2116 Chestnut; Apartment High-Rise Update

The soon to be completed high-rise rental at 2116 Chestnut will offer studios, 1 and 2 bedroom units, along with indoor parking, a dog run, car share, and bike storage.  Studios start at $1,700 per month and 1 bedrooms at $1,950 per month.

Marketed as resort style living, the fifth floor of 2116 Chestnut features a professionally  landscaped sun-deck with a spacious lawn, green roof, hot tub, lounge seating and a grilling area with outdoor kitchen.  Indoors residents can enjoy and entertainment suite featuring a catering kitchen and a club room. Also on this level is a state-of-the-art fitness center, business center with conference rooms and media room.

Paseo Verde Update

The transit oriented development designed by WRT in partnership with Jonathan Rose Companies and AMP, is progressing quite well and looks like it could be complete by the end of summer.  The 1.9-acre brownfield site sits adjacent to SEPTA's Temple University Station – the fourth busiest stop in the regional transit system.  The project consist of a mixed-use program focused on affordable and market-rate workforce housing.  Paseo Verde offers 120 units of sustainable housing for low and moderate income families, approximately 30,000 SF of ground floor retail and community services, commercial office space, and parking.

When completed, Paseo Verde will link residents, workers and students to one of the busiest transit stations outside of Center City, and will represent the culmination of a decade-long planning effort by APM to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood and successfully reintegrate the local community into both the neighboring Temple University campus, and the broader urban fabric beyond.

The project is designed to attain the highest levels of LEED for Homes and LEED for Neighborhood Development certification, and aims to serve as a model for sustainable redevelopment in neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

Morgan Hall; Temple University

Temple University's Morgan hall raises the skyline of North Philadelphia as it inches closer and closer to opening day.  The project will surely help user in a new age of vitality to the North Broad street corridor, pushing limits of the "unexpected" in North Philadelphia.

The $174 million, 736,000 square foot apartment complex features a beautifully understated (except for its hight) contemporary 27 story tower joined by a ten story dorm on the south end designed by MGA Partners.  The two dorms will contain at least 1,200 beds in 4-person suites and 20 singles.  There will also be dining facilities and new retail dining space in a separate building on North Broad Street and a courtyard in the middle of the complex.  The project is set to open July 2013.

Wanamaker Plaza North Tower Update

Temple University's housing options continue to grow as another project progresses on the 100 block of Cecil B. Moore Ave.  The site that will soon be new student housing was once formerly the John Wanamaker Middle School.

Once complete, the $100 million project developed by the Goldenberg Group will sit 14-stories tall at 214 feet, adding 832 beds for Temple students.  The apartments will be ready for the fall of 2014.

Goldtex Building Update

The Post Brother's Goldtex apartment conversion project is moving along smoothly after setbacks in 2012 by Philadelphia labor unions delayed progress.  The building will be complete with 168 loft apartment units, roof terrace and pool, parking for 50% of its residents, and a few other special perks.  Construction should be complete later this summer.

The Grove at Cira Center South

Cira Center South is finally moving forward.  Demo of what was left from the former demolition began a few months ago on the Narrow parcel on the Chestnut Street side of the project.  The future building, called the Grove at Cira Center South, will be the product of a partnership between Brandywine Realty Trust and Campus Crest Communities. 

The 33 story tower will contain units for 850 residents in apartments (not including guest) with rents starting at $1300/mo and costing $158.5 million. Brandywine expects Drexel students as well as Penn students will live in the tower.  The building will draw students toward the campus neighborhood and away from the West Philly and Center City housing.

Brooklyn Flea Travel Downstream to Philly

The famous Brooklyn Flea, going into its 5th year in Brooklyn, has decided a few months ago to spread its wings to its southern brother Philadelphia.  Brooklyn Flea has become a staple in the city, making one of the coolest places to spend time on a weekend.  Heavily focused on curation, the market features everything from antiques, vintage clothing, handmade goods, jewelry, and food.  Co-Founders Jonathan Butler and Eric Demby plan to provide a broad representation of all those categories, but make it local and discover the many great vendors in the Philly area and pull them into that model.

On Sunday, June 2nd, the weekly Brooklyn Flea Philly will debut at the Piazza in Northern Liberties.  Jared tells Philly Post, he sees the Piazza as a center of cultural energy, and feels its the perfect place for the brand to try its first geographic expansion.  Check their site out Here