Mayor Cherelle Parker’s vow to create or protect 30,000 items of housing throughout her first time period was among the many matters that Philadelphia’s planning director, Jessie Lawrence, mentioned throughout a Q&A session held by the Design Advocacy Group final week.
Lawrence additionally talked about planning the way forward for the Market East hall — you possibly can learn these remarks right here — in addition to potential stadium district developments, town’s Greyhound bus station, the vacant Roundhouse constructing, historic preservation coverage, the function of the Division of Planning and Growth, and different topics.
Listed here are a couple of of his feedback from final Wednesday’s discuss.
The stress of planning housing
Lawrence touted Parker’s hiring of a brand new chief housing and concrete growth officer, Angela Brooks, to spearhead the 30,000-unit plan. She comes from Chicago, the place she labored for an reasonably priced housing group, and has served as president of the American Planning Affiliation.
“We would have liked to be sure that we had some kind of presence in Metropolis Corridor with proximity to the mayor, to not solely be the senior housing advisor to the mayor at any given second, however to truly simply type of eat, sleep and dream about 30,000 items,” he mentioned.
Lawrence mentioned he was glad Brooks was taking management of the initiative, however that it will nonetheless maintain him busy as nicely. “By the point 30,000 items roll out, I’ll most likely have 30,000 extra grey hairs,” he joked.
He famous a current Middle Metropolis District report displaying that a lot of town’s newly constructed housing is in or close to town’s downtown core, and mentioned satisfying demand for houses might imply constructing extra tall multi-family buildings in Market East and surrounding areas.
Parker had initially mentioned she needed to see 30,000 reasonably priced items constructed over 4 years, however has since altered that aim to creating or preserving 30,000 houses, whether or not reasonably priced or not. It seems that a lot of that may include the federally funded Philadelphia Housing Authority renovating or “preserving” 20,000 current items.
Shifting on the Roundhouse
The town desires to take motion on the way forward for the previous police division headquarters on Race Avenue, often called the Roundhouse for its distinctive curved design, Lawrence mentioned.
Some residents say it ought to be preserved and transformed to a brand new use, whereas others level to the historical past of police brutality there or the potential problem of renovations as causes it ought to be demolished. Situated close to Chinatown, the constructing adjoins parking tons that could possibly be developed into housing towers.
“I don’t assume that there are any clear subsequent steps outlined so far as the place we need to go, however we undoubtedly see ourselves, possibly, looking for some growth proposals for it, whether or not that’s across the reuse of it or not,” Lawrence mentioned. “We all know what sort of asset we do have within the Roundhouse. We additionally know that it’s brutalist structure which may current some complexities in repurposing as nicely. We need to stay open to all of the alternatives.”
“Chances are high it’ll must be some kind of aggressive alternative” for redevelopment bids, he mentioned. “We count on to have a big dialog, to be sincere with you, as a result of it’s excessive time for it.”
“Due diligence” on bus station planning
Planners are additionally engaged on short- and long-term plans for town’s intercity bus terminal, which at the moment consists of a stretch of sidewalk alongside Spring Backyard Avenue close to Entrance Avenue in Northern Liberties.
The momentary terminal website has been criticized for its considerably distant location and for missing shelter and different facilities typical of Greyhound bus stations.
Lawrence famous that town final 12 months was making ready to put in a heated trailer on Entrance Avenue to function a ready room for passengers, however the challenge was suspended after complaints from close by residents. “We have been going to make some adjustments there to make that a bit bit extra snug, if you’ll,” he mentioned. “We’re attempting to navigate the group facet of it.”
Final 12 months town was awarded a grant to check doable places for a everlasting, indoor bus station close to Amtrak’s thirtieth Avenue Station. Lawrence didn’t provide any updates on how that’s going, however assured the viewers at Wednesday’s discuss that it stays a precedence.
“There are some options that we’re wanting into and doing our due diligence for, an interim and a everlasting website, but it surely actually is one thing that’s crucial to us, as a result of we don’t really feel like we are able to proceed in the way in which that we’re persevering with proper now,” he mentioned. “For a metropolis as large as we’re and outstanding as we’re, we actually must do higher than Entrance and Spring Backyard.”
The Philadelphia Parking Authority and metropolis’s Workplace of Transportation and Infrastructure Methods (OTIS) final 12 months floated the thought of utilizing a storage on 2nd Avenue in Outdated Metropolis because the bus station, however the concept drew intense opposition from close by companies and residents.
A “huge alternative” within the stadium district
● Amongst different feedback, Lawrence mentioned his division is engaged on an replace to town’s Complete Plan, which guides long-term growth, and can most likely launch it by the top of the 12 months. The newest model, known as Philadelphia 2035, was printed in 2011.
● He declined to touch upon the standing of a federally funded challenge to reconstruct the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, or of the plan to show the close by Household Court docket Constructing right into a resort, with a museum and Free Library facility to be constructed on an adjoining lot.
● Lawrence didn’t immediately reply a query concerning the standing of grasp planning for the stadium district in South Philly, however he famous the complexity of “untangling” possession of the world’s sprawling parking tons and different properties, and expressed enthusiasm for initiatives that may activate areas which are “considerably desolate” a lot of the time.
“It’s not simply the retail, it’s not simply … increasing Xfinity Stay, but it surely’s additionally bringing houses and beds — that’s the way you activate one thing, proper?” he mentioned. Xfinity Stay homes a mixture of eating places and sports activities bars near the stadium advanced’s three arenas.
He mentioned the world “presents an enormous alternative,” however there’s no concrete growth proposal but.
“We now have seen some very, very vivid photos and renderings, however all of that has to think about what it takes when it comes to [planning] these sorts of initiatives, whether or not it’s sure phased approaches, whether or not it understands the complexities of town ordinances and processes that go into that, and even simply ensuring that the Sixers and Comcast are able to play good whereas we’re all doing this, proper?” he mentioned.
Comcast Spectacor final 12 months launched a proposal to construct a $2.5 billion growth within the sports activities advanced over a decade. It might begin with new retail, eating places, a music venue and a resort, and later carry workplace buildings and houses.
● When requested a few plan to create a database of historic buildings, he talked about Treasure Philly, a challenge of the Historic Fee to protect cultural sources by documenting them and probably designating some as historic. Launched in 2023, it’s thus far centered on neighborhoods surrounding the intersection of Broad Avenue and Germantown and Erie avenues in North Philadelphia.
Critics of historic designation argue that it might probably drive up residence possession prices and property values, and result in displacement of lower-income households. Lawrence mentioned town must be delicate to these considerations.
“We want to consider what we’re preserving, however then what we’re additionally [providing] to folks that stay in these areas, strategies of preserving, as nicely,” he mentioned. “We most likely must be sure that they’ve the entry to do the issues, so far as residence repairs and belongings, ensuring that we’re not pricing out their capability to just do that.”
He was skeptical of the thought of tiered designation, which might permit various ranges of historic preservation necessities, however mentioned the demographics and entry to sources in several communities “must be thought of” as a part of preservation efforts.