetri.  in exchange for developing this new educational campus, Blumenfeld would purchase the former high school buildings and turn them into housing.  The campus would host 4 high schools, shared library and technology center, Starr School of Hospitality, Vetri School of Culinary Art with teaching kitchen, shared athletic center, shared Visual Arts Complex, Shared Performing Arts Center with Koresh Dance Company, Daycare Center, 76ERS training facility and parking, and new Septa Station entrances.

This project, if materialized would indeed misplace a few residence, (granted they should be bought out at fair market rates if needed or given first priority to affordable housing in nearby neighborhood developments), but would be an anchor institution this section of Broad St. needs.  The neighborhood needs an institution the community can expand on, one that is key to empowering future Philadelphian's, unlike Blatstein's Casino proposal down the road.

 I don't fully disagree with Blatstein's proposal, I think it needs to be planned a lot better and the way it connects and benefits the immediate surrounding communities needs to be considered.  Tax generation for the city and state is one thing but being a positive contribution to the community on a more direct level is more important. A casino in Center City is the best option compared to remote Delaware Ave. or the Sports Complex, but at street level it should not feel like another convention center or mega AC Casino structure with very few windows to the street.  The rooftop village is unique, but is it the best solution?  A ground floor mall with restaurants, jazz and comedy club opening to the street with a concealed interior casino with no main entrance to the street would be more appropriate.  And for the rooftop village, a more tasteful elaboration of the Towers beautiful architecture, growing at an undulating height of 3 to 5 stories in certain areas along the roof line with spas, pools, gardens, and private villas would look a lot better from the street.  I am all for big development in Philadelphia, but like we say in design, there is always room for improvement.

Philadelphia Mormon Temple Receives Final Approval

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, new Philadelphia Temple to be built on the 1700 block of Vine Street received final approval Wednesday, from the Art Commission.  The applicants addressed questions from their previous appearance before the Commission regarding the need for more information on the site's stormwater management, greater details on a lighting scheme, specific articulation of materials used on the facade, and landscaping. there is no new date set on completion of the project, but taking a note from their former 2014 completion date, I would expect sometime in Spring of 2015.

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.

Favela Painters Decorate Philadelphia

Haas & Hahn, two mural artists famous for painting the Favela's of Brazil, make their mark in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. The artists joined forces with the city's Mural Arts Program with whom they will spend a year with transforming one of Philadelphia's oldest commercial corridors, currently in a state of neglect, into a vibrant display of color and geometry, bringing a colorful shot of inspiration to this part of the city.

The artists took up residence in North Philadelphia where they have started work on four city blocks of community collaborative designs.  The beautiful transformation can be seen as you round the bend of Germantown Avenue after W Cumberland Street approaching Lehigh Avenue. The grander scope of the project will stretch from the 2500 block to the 2800 block of Germantown Ave.   Many residents along with the Philadelphia Commerce Department recognize the potential of a major project like this to spread and nourish optimism and serve as a catalyst for additional positive change and commercial potential.  The painters involved are a crew of 7 including 2 team leaders Felix St. Fort and Jared Wood who are trained and paid through the Mural Arts Program, working full time.  An additional crew of youths are paid by the Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS).  In addition, a group of eight participants from Restorative Justice paint one day a week.

The design process requires each store-owner to sign off on a color scheme drawn from 35 color pallets and patterns extensively researched and photographed, locally, by the artists.   The artists captured important images of the neighborhood and ultimately developed a color pallet based on patterns of recurring primary and secondary hues that reflect the neighborhood and the city's quintessentially rich and complex character.  Local residents and business owners are genuinely pleased with the project, often times praising the artist and painters for their hard work and for choosing their community to perform an art installation of this magnitude.  Metropolis MAG hales this project as a bold social intervention, introducing an element of uniformity that will knit the commercial corridor into a harmonious, marketable entity.

This remarkable effort required the collaboration of the Mural Arts with a range of funding and civic partners.  A larger economic development strategy, spearheaded by Darrell Clarke, has also engaged the city's Department of Commerce and the Planning Commission.  Other crucial partnerships involved the Village of Arts and Humanities who is hosting the artist's residency, Diane Bridges of NET CDC, and others who are critical to building trust within the community.

Philly Painting Episode 2: Design Process from Philly Painting on Vimeo.

Find more at Muralarts.org

A Touch of Provence France on North Broad

Bart Blatstein could have chosen a number of historic destinations to model his proposed entertainment complex after from Spain, Morocco, Greece or France.  Although the Tower building draws influences from the Spanish Gibraltar bell tower, Blatstein sought inspiration from the French region of Provence, in south eastern France, a place full of Greek and Italian influences.

The former Inguirer/Daily News building and adjacent lands will be transformed into a $700 million palatial resort and entertainment complex in the heart of Philadelphia.  Blatstein stressed that the project is much more than a casino, it is an entertainment complex, one such typology that is rare in Philadelphia.  The project would be adorned with a rooftop shopping street with French flourishes, a 125 room hotel, 3000 slot machines, 150 table games, two swim clubs, a jazz club, a comedy club, a theater, and a botanical garden.  The casino would be on the site of what is now a parking lot between 15th and 16th street on Callowhill.  A 125- room hotel will go inside the iconic office tower on Broad. The rendering even consider gardens surrounding the I-676 on ramps.

News Works reports Blatstein says, the plan would create thousands of jobs and generate $25 million in tax revenues once it is open.  He also ensure that the project, designed by Steelman Partners of Las Vegas, will be built all at once, with no plan B in sight.  It's all or nothing for the big developer who believes this is the biggest project he will ever do.  The casino portion will be operated by Hard Rock International.

All of this will only be possible if Tower Investments is awarded the second casino license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board after the submission deadline of Nov. 15.  Until then, its still another "Big City Dream", at least one that is appropriate, arguably so.

Drexel University Construction update

The LeBow College of Business is moving along swiftly with a September 2013 completion date put forth.  Designed by Robert A.M. Stern in conjunction with Voith & Mactavish Architects, this $87.5 million, project will house all the LeBow College of Business programs, replacing the 1960s-era Matheson Hall building.  The 12-story business center at the heart of the Drexel University campus will unite the College's various constituencies around a five-story-high atrium ringed by classrooms, student lounges, events spaces, and offices.

The Chestnut Square Development, developed by American Campus Communities is also moving along well. It too has a September 2013 completion date and was designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects in conjunction with Voith & Mactavish Architects.  The $97 million student housing community and mixed-use project consist of a 19- story residential tower at the corner of Chestnut and 32nd streets and two eight-story buildings fronting Chestnut Street.  The buildings together will add 865 student beds and 25,000 sg.ft. of new retail space on Chestnut Street.

New Pennsylvania Ballet Building Progresses On

PhillyShark brought to you a while ago the move of the Pennsylvania Ballet to 321 N. Broad Street.  The project continues to progress on with demolition complete and construction underway.

The $17.5 million project will feature five dance studios, offices, and facilities for a soon to return School of the Pennsylvania Ballet.