A six-story, 143-unit mixed-use development at 113-29 Berkley Street in Germantown, Northwest Philadelphia, is going before the Civic Design Review. Designed by HDO Architecture, the new building will include commercial space on the ground floor…
This year, Philadelphia is about to say “Yes In My Back Yard” to new development on an unprecedented scale. Over the course of last year, the Department of Licenses and Inspections issued a slew of permit approvals that may result in the construction of approximately 10,000 new rental units, roughly triple the number of the average total per typical year. Moreover, during the same period, a total of 90 proposed developments went before the Civic Design Review (CDR) board, which makes non-binding suggestions for projects that meet certain criteria depending on size and location. The number roughly doubles the average yearly volume and has set a record for CDR submission history.
Last month, Philly YIMBY visited the site of a half-million-square-foot, 488-unit mixed-use complex planned at 700-30 North Delaware Avenue on the Delaware River waterfront in Northern Liberties, North Philadelphia. Designed by JKRP Architects, the complex will consist of two seven-story buildings, one spanning the east half of the lot at 700-30 North Delaware Avenue and another to the west at 711-35 North Front Street, with a retail-fronted pedestrian promenade between the two offering public space. While our recent site visit focused on the progress (or lack thereof) at the location, today we dig deeper into the design, its advantages, pitfalls, and still-extant opportunities for further improvement.
Last month, YIMBY shared the news of a four-story, 86-unit residential building being proposed at 448-56 Rhawn Street (aka 448-456 Rhawn Street) in Fox Chase, Northeast Philadelphia. Today we take a closer look at the development, which will rise across from the Fox Chase Station of the SEPTA Regional Rail. Designed by KCA Design Associates, the structure will contain 77,776 square feet of interior space and will offer 2,500 square feet of ground-level retail, as well as a garage with space for 48 cars and 30 bicycles.
Philly YIMBY recently posted a brief overview of a $60 million expansion proposed at the Penn Presbyterian Medical Center campus in University City, West Philadelphia. The main feature is an eight-story, 493,039-square-foot parking garage planned at 3800 Powelton Avenue. Designed and engineered by Pennoni and THA Consulting, the structure will roughly triple the amount of on-campus parking even while demolishing an existing four-story garage and reducing the total ground footprint used for parking. The project also involves the demolition of a seven-story treatment facility, as well as streetscape improvements and 6,460 square feet of new retail. Today we look at how the project shows that high-rise design benefits urban planning, no matter what function it takes, and why it may be a precursor to further development at the campus.
