A new and a renovated park will enhance the south side of Center City

The neighborhoods on the lower end of Center City are some of the most crowded neighborhoods in downtown.  Graduate Hospital (west of Broad) and Hawthorne (just east of Broad) have very little open green space.  But both neighborhoods are about to see the addition of attractive and functional parks.  In Graduate Hospital, it is the renovation of Julian Abele Park, at 22nd and Carpenter Streets, and in Hawthorne it is the creation of an entirely new park, at 12th and Catharine Streets, called simply enough Hawthorne Park.

Julian Abele Park opened in 2008, on the site of an empty lot on 22nd Street, between Montrose and Carpenter Streets.  It currently consists of a grass lawn, some benches, a wooden fence, and some old-fashioned lights.  The park is named after famed architect Julian Abele, the first African-American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture, who designed the Central Library and Family Courts Building on the Ben Franklin Parkway; the original campus of Duke University in North Carolina; and originally thought of the concept of the current Philadelphia Museum of Art Building.  There is a large mural on the side of one of the two rowhomes, that line the east side of the park, dedicated to Abele and his legacy.

There were always plans by the South of South Neighborhood Association (SOSNA) and the Friends of Julian Abele Park to have a more extensive and useful design for community activities.  After years of meetings (I was at the original community meeting for the park in 2007), the community members settled on a plan that would create a small stage along the eastern edge of the park, with benches along a curved path in the middle of the park, a couple of tables with chairs, trees, flowers, shrubs, and a trellis over some of the benches closest to 22nd Street.  Most of the space would be a lawn with room for people to view the stage.  There would be two paths leading to the sidewalk at the corners of 22nd & Montrose and 22nd & Carpenter and a service alleyway on the eastern side, behind the stage, for maintenance vehicles.  The sides would have a wrought iron fence, along the sidewalk, on all three sides.  The most interesting feature, however, would be a stone gate, on the 22nd & Carpenter corner entrance, that would resemble the Duke University Chapel, which Abele designed.  This gate is designed by artist Chris Wheeler (not the Phillies announcer, however).  As if all this isn’t enough, a developer has proposed replacing the rowhome with the Julian Abele mural with a modern four-storey apartment building with a cafe on the first floor that would have outdoor seating facing the park.  That plan sounds cool, but would mean the elimination of the mural.  It’s not certain if they could repaint the mural somewhere nearby or not.  Anyway, the construction of the park improvements are scheduled to begin in July.

Hawthorne Park is entirely new and is currently under construction at 12th and Catharine Streets, in the middle of the Hawthorne neighborhood east of Broad.  The name Hawthorne comes from the school, named after poet Nathaniel Hawthorne, at 12th and Fitzwater Streets (the school is now luxury condos).  The park site was once part of the Martin Luther King Homes, a highrise housing project that was imploded in 1999 and rebuilt with low-rise townhouses.  The park will be surrounded by those rowhomes on the north and west sides, across the street along two side streets.  The park was part of the original plan for the redevelopment of the housing project, which just completed its final phase.  The Philadelphia Housing Authority, later, considered selling the land to raise some cash during a previous budget crunch, but complaints from neighborhood residents and some elected officials caused them to reconsider and planning for the park began a few years ago (I was, also, at one of the first community meetings for that).  The landscape architects for Hawthorne Park are Lager Raabe Skafte and the cost is approximately $2.2 million.

The new park will have several brick paths amidst a grass lawn.  The pathways will have stone walls along some parts that will act as seating areas.  Part of the park and paths will be raised for possible neighborhood events and performances visible from the lawn in the middle of the park.  There will be granite stairs at the corner of 12th and Catharine and a low wall along part of the sidewalk.  The park will have benches, lighting, and trees and shrubs.  And like with Julian Abele Park, Hawthorne Park will have a wonderful view of the Center City skyline.  Construction is well underway for Hawthorne Park and should be done within the next few months.

Both these parks are in areas that are experiencing a lot of new development and seem likely to add to that development by increasing demand in these areas.  There are numerous townhouses being built near Julian Abele Park, not to mention plans to renovate the large Frankford Chocolate Factory, at 22nd Street and Washington Avenue, into apartments.  There are, also, several townhouses and small apartment buildings being built near Hawthorne Park, which is also a block away from 777 South Broad Street and a couple blocks from a proposed new apartment development at Broad and South Streets.  This crowded area of the city has seen several other park developments in recent years, including the soon to be expanded Schuylkill River Park, a nice playground at 15th and Catharine Streets, and a new spray park at 10th and Lombard Streets.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home or investment property (houses or condos) in these neighborhoods, feel free to contact me at gabriel@thecondoshops.com or check out my Facebook realtor page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or my Twitter page, @GabrielGPhilaRE.  Also, you can find nearby listings and neighborhood information on our Condo Shop website, www.thecondoshops.com, our Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, or our Condo Shop Twitter page, @The_Condo_Shop, not to mention our snazzy new Pinterest page.  Also, you can look at the links that I have to the Friends of Julian Abele Park and Lager Raabe and Skafte’s website and my pictures of the parks below.

Aerial rendering of Hawthorne Park

Rendering of entrance of Hawthorne Park, @ 12th & Catharine Streets, shows granite steps

Rendering of activity in the middle of Hawthorne Park

New Hawthorne Park, from Fawn & Catharine Streets

View of Hawthorne Park, from 12th & Catharine Streets, shows MLK townhomes and city skyline

New granite stairs and brick pathway leading from 12th & Catharine Streets

New brick pathway, with granite curb, leads into Hawthorne Park from 12th Street

Looking south on 12th Street, towards the new Hawthorne Park

Former Nathaniel Hawthorne School, now condominiums

New playground on Catharine Street, near 15th Street

Rendering of Julian Abele Park plan

Monumental gate to Julian Abele Park @ corner of 22nd and Carpenter

Rendering of proposed building @ 2132 Montrose Street

View of Julian Abele Park, from 22nd & Carpenter Streets, shows mural and city skyline

View of Julian Abele Park, from 22nd & Montrose Streets

View of Julian Abele Park, from Montrose Street, looking southwest

Looking west, into Julian Abele Park, from Carpenter Street

Mural dedicated to architect Julian Abele

Plan of Julian Abele Park improvements, seen on this board on 22nd Street

New development on the 2100 block of Carpenter Street, adjacent to Julian Abele Park

New housing and retail development makes a new Chestnut Street gateway for Drexel

Drexel University has broken ground on yet another new development on the western end of its campus.  This development is at 32nd & Chestnut Streets and will be a large student housing and retail development, surrounding the existing Creese Student Center and MacAlister Hall, known as Chestnut Square.  It will feature two eight-storey student apartment buildings, along Chestnut Street stretching to 33rd Street, and a 19-storey student apartment building, at the corner of 32nd & Chestnut.  The first and second floors will be the retail floors, naturally, and will include eateries, shops, and a new entrance to the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore at 33rd & Chestnut.  The buildings will be clad in limestone and inside will have 865 beds for students, as well as, a lounge, fitness center, laundry, and game room.

Chestnut Square is being developed by Drexel in a partnership with American Campus Communities.  This is the first such partnership for Drexel with a major private developer.  Drexel is, however, considering more, and larger, such developments with Brandywine Realty Trust near 30th Street Station.  Brandywine is, already, developing the Cira Center, which may start its second phase soon, on Chestnut and Walnut Streets, since Brandywine has recently refinanced debt and put themselves in a better credit position to seek construction loans.  Chestnut Square will cost $97.6 million and is being designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Voith & Mactavish Architects, LLP.  It will be a total of 361,200 square feet and should be completed by the Fall 2013 semester, after having broken ground this last February.

As stated earlier, the development will surround the existing Creese Student Center.  There will be a gap between the two eight-storey buildings that will consist of a courtyard and entrance to the Student Center and the Mandell Theatre, and the other sides of modernist MacAlister Hall, at the 33rd and Chestnut corner, will remain unchanged.  The retail helps to animate the spaces on Chestnut Street and brings much needed nighttime activity to Chestnut Street and this general area.  Readers of my blog know, however, that this isn’t the only development in the area.  Drexel is building a large highrise building for the Lebow College of Business, on Market Street, and just finished up the Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, across from the Creese Student Center, on Chestnut.  These buildings both have small eateries on the ground level.  Drexel, also, expanded the Daskalakis Athletic Center, a couple of years ago, with a large gym facing Market Street and a restaurant at the corner of 34th & Market Streets.  The university is close to closing a deal for a much larger housing and retail development at 34th Street and Lancaster Avenue.  That intersection could certainly use redevelopment, as it is dominated by a 7-11, with a parking lot in front, and a nondescript lab building and parking lot across the street.  Also, the University of Pennsylvania is planning new dorms on Chestnut Street, between 33rd & 34th Streets, that would surround Hill Field and include first floor retail on all sides, and the University City Science Center is planning a large new research and office building at 34th & Market Streets that will, also, include new retail.  I’ll have more info about all these projects when more details become available.

If you are thinking about buying, selling, or renting a home or investment property in the neighborhoods surrounding the constantly developing universities west of the Schuylkill River, feel free to contact me at gabriel@thecondoshops.com or check out my Facebook realtor page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or my twitter page, @GabrielGPhilaRE.  And you should check out our Condo Shop website, www.thecondoshops.com, our Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, and our Condo Shop twitter page, @The_Condo_Shop, for our latest listings and more information about Philadelphia neighborhoods.  We’ve, also, started posting pictures of our listings and buildings on Pinterest, under our name, The Condo Shop.

You can find out more about Chestnut Square at the Drexel website, here, and view my pictures of the site and renderings, below.

Rendering of Chestnut Square, from 32nd Street, shows 19-storey tower in front

Rendering of Chestnut Square, from 33rd Street, shows Barnes & Noble campus bookstore and MacAlister Hall

Courtyard at Chestnut Square

Full view of Chestnut Square site along Chestnut Street

Chestnut Square site, from 33rd Street, shows MacAlister Hall and Barnes & Noble campus bookstore

Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building, across the street from Chestnut Square....the new Lebow Building is just beyond, both on a new walkway across from Chestnut Square

Chestnut Square site, looking east down Chestnut Street towards Center City

Luxury apartments, in once-derelict buildings, could be a turning point for the Delaware waterfront

Two large industrial buildings, on Delaware Avenue at Brown Street, are being renovated into luxury apartments and promise to move the transformation of the Delaware River waterfront to a new level.  The two buildings are the eight-storey former warehouses commonly known as 700 North Delaware Avenue.  The new development is called Waterview Grande and will be a mix of the aforementioned luxury apartments, parking, and some much needed retail for the area.

The two buildings are about 80 years old and were used as cold storage facilities for most of their time.  In recent decades, parts of the buildings were used as part of Delaware Avenue’s nightclub district and included the Eighth Floor Dance Club, on the eighth and top floor of the northerly building, and a billiards hall on the first floor.  About six years ago, a developer bought the site and planned to demolish the buildings and build highrises, but that didn’t happen because of the recession and national financial crisis.  The new owner of the site, and developer of Waterview Grande, is Core Realty, owned by developer Michael Samschick.  Samschick is planning a much larger series of developments on the neighboring blocks, that he is preliminarily calling Penn Treaty Village, which would include a mix of housing, retail, hotels, and entertainment.  Waterview Grande is the first step in that development, and could very likely create the demand that would lead to other such development.

Waterview Grande will have 192 apartments, about 200 parking spaces, and approximately 50,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.  The retail could include a cafe, with outdoor seating, in a courtyard between the two buildings.  Most of the retail would be on the Delaware Avenue side, of course, but there is already a catering company on the Brown Street side.  There will be a green roof with a large patio space for events and movie nights, and possibly more community space inside.  There is, already, a small bar and lounging space in the lobby of the Brown Street entrance.  The southerly building has already been renovated and is renting out quickly to an upscale clientele.  The northerly building is still awaiting renovation, and the final plans for the retail, courtyard, and community space are still being finalized because that side has not yet started construction.  The facade and large windows have a modern look, that was designed by architecture firm H2L2, and resemble some of Northern Liberties industrial modernism.  As the planned amenities suggest, Core Realty is already considering converting the buildings to condominiums and I was told by officials for the project that current renters are being offered the option to possibly buy in about five years time.

The reason why this development could take the waterfront area to another level of residential development is because of its pivotal location.  Standing by the entrance, on Brown Street, one can see the large highrise Waterfront Square Condos, to the east on the waterfront, and the highrise American Loft, to the west in Northern Liberties.  Waterfront Square is a development of three luxury highrise condo buildings, that will someday be expanded to five highrise buildings when it is finally complete.  The American Loft is an 11-storey highrise, just west of Second Street on American Street, that was built a few years ago as a condo building but is now upscale rental apartments.  This creates a series of large luxury residential buildings within a relatively straight line going towards the waterfront, just north of busy Fairmount Avenue, and includes a significant amount of (largely upscale) retail that the waterfront has been needing.  What’s more is that renovating these long blighted buildings changes the image of the area.  Where as these conspicuously blighted buildings made the area look like a post-industrial wasteland, these modern residential buildings will make the area look like a modern, upscale loft district to passersby.  Of course, this is not the only development in, and improvement to, the area.  The City continues to plan, and build, a riverwalk and parks along the river bank, as well as, continues to improve the connections to the river along major roadways, such as Spring Garden and Race Streets.  The SugarHouse Casino intends to eventually expand and include retail on Delaware Avenue and along the riverwalk, which they are helping to fund.  And, I already mentioned Waterfront Square and Penn Treaty Village.  Waterview Grande’s mix of upscale residential and retail space, and its strategic location, may be what finally leads to development of the surrounding sites on Delaware Avenue and the Delaware waterfront, both planned and soon-to-be planned.

You can find out more about Waterview Grande from this old article, here, and from their website, here.  And, if you are thinking about buying, selling, or renting a home or investment property in these neighborhoods, or any others in Philadelphia, feel free to contact me at gabriel@thecondoshops.com or check out my Facebook realtor page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or my twitter page, @GabrielGPhilaRE.  You can, also, check out any listings on our Condo Shop website, www.thecondoshops.com, or check out and like our Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, or follow our Condo Shop twitter page, @The_Condo_Shop.  Also, you can view the pictures, that I took of the development and area, below.

View of Waterview Grande, from Delaware Avenue, shows the contrast between the renovated south building and the derelict north building, as well as, the space imbetween for a possible courtyard

The facade of the south building of Waterview Grande shows the large modern picture windows

A bridge connects the two buildings, above where a courtyard might be

The north building, of the complex, is awaiting renovation

Looking east on Brown Street, in front of the south building of Waterview Grande, with bamboo along the side and Waterfront Square in the background

The American Loft is to the west, in Northern Liberties

Waterfront Square, as seen from Brown Street in front of Waterview Grande, is to the east across Delaware Avenue

Bar and lounge area, in the lobby of the south building of Waterview Grande

Kitchen of an apartment in Waterview Grande

View of the river and Ben Franklin Bridge, from the living room of a unit in Waterview Grande

New condos and houses being built @ 24th & South Streets

photo courtesy of PlanPhilly

Condominiums haven’t been popular the last few years because of the slow economy and reluctance of banks to issue new home loans.  But, the market may finally be turning around and a new condo development at 24th and South Streets is a sign of that.  The development is known as 2400 South, and it includes condos and townhouses on the site of an old parking garage and warehouses.

2400 South had been planned for several years.  It is being developed by locally based developer Toll Brothers, the largest luxury home builder in the United States.  Toll Brothers developed the large Naval Square development next door.  Naval Square consists of the condo-converted Naval Veterans Home, originally the location of the U.S. Naval Academy before it moved to Annapolis, Maryland in 1845, and hundreds of new housing units in the form of condos, townhouses, and stacked townhouses surrounding the historic hall.  Toll Bothers bought the parking garage, at 24th & Bainbridge Streets, and the one-storey warehouses, at 24th & South Streets, years ago after they started building Naval Square.  Their design for 2400 South changed several times over the years.  They first wanted to build a taller building, but then decided on a more low-rise building accompanied by the townhouses.

The more recent plans included a five-storey condo building, along 24th Street, and townhouses on the rest of the site.  Last year, the plan included parking on the first floor of the building and facing the backs of some of the townhouses along Bainbridge Street.  I attended two community meetings of the South of South Neighbors Association and the neighbors were not happy with those aspects of the project.  So, after listening to the neighbors and the City Planning Commission, Toll decided to modify the plan by putting several retail spaces on the first floor of the condo building and putting the front of the townhouses on Bainbridge facing the street, instead of facing an inner courtyard.

The most recent plan was approved by the Planning Commission and Zoning Board last December.  It includes the five-storey condominium building with 59 condos and parking underneath the building.  The design is a traditional Beaux Arts style, a more modern style than Naval Square.  There will be 2,300 square feet of retail space along two thirds of the front of the building, from the corner of 24th & Bainbridge to a little beyond the middle of the block.  The end of the building, at 24th & South, will have three condos at the street level.  Then, there will be Colonial-style stacked townhouses on South Street, Bainbridge Street, and a few imbetween those two rows of townhomes, for a total of 68 townhouse units.  There will be internal parking for the townhouses, as well as, yard space inside the development.  There will be no garages facing outside the development, but there will be entrances for cars on South Street and Bainbridge Street, just behind the condo building.

One reason why Toll decided to put the retail at 24th & Bainbridge is because a small condo building is about to be built across 24th Street.  That will, also, have retail spaces, which will bring a major concentration of stores and restaurants to this busy six-point intersection of 24th, Bainbridge, and Grays Ferry Avenue.  Just around the corner, on Grays Ferry, a new senior building has been built with a couple (potential) retail spaces, and a block down, from that block of Grays Ferry Avenue, is a newly renovated building which has apartments and new retail on the 2100 block of South Street.  These new developments are giving the Fitler Square and Graduate Hospital neighborhoods a much larger amount of much needed retail establishments.  As a former resident of both neighborhoods, I used to walk to that area (sometimes carrying heavy laundry baskets to and from the laundromat there on South Street), but I used to travel to other areas more often for most needs.  Now, that area around Grays Ferry Avenue and South Street, famous for the annual Odunde Festival based on the Yoruba New Year, will be the retail hub of Fitler Square and western Graduate Hospital (sometimes known as Schuylkill).

If you are thinking about buying or renting a home or investment property (townhouse, condo, or rental apartment) in this rapidly developing area, feel free to send me an email at gabriel@thecondoshops.com.  You can, also, check out my Facebook page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or my twitter page, @GabrielGPhilaRE.  You should, also, check out the Condo Shop website, at www.thecondoshops.com, where you might see listings for this neighborhood (among many others) and check out our Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, and our Condo Shop twitter page, @The_Condo_Shop.  And you can find out more about 2400 South with this link, here, to Toll Brothers’s 2400 South website and view my pictures of the site below.

Renderings of 2400 South Street, from the Planning Commission meeting in December (photo courtesy of PlanPhilly)

Parking garage and lot where warehouses used to be, looking from the west on South Street

Lot, at 24th and South, where one-storey warehouses used to be

Garage looms large at 24th and Bainbridge

Looking west on Bainbridge, showing garage on 24th, Naval Square, and the Penn Hospital complex in University City

Sign announcing 2400 South

Old garage, across the street on South, will be included in the expansion of a popular neighborhood private school

This lot, at 24th and Bainbridge, will have a small condo building with retail

Naval Square, at 24th and Grays Ferry Avenue; Greater St. Matthews Church, in the background, may be renovated into apartments soon

Looking down Grays Ferry Avenue, with Greater St. Matthew's Church on the right, and the Center City skyline in the distance

Independence Hall tower has been renovated for the next 200 years

Independence Hall is Philadelphia’s most famous and recognizable historic landmark.  It is, of course, the building where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution was written, which makes it the birthplace of the United States of America and our democratic government and, indeed, the birthplace of modern democracy.  The words and ideals of the Declaration and Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, inspired countless democratic movements and governments around the world.  Also, in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was the capital of the nation, Independence Hall housed all three branches of our federal government, as well as, the city and state governments.  Since the 1950s, this most famous and important of early American landmarks has been under the supervision of the National Park Service as part of Independence National Historical Park.  The Park Service has been doing maintenance and renovation for some time, and has recently completed an 18-month renovation of the iconic clock tower atop the building, where the Liberty Bell rang out more than 235 years ago to announce the formation of the new republic.

Independence Hall was originally built as the colonial Pennsylvania statehouse in 1732.  At that time it was the largest building in the colonies and was built in what was then the outskirts of Philadelphia’s developed portion.  Of course, it wasn’t referred to as Independence Hall yet, as no one could have predicted the important events that would make it a world-famous landmark and U.N. World Heritage Site.  It was furnished with a clock tower and British iron crafters Pass & Stowe fashioned a large bell at their foundry in England.  The bell was delivered to the new colonial statehouse, in a ship owned by the Gratz family, shortly after the tower’s completion.  That bell would be used not just to announce the passing of the hours, but to announce the creation of a new nation and a whole new era of democratic governance.  After the bell became too fragile to use, it was put on display in the foyer of Independence Hall and became known as the Liberty Bell, a symbol of freedom and liberty throughout the world.  The clock tower survived the American Revolution and British occupation of Philadelphia, but unfortunately, was taken away after the Revolutionary period.  It was later rebuilt in 1828 and designed by William Strickland (who later designed the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.) to match the original tower.  Much of the original wood and brick from 1828 remain, but steel supports were added in the 20th century to ensure the tower’s stability.

The National Park Service determined it was time to do a major renovation of the tower some years ago.  The wood on some sections of the tower was rotting or buckling and some of the original metal nails had rusted as well.  Water was seeping into the tower and causing more damage.  The renovation, which started in July, 2010, and was performed by Daniel J. Keating Co., replaced some of the wood and nails, but preserved as much of the original material as possible.  The brick was repointed and some damaged bricks were replaced.  New flashing was installed and caulking administered to keep out water.  The glass faces of the clock were replaced, new wooden roofing shingles were installed, and the weather vane on top was reclad with new gold leaf.  Several copper urns were refurbished and the lightning protection system was replaced with more modern technology.

While the work was being done on the tower, the scaffolding had a decorative scrim, with an architecturally accurate illustration of the tower, to demonstrate the tower’s design to tourists.  Now, the scaffolding has been taken down and the tower is once again lit up at night.  Also, the current bell, known as the Centennial Bell, once again rings out every hour, on the hour, during the day.  As a former resident of that neighborhood, I often heard the toll of that bell, especially in the morning.  The Park Service and the city decided to have a ceremony on Saturday, February 18th, to announce the completion of the renovation project and the renewed operation of the clock itself.  After remarks from members of the Independence Park staff, Mayor Nutter, U.S. Representatives Chaka Fattah and Bob Brady, and apparently Thomas Jefferson, the Centennial Bell rang again for the first time in more than a year and a half at 5PM, shortly after the clock was restarted during the ceremony.  The mayor and several children cut the ceremonial ribbon, on the sidewalk in front of Independence Hall on Chestnut Street, as the bell was ringing above them.  I took many pictures of the event, met Thomas Jefferson, and was even quoted on 6ABC Action News, when I was asked by reporter Kenneth Moton about my opinion of the completed renovation project.  Previously, I had attended a community meeting in June, 2010, at the Independence Visitor’s Center, in which the renovation project was announced and I got to hold some wooden pegs and thick metal nails from the tower that were on display there.  So, it was very exciting and quite an honor to be at the tower’s rededication ceremony.

Independence Hall has many new neighbors that were added to the Independence Park and vicinity in recent years, such as the National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell Center, the Independence Visitors Center, the President’s House Memorial (where Presidents George Washington and John Adams had lived, as well as, Washington’s slaves), the National Museum of American Jewish History, and the National Liberty Museum.  Coming soon will be the American Revolution Center, at 3rd & Chestnut Streets, and the renovation of the Museum at Franklin Court, on Market Street, as well as, two new hotels right on the Independence Mall.  All this historic preservation and these modern interpretative institutions, especially the Constitution Center, add to the vitality of Old City and Washington Square and continue to turn the Independence Mall into both a national shrine to our nation’s founding and an international nerve-center for political and social issues.

You can read more about the renovation of the Independence Hall tower at the National Park Service’s website, here, and view the pictures and diagrams that I have below.  And if you are interested in buying or selling a home or investment property in this part of the city, be sure to contact me at gabriel@thecondoshops.com, check out my Facebook realtor page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or my twitter page, @GabrielGPhilaRE.  Also, you can check out The Condo Shop’s website at www.thecondoshops.com, the Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, or the Condo Shop twitter page, @The_Condo_Shop.  And, if you want a link to see me commenting on 6ABC Action News, you aren’t getting it here.

Photo of Independence Hall in 1900

Iconic painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776, in Independence Hall

Diagram of the Independence Hall renovation

More details of the Independence Hall tower renovation

The clock face being renovated

Independence Hall, looking from the south on Independence Square

Independence Hall tower viewed from the southeast

Independence Hall, looking from the north on the Independence Mall

Fife and drum corps entertain the crowd before the rededication ceremony

National Park Service staff restart the clock on the tower of Independence Hall during the ceremony

"Thomas Jefferson" (Steven Edenbo) speaking at the ceremony

The clock on Independence Hall as the Centennial Bell rings out at 5PM

Mayor Nutter, Independence National Park staff, and school children cut the ribbon to the renovated Independence Hall

Thomas Jefferson poses for a picture with a citizen

Independence Hall from Chestnut Street

Newly renovated Independence Hall tower from Chestnut Street

Liberty Bell, across Chestnut Street from Independence Hall

The National Constitution Center at the northern end of the Independence Mall

President's House Memorial @ 6th & Market Streets

Independence Hall tower, from Market Street, as the lights become visible at dusk

Derelict building to become snazzy modern apartment building

Many people have seen the large factory building, that used to be used by Goldtex Textiles, at 12th & Vine Streets.  It sits just north of the Vine Street Expressway and has been vacant for many years.  Over the years, vandals have damaged it, adding huge amounts of graffiti.  There have been a couple attempts to renovate it over the past decade and the more recent one led to the removal of all the windows, leaving it open to the elements.  The 11-storey structure had become a hulking eyesore over the burgeoning Loft District (or Callowhill, or North Chinatown) neighborhood.  Finally, a new developer is starting to renovate the building into apartments and this time the renovation is moving along.

The new developers are called Post Brothers Apartments, owned by brothers Mike and Matt Pestronk.  They acquired the property from a bank, that had foreclosed on it from the previous owner, for just $5 million.  They decided it was a good time to buy the distressed property, when the market for purchases was slow, but when the demand for rentals in Center City was still strong.  The Loft District neighborhood has been gradually attracting new residents and developers over the years, as well as, new office and studio space that is popular with creative people and companies.

The development will have 163 rental apartments and 7,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor.  The retail will be divided between two spaces, likely restaurants. They are planning to have a fitness center, some underground parking, and a pool on top. The design will be very modern, with a new facade of metal panels and vegetation-covered biowalls.  The facade will not resemble an old factory building, but the apartments themselves will be loft style units, with large windows that will provide incredible views of the Center City skyline and Ben Franklin Bridge.  The apartments should be ready for occupancy by August.

This building will be across the street from the Old Shoe Factory Condos, that were developed years ago by my former real estate teacher at Temple University Center City, Jonathan Orens and Orens Brothers Real Estate.  Across 11th Street, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation is planning a new community center and apartment tower as well (I’ll have more on that in the future).  Also, there are numerous residential developments on North Broad Street and throughout the Poplar neighborhood to the north.  All this development is changing the Loft District, which means there will likely be more of an effort to convert the old Reading Viaduct into a neighborhood park.  The renovation of the Goldtex Building will replace an eyesore, that is visible from the Vine Street Expressway, and turn it into a dramatic addition to the skyline in a gateway location.  If you are interested in buying or selling a home or investment property in this rapidly developing and appreciating neighborhood, feel free to contact me at gabriel@thecondoshops.com or check out my Facebook page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, and my twitter account, GabrielGPhilaRE.  Also, you should check out The Condo Shop’s website, www.thecondoshops.com, the Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, and the Condo Shop twitter page, The_Condo_Shop.  Also, you can read more about the Goldtex Building and Pestronk Brothers in the Philadelphia Business Journal, here.  And check out the renderings and pictures that I have below.

Rendering of Goldtex Building after renovation into modern apartment building

Goldtex Building, from 12th Street

Goldtex Building, from just north of Vine Street

Reading Viaduct, next to Goldtex Building, may be a neighborhood park someday

Goldtex Building, looking from the north

Goldtex Building and Old Shoe Factory, across 12th Street

Historic Uptown Theatre, on North Broad Street, has started renovations

The famed Uptown Theatre, a landmark theater on North Broad Street that had entertained generations of Philadelphians and launched many musicians and singers to stardom, has finally started its long-awaited renovation.  The renovation is being spearheaded by the Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation, which owns the theatre and runs several youth arts and educational programs.  The first phase of the project is to renovate the multi-storey building in the front of the theatre, above the entrance and historic marquee on Broad Street, into an educational and community center for those youth (and some adult) educational and arts programs.  Funding, from government sources and private fundraising, is in place for that phase, while the UEDC is still raising money to renovate the large, historic auditorium for modern entertainment uses.  The UEDC, also, had lit up the famous letters over the old marquee, during the holiday season, to draw attention to the renovation efforts.

The Uptown Theatre first opened in the 1920s as an art deco “movie palace” for Warner Brothers.  From the 1950s through the 1970s, it was a musical venue and was the location for R & B, Blues singers, and Motown acts.  In the 70s, it also became a place for many Philadelphia singers and bands to perform and get noticed.  The list of performers included James Brown, The Supremes, Patti LaBelle, The Jackson 5, The O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Marvin Gaye, and Hall & Oates.  The theatre closed in 1983 and had been used intermittently as a church until 2003.

Plans to renovate the Uptown have been circulating for many years, creating skepticism that they would come to fruition.  The efforts of the UEDC got a big boost in 2007, when the city awarded a grant of more than a $1 million to the group through the Street Administration’s Cultural Corridors program.  The UEDC wants to use the six-storey building in front as an “educational and community tower” and will house their arts and educational programs there.  They intend to rent space to other arts groups and music and film companies to raise money for the final phase, the restoration of the grand theatre into a modern-day music and entertainment venue.  You can find out more about the UEDC and their efforts to renovate the Uptown, and revitalize the area around it, at their website, here.

This is just the latest development on North Broad Street that is rapidly remaking the area.  The Avenue North development, just south of the Temple campus, already has brought new entertainment in the form of a popular multiplex movie theatre, as well as, new retail.  The rebuilding of Progress Plaza has brought a new supermarket and other retail a few years ago.  But, also, there are several new projects underway, including the redevelopment of the old Blue Horizon boxing locale into a hotel; the renovation of the former State Office Building into apartments, with an eventual shopping center; the 600 North Broad Street development, which has several new upscale restaurants; and a new development at Temple that will have a new highrise dorm and another shopping center along Broad Street.  There will, also, be a new streetscape and street lighting project along the North Broad corridor.  I’ll have more on these projects soon, but what’s clear is that the North Broad Street corridor is experiencing an amazing amount of new development which will certainly increase demand for housing and retail, and increase property values in an area where property values are still rather low.  This makes North Broad a prime location for investment, as investment properties are still affordable but will likely see dramatic price increases as these many developments are completed.  If you are interested in buying or selling an investment property or home along, or near, North Broad Street, feel free to contact me at gabriel@thecondoshops.com or sign onto my Facebook page, Gabriel G. Philly Realtor, or follow my twitter page @GabrielGPhilaRE.  And check out our Condo Shop website, www.thecondoshops.com, sign onto our Condo Shop Facebook page, The Condo Shop, or follow our new twitter page, @The_Condo_Shop.

The Uptown Theatre, showing full building and old marquee

Looking up at the outdated marquee and art deco facade of the theatre's education and community building

Sign announcing the project

Avenue North and the Pearl (movie)Theatre just a few blocks south of the Uptown

Newly renovated Progress Plaza, with the new Fresh Grocer supermarket, a few blocks from the Uptown