thrive - Philadelphia2035

THRIVE
implementation update
The year is 2015, and Philadelphia is thriving.
Here are some recent developments and initiatives that best represent how the City of Philadelphia
has recently been achieving the goals of the Philadelphia2035 Comprehensive Plan within the
THRIVE theme.
Making it Happen
THRIVE
Land Use
> Neighborhoods
> Economic Development
> Land Management
> Benefits and Partnerships
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DIST #
Making Neighborhood Centers Happen
COMMUNITY-SERVING PUBLIC FACILITIES
Philadelphia2035 promotes strong and well-balanced neighborhood
centers where community serving public facilities are clustered together.
In the South District Plan that was just adopted by the Planning
Commission, one of the focus areas was the Municipal Complex.
Recommendations here include fire station relocation, new pedestrian
connections, new mixed-use residential and senior housing, streetscape
beautification, and other improvements.
In the most recent capital budget, there is a $1 million allocation for a
Facilities Master Plan to guide future investments in public safety
facilities, such as police and fire department buildings.
CW 1.1.1
STH 9
Making Neighborhood Centers Happen
VIABLE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS
The commercial corridors of the city are being revitalized with new retail
options and storefront improvements.
Nowhere is this revitalization more evident than downtown along East
Market Street, where the former Snellenburg department store has been
razed and the new Girard Square complex is under construction. This
development is to be a 17-story mostly residential tower with first floor
retail oriented around a mid-block pedestrian walkway.
BLT Architects
CW 1.1.2
CTR 11
Also along East Market Street,
the top-to-bottom renovation of
the Gallery is in progress. Highend retail outlets, high profile
sidewalk cafes, and a steel and
glass façade along Market Street
will bring new life to this part of
Center City.
BLT Architects
Making Neighborhood Centers Happen
VIABLE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS
Neighborhood commercial corridors are also thriving outside Center City.
Along the Delaware River waterfront at the base of the Frankford Ave
commercial corridor of Fishtown, the Fillmore Philadelphia, a $32 million
entertainment complex, is under construction. This multi-stage music
venue facility will be run by the House of Blues Entertainment division of
Live Nation, and the complex will also include a comedy club, bowling
alley, distillery, and restaurant.
Fillmore Philadelphia
CW 1.1.2
CNE98
In Northeast Philadelphia, PCPC
staff are working with local and
city partners to develop a
business association for
Cottman & the Blvd, which
includes the Roosevelt Mall
area.
Brixmor Property Group
Making Neighborhood Centers Happen
VIABLE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS
In West Philadelphia along the Baltimore Avenue commercial corridor,
4224 Baltimore Ave is a major redevelopment project underway with
ground floor retail and approximately 100 residential units.
In the Lower North district, the Philadelphia Housing Authority plan to
redevelop the Sharswood neighborhood as part of the Choice
Neighborhood Initiative includes revitalizing the commercial corridor of
Ridge Ave.
U3 Ventures
CW 1.1.2
LNO 1
WHYY
Making Neighborhood Centers Happen
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
In addition to commercial corridors, Philadelphia2035
looks to make neighborhood centers happen with transit
oriented development.
CW 1.1.3
CTR 17
As part of comprehensive neighborhood-based
remapping, Planning Commission staff has worked to
rezone targeted areas adjacent to the Market-Frankford
and Broad Street lines to higher densities.
Making Neighborhood Centers Happen
ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD
Strong neighborhood centers provide convenient access
to healthy food for all residents.
Healthy food access includes neighborhood community
gardens, which are allowed and protected in the new
zoning code.
Liberty Lands Community Garden (pictured) and other
preserved gardens have been rezoned to open space to
ensure continuity of use and community benefit.
CW 1.1.4
WP 37
CTR 23
Krista Rossow
Making Housing Happen
HOUSING QUALITY AND DIVERSITY
The housing priorities of
Philadelpia2035 reflect the
desire to have quality housing
choices that strengthen the
fabric of all neighborhoods,
with the goal of improving the
quality and diversity of new
and existing housing.
Second Law
CW 1.2
USW 6
CNE 5
LNE 7
LNW 5
One way PCPC has worked to stabilize the existing housing stock has been through
neighborhood rezoning that preserves the existing character and density of single-family
neighborhoods throughout the city.
The reuse and retrofit of existing buildings is prioritized, as seen in the redevelopment of the
historic Divine Lorraine, which is underway thanks to City and other funding sources.
Making Housing Happen
HOUSING QUALITY AND DIVERSITY
Another housing objective is to ensure that a wide mix of quality housing is available
to residents of all income and ability levels. Public housing has been redesigned to
reduce concentrations of poverty and provide a higher quality of life for residents by
replacing residential towers with smaller scale developments.
Accessible housing options are being developed to benefit all Philadelphians. This
includes the JBJ Soul Homes and the Fairthorne.
PHA
CW 1.2
USW 6
CNE 5
LNE 7
LNW 5
Newsworks
Project HOME
Making Economic Centers Happen
METROPOLITAN CENTER
Economic development is critical to a thriving city.
After decades of disinvestment, Philadelphia is
experiencing an economic resurgence.
Philadelphia2035 recommends ways to reinforce the
city’s many unique urban assets and advance
Philadelphia’s position as a globally competitive
component of the Northeast Megaregion. The
Metropolitan Center of Philadelphia is made up of
the Center City and University City area, and is the
core employment center for the city. A number of
high profile buildings have recently been completed
or are under construction in the Metropolitan Center,
adding to the city’s employment and tax base.
The new Family Court building
recently opened at 15th & Arch.
This 670,000-square-foot
facility has 15 floors above
ground as well as three floors
of below-ground parking.
The new Comcast Innovation and Technology
Center is under construction. When completed,
this building at 1,121 feet will be the tallest
structure in the city, and the eighth-tallest in the
country.
CW 2.1.1
CTR 17
AECOM
Comcast
Making Economic Centers Happen
METROPOLITAN CENTER
A number of major hotel buildings
are soon to be developed in Center
City, including SLS International
Hotel and Residences at Broad and
Spruce streets, as well as the
Element and W Hotels planned for
15th and Chestnut Streets.
KPF Associates
CW 2.1.1
CTR 17
Brook Lenfest
Making Economic Centers Happen
METROPOLITAN CENTER
The University City part of Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Center continues to see rapid growth.
The Cira Center South complex is under construction along the Schuylkill River waterfront on the site of the former US Post Office Annex and includes the
residential tower evo, a parking garage with rooftop park, and the 49-story mixed use FMC Tower.
The University City Science Center continues to expand, and is expected to more than double in size over the next ten years. One of the newest buildings
in the Science Center is the PennMedicine facility at 3737 Market Street, a 330,000-square-foot building.
CW 2.1.1
CTR 17
Brandywine Realty Trust
Halkin Mason Photography
Making Economic Centers Happen
METROPOLITAN CENTER
Drexel University has been undergoing a major campus expansion in
recent years, including the under construction Lebow College of
Business building designed by Robert A.M. Stern.
Also under construction is Pennovation Works, a complex of offices,
production space, a business incubator and laboratories located along
the Schuylkill River at the intersection of 34th Street and Grays Ferry
Avenue.
Drexel University
CW 2.1.1
CTR 17
University of Pennsylvania
Making Economic Centers Happen
REGIONAL CENTERS
PIDC
Inga Saffron
Outside the Metropolitan Center, Philadelphia is
experiencing growth in its Regional Centers. The
Philadelphia Navy Yard, now a 1200 acre
business campus with 12,000 employees, has
grown over the past few years with a number of
new office and hotel buildings, and two major
projects have just broken ground.
CW 2.1.2
LS 20
This includes a new 94,000 square foot office
building designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and a
five-acre park designed by James Corner Field
Operations.
Bjarke Ingels Group
INDUSTRIAL LAND
ADEQUATE INDUSTRIALLY-ZONED LAND
Philadelphia2035 supports the city’s
rich industrial economy with a twopronged approach. First, priority
industrial lands that are wellpositioned to support modern industry
are targeted for continued growth and
development in order to ensure an
adequate supply of industrially-zoned
land.
PIDC
CW 2.2.1
LNO 3
LS 36
Philadelphia continues to support the growth of its
manufacturing industry. Dietz & Watson is undergoing a $50
million expansion of their manufacturing facility and corporate
headquarters in Northeast Philadelphia. A land transfer plan
was created to allow Dietz & Watson to acquire 20 acres to
expand their plant, while another 23 acres along the waterfront
were preserved for a public park and boat launch.
Dietz & Watson
INDUSTRIAL LAND
REPOSITIONED FORMER INDUSTRIAL SITES
In formerly industrial neighborhoods, many older industrial buildings have been converted to mixed-use
developments. This includes the recent renovation of Oxford Mills, a former dye works factory in South
Kensington, into a mixed use complex geared towards educators and nonprofits, as well as Memphis
Flats, a residential retrofit of a former baseball factory in Fishtown that was just rezoned for mixed use.
The second approach is to
transition scattered and
obsolete industrial sites to
other productive land uses.
Grace and Glory
CW 2.2.2
Domani
INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Philadelphia is home to numerous world-class universities,
hospitals, and other institutions, and growing these job
sectors is a vital part of the city’s long-term economic
development.
The recently completed campus master plan for Temple
University recommends signature projects such as a new
library and an academic quad at the core of Main Campus.
SmithGroupJJR
CW 2.3
LNW 8
PCPC staff is currently working with
Philadelphia University, their consultant, and
the East Falls community to help develop a
long term master plan for that campus as
well, that will allow the university to grow
while balancing the interests of the adjacent
East Falls residential community.
Making TOURISM Happen
Performances in Public Spaces
Spruce Street Harbor Park
Tangle Movement Arts
CW 2.4
DRWC
Making Land Management Happen
MANAGE AND REDUCE VACANCY
Cope Linder Architects
CW 3.1
LNE 17
In the Frankford neighborhood, PCPC staff and
local partners have created the Destination
Frankford project. This is an arts-based
initiative to creatively repurpose vacant land
and buildings through a pop-up gallery, public
space, and distinctive signage.
Along North Broad Street, the proposed
redevelopment of the Divine Lorraine and
adjacent vacant land will bring new life into
this corridor that has long faced vacancy and
neglect.
Making Land Management Happen
MANAGE AND REDUCE VACANCY
The Philadelphia Land Bank was created to in order to have a strategic and coordinated city process to efficiently handle acquisition, maintenance,
and sale of vacant properties.
This year, a number of important steps were taken to implement the Land Bank. The Land Bank Strategic Plan was released, and contractors were
selected for research, insurance, and other services. The Land Bank Board holds open public meetings monthly and has adopted bylaws, a budget, and
disposition policies.
CW 3.1
The first Land Bank parcels were advertised
for disposition this year, and they are gearing
up for second year of implementation.
Philadelphia Land Bank
Making Land Management Happen
PROTECTION OF SENSITIVE LANDS
Another goal of land management is to
protect sensitive lands from overdevelopment.
This includes flood-prone areas. FEMA
has just released new flood maps, and
PCPC staff is working with the
Philadelphia Water Department and
other agencies to inform residents and
enforce floodplain regulations.
The northwest section of the city contains large
undeveloped areas, and PCPC staff is working to
rezone this area in order to protect its rural character
and sensitive landscape.
CW 3.2
LNW 10
Making Land Management Happen
MANAGEMENT OF CITY SUPPORT FACILITIES
Lastly, effective land management also means locating and managing
municipal support facilities efficiently.
In West Philadelphia, the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance Company
at 4601 Market Street is being converted into the City of Philadelphia
Public Safety Services Campus, which will hold the Police Administration,
the Medical Examiner’s Office and Morgue, and the Department of Public
Health Labs. This property will soon be going to Civic Design Review. This
adaptive re-use is being designed to achieve a LEED Silver rating or higher,
which will reduce energy costs, and is located right next to the 46th stop of
the El. Consolidating these and other public services on one campus will
greatly reduce facility operational costs, leading to savings for the City
over the long term.
CW 3.3
CTR 6
USW 12
Achieving Interrelated Benefits
THRIVE , CONNECT, and RENEW to improve…
Economy
Health
Environment
Tax Base
Property Values
Land Utilization
State of Good Repair
Travel Times
Poverty
Access
Safety
Affordability
Chronic Disease
Obesity
Air Quality
Water Quality
Resilience
Energy Efficiency
Making it Happen with Partnerships
City Council
Commerce
Finance and Budget
Historical Commission
Housing Authority
Licenses & Inspections
MDO
MOTU
OHCD
Parks and Recreation and more...
PIDC
Property Assessment
Public Health
Public Property
Redevelopment Authority
Streets/Sanitation
Sustainability
Water
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Making it Happen
> Phila2035.org