Philadelphia 2035 (Houston, Wall, Penn: foreclosures, buying a home, homebuyer)

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Steinish

KOP doesn't want Philly's trash.

People, all kinds, have been using and commuting on the RT 100(still called the " P&W" by some) for decades. The possible spur to KoP won't change it.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by Steinish

KOP doesn't want Philly's trash.

There are train stations in Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Wayne, Devon, Paoli, and Malvern, and I rarely, if ever, see "trash" there. The folks in KOP should realize that some of the people who work at the mall can't/don't have cars, but need to get to their jobs helping the retailers peddle overpriced purses and shoes to Main Liners. They should also realize that a NHSL extension will significantly reduce traffic on KOP roads.

FWIW, I think the NHSL extension, estimated for now at a minimum of a whopping $1B, should be replaced with a restoration of passenger service back to Pottstown, West Chester, and Quakertown. I believe the combined cost to electrify and restore service on all three of these routes is less than $1B. It would also be transformative for the 422, 202, and 309 corridors, as opposed to transformative to one zip code.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

The funny thing about KOP is that most of the developments there are God-awful, ugly, poorly-kept splits and singles in neighborhoods with no street lighting. It is almost hick-ish in Upper Merion Township. The best looking thing in KOP is the mall.

I'll have something to say on this in my larger comment below.

Originally Posted by kyb01

I haven't looked further into exactly where the spur will run. Is it adjacent to RT 202? Will there be a stop between, say, Gulphs Mills and the mall?

The project might actually benefit the entire area eventually by easing some of the traffic headaches.

I believe the spur is supposed to split off the main line between Bridgeport and King Manor stations. It will have intermediate stops between the split and the malls, and I believe it's supposed to extend past them to the KoP office district. Actually, if you look at where the spur is meant to meet the line, it looks to me like one of its main purposes is to spur redevelopment and growth in Norristown, which would suddenly become far more convenient as a place for KoP workers to live.

But I have to say something about the accusations that the organizers of the petition drive are concerned about keeping Them out of Upper Merion Township. That may be the desire of some of the signers, who, as someone here has already pointed out, live well away from the route, but the organizers - the chief spokesperson for whom will have the route overlook his back yard (so he's literally a NIMBY) - did not list crime as a reason for opposing the line, and I have no idea where the Philly Voice reporter got that bit of the litany of complaints from.

In researching my own PhillyMag story on the #NoKOPRail petition, which lists the actual reasons the group opposes the line (c'mon, some of you should know which reporters to read), I learned that the spokesperson lives in a development called the Valley Forge Homes, a mid-1950s collection of ranchers hard by the Turnpike ROW. All five possible alignments plan to use this stretch of the Turnpike ROW to get the line from the main route to KoP. The Historical and Museum Commission had done research a few years back to determine whether this development should be designated a historic district, for it was an intact, unified example of Midcentury Modern suburban development, and we're now at the point where Midcentury architecture is reaching the status where some of its best examples could be threatened. Ultimately, the commission decided not to make this a historic district because too many of the houses had been altered over the years. But it does suggest that the development possesses a certain coherence, and in his interview with me, Crowley pointed to its decidedly suburban character as one reason he didn't want to see the line built past it.

Now, rail lines and suburban developments have been coexisting peacefully hereabouts for a century and a half, but in most cases, the rail line came first, then the suburb; it's that order that gives many of our suburbs their very walkable character that makes them stand out from the autocentric run-of-the-mill. Since there won't be a station at the VFH, there's no possibility of a railroad-suburb retrofit there, and I think Crowley's objectoins to the lack of parking at the stations miss this element of the backers' goals. But I think that if I were living in a 1950s rancher with a large back yard, I too might get upset over an elevated rail line with riders looking down on it. An at-grade line with a line of trees as a buffer would be a superior design. The trouble is, there may not be room for one in this area, but SEPTA surely should have considered this possibility, which might have arisen in meetings with the residents ("Nobody asked us!" is their final and ultimate objection).

One more thing: this Facebook post lists the original petition in its entirety. Go read it and tell me where it says anything about crime or uses coded racial language.

Originally Posted by kyb01

Conveniently, for Blatstein, I guess, not a single word about the white elephant he's left at Broad and Callowhill....

I'm guessing he will end up trying to sell that like he did the State Building at Broad and Spring Garden.

But he did redevelop the SOB before selling it. Of course, the sale probably means the new "Phase 2" building that would have replaced that plaza with street-level retail and offices will never happen.

My suspicion is that he comes up with some reuse for the Inquirer Building first.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

There are train stations in Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Wayne, Devon, Paoli, and Malvern, and I rarely, if ever, see "trash" there. The folks in KOP should realize that some of the people who work at the mall can't/don't have cars, but need to get to their jobs helping the retailers peddle overpriced purses and shoes to Main Liners. They should also realize that a NHSL extension will significantly reduce traffic on KOP roads.

The people who don't have cars( or prefer not to drive), have been using the RTs 123, 124, 125 to reach the KoP mall for years. There are already enough people using them to access the mall that septa has a transportation center attached to the mall.

Extending the NHSL to KoP is probably a pipe dream but the idea is worth consideration.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

But he did redevelop the SOB before selling it. Of course, the sale probably means the new "Phase 2" building that would have replaced that plaza with street-level retail and offices will never happen.

My suspicion is that he comes up with some reuse for the Inquirer Building first.

Re: the old state bldg.

Sandy, I essentially live next to it(kind of). He did the bare minimum to it, and dumped it, I suspect, because he started to fixate on the Inquirer Bldg seriously believing he'd get the casino license. He had no plan B and, probably, still doesn't.

[cpomp]

Office, residential tower to rise at Marketplace Design Center site

Great that this barren stretch is being developed, but I personally am not a fan at of this rendering. Too short and blocky, looks similar to the ugly municipal services building.

Why can't we just build tall and sleek...

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Office, residential tower to rise at Marketplace Design Center site

Great that this barren stretch is being developed, but I personally am not a fan at of this rendering. Too short and blocky, looks similar to the ugly municipal services building.

Why can't we just build tall and sleek...

Barren, maybe sort of, but The Marketplace Design Center was a pretty neat place that I'm not so sure people knew about. Not that I ever shopped there - but it was fun to walk around. Some of its former businesses are now scattered around Center City from what I understand.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Office, residential tower to rise at Marketplace Design Center site

Holy parking pedestal, Batman!

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

Barren, maybe sort of, but The Marketplace Design Center was a pretty neat place that I'm not so sure people knew about. Not that I ever shopped there - but it was fun to walk around. Some of its former businesses are now scattered around Center City from what I understand.

It was more for interior decorators than walk-in shoppers. I loved the Bistro St Tropez restaurant which was my sole reason for going there.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by rotodome

Holy parking pedestal, Batman!

Where do you see parking? There is no parking at all involved in his project.