Center City

RFPs issued for Market East

mgolas — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:09:32 -0500

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Nov. 14

By Thomas J. Walsh
For PlanPhilly

The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp. this week issued four request-for-proposal documents related to the Foxwoods Philadelphia casino development and the redevelopment of certain blocks of East Market Street near The Gallery.

The RFPs seek casino and retail architects, real estate and economic advisers, strategic planners and traffic study consultants for the “Convention Center/Market Street East area of Center City.”

PIDC is working with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the city Department of Commerce and the Redevelopment Authority of Philadelphia (RDA) in what is shaping up to be a major overhaul of the Market East commercial district, considered the “hole in the donut” of Center City revitalization efforts.

The solicitations were issued Wednesday, a day before City Council passed bills creating a “commercial entertainment district” (CED) classification for Center City and another to re-zone The Gallery itself, from its current C-5 commercial designation to CED. The legislation was met with plenty of public resistance. Plans to bring Foxwoods to The Gallery from its original intended location on the Delaware River waterfront have been vehemently protested by anti-casino activists and residents of Chinatown and other neighborhoods. (See Kellie Patrick Gates’ coverage here.)

The RFPs make plain that a redevelopment of the Market East district will likely have a casino.

“The City of Philadelphia is involved in planning and negotiating a mixed-use, public-private real estate transaction involving retail and, potentially, gaming uses in Center City Philadelphia,” the RFP for architects says. “To that end, the City wishes to retain a retail and casino architect to support and advise members of city government as they review proposals for a downtown casino in the City of Philadelphia.”

In its filing for real estate advisory services firms, PIDC says it is looking for consultants with experience in:
• Mixed-use retail, including downtown retail and mall development
• “Entertainment, gaming and leisure projects, including slot parlors”
• “Gaming-driven mixed-use retail development,” and
• “Complex public-private real estate development”

It is also evident that PIDC believes the timing of the work might be sooner rather than later – developers and consultants have been told that questions, or requests for more information, must submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 20). The RFPs state that PIDC “anticipates that the contract will have a term of one year, with the majority of work likely to occur during an intensive three- to six-month long period at the beginning of the engagement.”

Councilman Frank DiCicco, though, said the zoning change legislation was only the first stage of review processes with the Planning Commission and other agencies that will be ongoing through next spring, and that Foxwoods did not have a signed deal with the city.

The “strategic plan” RFP encompasses “land use, public space improvements, physical development and transportation in the Convention Center/Market Street East area of Center City Philadelphia. ... The team shall include, at minimum, members with expertise in urban planning and design, architecture, historic preservation, landscape architecture, and cost estimating.”

The city will retain its own traffic planning consultant, assigned to work as part of the consultant team, to study the area “bounded by 5th Street on the east, Walnut Street on the south, 16th Street on the west and Callowhill Street on the north. The study area includes major commercial streets of the Central Business District, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and a significant portion of Chinatown. Though the study area does not formally extend north of Vine Street, the traffic study does need to identify implications for development there.”

Paul Levy, executive director of the Center City District and the Central Philadelphia Development Corp., wrote recently about the casino proposal in the CCD’s newsletter. In detailed terms, Levy tried to place the idea of a casino in the context of this large area of Center City, noting that “it will be a 300,000 square-foot tenant ... occupying three floors in a 1 million square-foot regional shopping center with scores of other tenants.”

But because the Commonwealth “clearly dealt us a mediocre hand with their slots-only restriction on Pennsylvania casinos,” Levy wrote, “PREIT [Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust], the owner of the mall, and Foxwoods have a special obligation to use the casino as an anchor that generates volumes of new customers who can support re-leasing the mall with entertainment, boutiques and destinations with broader appeal.”

Contact the reporter at tom@thomasjwalsh.info.

Home Page Summary

Nov. 14 / By Thomas J. Walsh PIDC this week issued 4 request-for-proposals for the Foxwoods development and the redevelopment of certain blocks of East Market Street.

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Next up in casino siting process

mgolas — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:54:06 -0400

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Holy Redeemer protest

Foxwoods process timeline

Oct. 10
By Kellie Patrick Gates
For PlanPhilly

The public will have at least three more opportunities to comment on the proposed location of Foxwoods Casino at The Gallery this month - and if last Thursday night's Chinatown meeting is any indication, those sessions will all be packed with passionate citizens.

* On Tuesday, a meeting similar to the one held in Chinatown took place at Jefferson University Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St.

* On Oct. 21, the Planning Commission will consider and hold a public hearing on the creation and placement of zoning that would allow a casino to operate at The Gallery. This is called a Commercial Entertainment District.

* In late October, on a date yet to be set, a public forum to discuss casino design - particularly urban casino design - will be conducted at the city's request, but by organizations that are outside the government.

* On Nov. 1, City Council will hold a public hearing on the CED legislation. The time and place have yet to be determined. The unusual weekend day is an intentional attempt to make it possible for more interested people to attend.

Councilman Frank DiCicco will submit legislation to rezone the Gallery to a Commercial Entertainment District at Thursday's City Council meeting.

There is never a public comment period when legislation is introduced, spokesman Brian Abernathy said - that will come Nov. 1. (Read memo from Abernathy here)

The residents of Chinatown pleaded with DiCicco Thursday night not to introduce the legislation, but he said it was necessary to keep the State Supreme Court from getting involved - SugarHouse received its CED designation on Delaware Avenue from the High Court, which ruled that the city had been dragging its feet. This took power away from the city, DiCicco said, but by going forward with a process, elected leaders and officials will get a say.

The submission of legislation starts the review process of the proposal by City Council and the Planning Commission, and either body could say no, Abernathy said.

This CED will be different from the one created for the riverfront casino sites. Some tinkering is still happening, Abernathy said, but two differences are parking and set-back requirements.

The waterfront site is not well-served by public transportation and required many parking spaces. Market East is a public transit hub. And The Gallery has adjacent parking lots. There will still technically be a parking requirement, Abernathy said, but Foxwoods would likely not have to create additional parking spaces to meet it.

There will also be no setback requirement. For one thing, The Gallery is an existing building, Abernathy said. But even if it weren't, "in Center City, a setback doesn't make sense. We want to maintain an active street" with buildings nestled right up to the sidewalk.

Officials from Foxwoods and the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which leases the Gallery, are still working on their development plans for the casino, Deputy Mayor and Planning Commission Chairman Andy Altman said. It may not be ready by the Oct. 21 Planning Commission meeting, Altman said. "The plan doesn't have to be ready" because the discussion will be limited to the CED legislation and placement.

The late October public forum is being put together by incoming Planning Commission executive director Alan Greenberger - even though he doesn't officially start the job until November. He could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon, but Altman said the forum also will take place with or without the designs.

"It will be more of an open forum looking at design issues and other examples from other locations," he said. "We want to educate ourselves and the public" and examine what kinds of design and planning issues should be taken into consideration, what can be learned from other places that have urban casinos - such as New Orleans - and what changes are happening in casino design.

The input and ideas that come out of that meeting - and the other public forums - will be used to help guide the Planning Commission and City Council in what it looks for from Foxwoods and PREIT, Altman said. "It would also be good for Foxwoods and PREIT, who could apply what comes out of these meetings to their designs."

Another round of Council and Planning Commission consideration and associated public hearings will begin when those designs are in hand, and when those hearings begin is dependent on when Foxwoods and PREIT have plans to submit, Altman said.

"Both the Planning Commission and City Council have to approve the plan of development. We still have ample opportunity to determine it isn't appropriate," Abernathy said. Foxwoods could also decide the Gallery won't work for them.

Foxwoods officials have said they would consider another alternative if this one doesn't work out, but they would have the legal right to go back to the site they still own on the river - something the city does not want.

Terry Gillen, special advisor to Mayor Nutter, said that at the Gallery site, Foxwoods and the city are at "the very beginning" of the process, so there will be many discussions before any decisions are made and any permits given.

At the Columbus Boulevard site, Foxwoods would need only one additional permit, highway occupancy, before it received a building permit - the last permit needed prior to the start of construction.

The city's other proposed waterfront casino, SugarHouse, also needs a highway occupancy permit - plus a federal permit from the Army Corps of Engineers - to get a building permit, she said.

Contact the reporter at kelliespatrick@gmail.com

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Oct. 16 / By Kellie Patrick Gates Public will have more opportunities to comment on the proposed location of the Foxwoods Casino at The Gallery.

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October 10, 2008

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Center City Greenway Public Meeting

andrewg — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:34:42 -0500

Start: 12/02/2008 - 6:00pm

End: 12/02/2008 - 8:00pm

Start: 12/02/2008 - 6:00pm

End: 12/02/2008 - 8:00pm

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The Pennsylvania Environmental Council invites you to:
A Public Meeting for the Center City Greenway
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
6:00-8:00pm
AIA Center for Architecture
1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia
RSVP to Carol Meyers, (215) 592-7020 cmeyers@pecpa.org

How do we connect the growing greenway networks on the Schuylkill and Delaware Riverfronts?
Where can we thread Center City’s urban fabric with a green strip that will become the new link connecting our riverfronts, the new green promenade where we go to exercise and have fun, and a new transportation resource and cultural attraction for future generations?
That is the ambition of the Center City Greenway!
The Feasibility Study for the greenway is progressing quickly – with the guidance and support of many local and state groups, including the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Bicycle Coalition, the national East Coast Greenway Alliance, the City of Philadelphia, and many others.
This is YOUR CHANCE to learn more about the project – and to make your voices heard!
What are the options for where the greenway should go? What should it look like? What kind of uses should it have? And how can the greenway make YOUR LIFE better?
We want to hear from you!

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Center City Greenway Public Meeting

andrewg — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:34:28 -0500

Start: 11/18/2008 - 6:00pm

End: 11/18/2008 - 8:00pm

Start: 11/18/2008 - 6:00pm

End: 11/18/2008 - 8:00pm

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The Pennsylvania Environmental Council invites you to:
A Public Meeting for the Center City Greenway
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
6:00-8:00pm
Riverview Room A, Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing
201 S. Columbus Blvd.
RSVP to Carol Meyers, (215) 592-7020 cmeyers@pecpa.org

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Council passes Center City CED

mgolas — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:05:51 -0500

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Previous coverage

Nov. 13

By Kellie Patrick Gates
For PlanPhilly

Philadelphia City Council today passed legislation that would allow a casino to operate at The Gallery at Market East, despite protests from residents of Chinatown and other nearby neighborhoods. It now awaits Mayor Nutter's signature.

The casino in question is Foxwoods. Originally proposed for the waterfront in South Philadelphia, Foxwoods announced in September that it would consider a move to The Gallery after months of pressure from city leaders and community activists.

"Today was an important step toward passing the legislation needed to further evaluate The Gallery as an alternative site to develop our project," said Foxwoods spokeswoman Maureen Garrity. "We appreciate the efforts of the City and City Council in getting the legislation to this point."

Those who oppose the casino were much less pleased with City officials and Council members.

"The city just put all the power in Foxwoods' hands," said Asian Americans United Executive Director Ellen Somekawa after the meeting.

But Somekawa said no one was giving up. She and others headed to Mayor Michael Nutter's office to deliver a letter asking him to meet, in person, with Chinatown leaders before signing the legislation.

"In the name of fairness, please come to speak directly with us before making your decision. There were less than six weeks between the time we first heard about this proposal and the introduction of a zoning bill into City Hall,” the letter read. “No other community has faced such a rushed process, received so little information, or had so little time to respond. We know that you will agree with us that Chinatown deserves the same respect and consideration as any other neighborhood in Philadelphia."

Nutter has accepted that invitation. He will meet with Chinatown leaders before making his signing decision, his spokesman, Douglas Oliver, said in an email late Thursday afternoon. "We expect that meeting to occur sometime in the next few days."

The legislation becomes law whether Nutter signs it or not. If he vetoes it, it would take 12 City Council votes to override his veto. Both of the casino zoning-related bills that passed Thursday received more votes than that. The one that created a special Commercial Entertainment District - the classification that allows casinos - for the Market East corridor passed 15-0; the one that would reclassify The Gallery with that designation, provided Council approves a plan of development for a casino, passed 14-0 with one abstention.

But those whose concerns with the legislation are a portion that would change signage rules in the area to allow rooftop, electronic, and spinning signs were given hope that adjustments might later be made. Councilman Frank DiCicco, who introduced the legislation, said he would consider making changes relating to signage and introducing a new bill next week.

While Council passed both a bill creating a CED classification for Center City and another that would re-zone The Gallery from its current C-5 commercial designation to CED, but the second bill will only go into effect if the city Planning Commission and City Council approve Foxwoods' plan of development.

That plan, which must include detailed information such as architectural renditions and traffic studies, does not yet exist.

This is one of the issues that has angered the activists. Why, they ask, would the city even consider changing the zoning for a project they know so little about?

And why would they create zoning that would allow a casino at The Gallery before a thorough study of the effects a casino would have on families and businesses? Why not wait until this information is in hand, and then make a decision?

City officials and DiCiccio, who represents the district where The Gallery is located and introduced the zoning legislation, say this is just the beginning of the process, a good faith effort to encourage Foxwoods to create a plan of development. And, they say, if that plan doesn't meet the standards of the Commission and the Council, they will vote it down.

The CED marks the beginning of a complete review, they've said, because without it Foxwoods would never submit the details the city needs to determine whether or not The Gallery is the right location for a casino.

Foxwoods officials have also called the CED a necessary first step before they'll submit a design.

But that was no consolation to the activists who comprised most of the audience at the Council meeting this morning. They have been urging council to slow down the process and not pass the legislation without first receiving the detailed plans. Many from Chinatown worry that a casino will harm families with gambling addiction and also harm businesses by taking away their customers.

While there was no public comment period at the meeting, the protestors made their feelings very clear. "Shame on you! Shame on you!" they chanted after the first of the two votes. "Railroad! Railroad! Railroad."

Council chairwoman Anna Verna pounded her gavel. "The vote has been cast and your shouting like that is not going to change it!" she said.

Neither DiCicco, nor anyone from the mayor's office or planning department spoke of the prospective benefits or downfalls of having Foxwoods at Market East at the meeting, but in the past, they have said that The Gallery location offers benefits that the original waterfront location would not, including potentially serving as a catalyst to enliven the lagging Market East corridor.

DiCicco says the state legislature and the State Supreme Court have, with the casino legislation and a string of 14 casino-related decisions that went against the city, stripped the city's power to decide whether there will be casinos in Philadelphia. "There will be two casinos here," he has said repeatedly. The only question is where.

Thanks to the State Supreme Court, DiCicco says, Foxwoods already has CED zoning. It also has a preponderance of the permits it needs to start construction at the Columbus and Reed site, he says, and a court appointed Special Master to see that the city doesn't drag its feet in processing what remains.

Mayor Nutter, his planning team, DiCicco and many others from the city agreed with residents that the South Philadelphia site was a bad place to put a casino. Chief among the city's concerns: Traffic. That site would rely almost entirely on cars, taxis or buses to get customers to the slots, they said, and the area is already congested.

While insisting the Foxwoods-at-the-Gallery proposal is not a done deal, Nutter and his top advisors, DiCicco and other elected officials say that not only might The Gallery site rejuvenate the Market East corridor, it would not only not have the traffic issues, since many customers could take public transportation or walk from nearby hotels or the Convention Center.

This accessibility is chief among Chinatown's concerns. "Do you see us as constituents, or as targets for casinos?" asked one of the protester's signs. The activists say that Asian Americans are particularly susceptible to gambling addiction.

City officials have said these potential social ills are being studied, but the residents want more specifics.

DiCicco says it's an either-or at this point: Foxwoods will either open at The Gallery, or, if the city denies that, it will open on the waterfront. So, he says, the city is obligated to see if the Gallery is a better option.

But the activists say that DiCicco and city officials either have already made up their minds or are underestimating the amount of power they have.

At the meeting at which Foxwoods announced its willingness to explore The Gallery, Michael Thomas, Chairman of the Manshantucket Pequot Tribal Nation - the 30 percent owner of Foxwoods - said if it did not work out, he would be open to considering other spots.

Foxwoods spokeswoman Garrity would not say whether or not this willingness to look at additional sites still holds. "Foxwoods’ focus is on evaluating The Gallery site to determine whether it is a viable location for our project," she said.

Daniel Hunter, a co-founder of Casino-Free Philadelphia, believes Foxwoods would have good reasons to wait for a city-suggested spot rather than rush to build at the waterfront. The traffic issues at the waterfront site haven't gone away and would still have to be resolved, he said. And the community opposition remains. With the economy the way it is, Hunter said, Foxwoods would be more interested in an existing building than in the empty, open property on Delaware Avenue.

Hunter said Thursday afternoon that his organization will now work to remind city leaders that they still have power and they still have options, and that planning must start now.

Planning Commission director Alan Greenberger has said the thorough review of Foxwoods' proposal will begin with public hearings before the Planning Commission even before the proposal is entirely complete.

Once the complete plan of development is in hand, the Planning Commission will hold a hearing and make a recommendation to City Council, which makes the final decision.

Foxwoods' Garrity said the casino developers will not begin working on a plan of development until the CED legislation is finalized. "The Mayor has not yet signed the legislation," she said. "After zoning is complete, we will enter into the plan of development process where our architects and other consultants will move from the evaluation phase to the design phase."

Garrity said she couldn't estimate how long it would take Foxwoods to get something preliminary to the Planning Commission, nor how long it would take to finish a complete plan of development.

Thursday, every council member present voted for the bill that would change The Gallery's zoning, except for Councilman Curtis Jones, who abstained. He wanted to ask DiCicco a question, and Verna told him he had missed the appropriate time to do so.

But Verna did allow Jones to question DiCicco regarding the other bill, the one that created an amended CED classification for Center City. Jones said concerns about the losening of the signage provisions had come to his attention, and he asked DiCicco what signs would be allowed if the legislation passed.

DiCicco said he, too, knew of the concerns raised by SCRUB, also known as the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight, and had spoken Wednesday evening to Executive Director Mary Tracy. DiCicco said he was open to possibly making some adjustments after he and his staff had a chance to do some analysis. He said he might introduce new legislation next week. Jones hesitated, but in the end voted in favor of the legislation with his colleagues.

"My preference would have been that they would have held off on this bill and fixed it and then voted," Tracy said, but she's happy DiCicco is willing to work with her.

Tracy has been doing a lot of work herself, including speaking to the Design Advocacy Group, which yesterday sent a letter of its own to DiCicco asking for changes in the legislation relative to signing. Their suggestion in a nutshell: Stick with the rules in the current C-5 zoning, and require those who want something else to seek special approval.

Tracy said she'd love that approach, but she's also preparing to negotiate with DiCicco on a compromise.

Contact the reporter at kelliespatrick@gmail.com

Home Page Summary

Commercial Entertainment District status clears way for Foxwoods' plan of development for The Gallery location. Sign-age concerns may be addressed.

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KellieP

Publish Date

November 13, 2008

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$90 million Boyd project up for review

mgolas — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:55:42 -0400

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Image / ARCWheeler

Nov. 4
Editor’s note: “In The Zone” will be a periodically updated listing of large or significant zoning changes, developments, building additions or demolitions to come before the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

By Thomas Walsh
For PlanPhilly
Bold plans for the shuttered Boyd Theatre, recently designated an historic site by the Philadelphia Historical Commission, are up for early review by the Historical Commission (Nov. 14) and the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment (Dec. 17) within the next six weeks.

At roughly $90 million, those plans include the addition of a 28-story film-themed boutique hotel by Kimpton, a company that is internationally known but has no presence in the Philadelphia area.

Developer Hal Wheeler and his ARC Wheeler group have an agreement of sale with Live Nation for the theater on the 1900 block of Chestnut Street, considered Philadelphia’s last movie palace. The project would fully restore the theater to its original Art Deco flavor, with the tower connected to the rear and joining 20th Street.

In addition to likely approval by the Historical Commission, Wheeler’s group is supported by the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, which will serve as the “nonprofit partner” and assist in obtaining public and philanthropic funding. Executive Director John Gallery said that includes federal investment tax credits already lined up, but that no applications for grants have yet been submitted.

A filing with the ZBA, seeking a zoning variance and two use variances, says the hotel would have 250 units and be 320 feet high. The plans call for “partial demolition” of the structure. In particular, the “stage house” will be rebuilt – everything behind the proscenium arch of the theater, including the stage, according to Gallery.

“The rebuilding of the stage house is part of the theater and hotel,” Gallery said. “It is rebuilding the stage area in order to accommodate the types of performances that are being contemplated.”

The ZBA will also hear plans for live entertainment at the site, a restaurant, first floor meeting rooms, two floors of conference space, a fourth-floor lobby and other spaces. Rooms would be on floors five through 28.

Like all commercial real estate projects on the drawing boards, regardless of scope, Wheeler would find that getting a loan for the Boyd theater-hotel in the current frozen credit markets all but impossible. Still, Gallery said that when the time comes, there are a few characteristics of the project that give it a leg up.

“It is not a speculative hotel,” Gallery said, referring to Kimpton. “It has a real operator, real interest and real commitment.”

In addition, City Council is considering legislation that would protect historically significant interior public spaces of structures, which would be further protection for investors.

Gallery said architects Martinez & Johnson, based in Washington, D.C., are at work on the hotel portion’s details, but that the overall concept is in place. The firm has experience with restoring other historic theaters, including the Boston Opera House.

On The Web:
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants: http://www.kimptonhotels.com/index.aspx
Boyd Theatre Hotel plans (ARC Wheeler / Martinez & Johnson Architecture), via the Preservation Alliance: http://www.preservationalliance.com/advocacy/Boyd%20restoration%20and%20hotel%20addition_10%2013%2008.pdf
Martinez & Johnson: http://www.mjarchitecture.com/

Contact the reporter at tom@thomasjwalsh.info.

Previous Boyd coverage

Home Page Summary

Theatre could begin new life as a 28-story hotel. Hearings scheduled before the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Historical Commission.

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Thomas J.W

Publish Date

November 4, 2008

Abstract

Next Great City Rally

andrewg — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:29:45 -0400

Start: 10/21/2008 - 9:30am

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Join the Next Great City coalition as we thank the City of Philadelphia for the progress it has made towards implementing our 10-point common-sense agenda. A press event and rally will be held on October 21 at 10:30 a.m. on Dilworth Plaza outside of City Hall at Broad and Market streets. Participants include:

Mayor Michael Nutter
Don Schwartz, Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity
Christine Knapp, PennFuture
The Environmental Protection Agency
The Philadelphia Fire Department
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association
Philadelphia Diesel Difference

To highlight the work done to date, a diesel-retrofitted fire truck will be on hand for viewing. This truck is one of 77 being retrofitted with a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency, and one of dozens of diesels citywide that are being equipped with diesel emissions reduction equipment. RSVP to Christine today!

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DiCicco files CED for Foxwoods

mgolas — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:58:11 -0400

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DiCicco and aide Brian Abernathy confer with Cecilia Yep after introduction of CED.

Foxwoods process timeline

Previous coverage

Oct. 16

By Kellie Patrick Gates
For PlanPhilly

Philadelphia City Councilman Frank DiCicco Thursday introduced legislation that would allow a casino to operate at The Gallery at Market East - the site Foxwoods is considering.

As is usual practice when legislation is introduced, there was no public comment period. But community activists from Chinatown, Society Hill and other neighborhoods who had urged DiCicco to hold off on the Commercial Entertainment District proposal and CED zoning overlay attended the morning session.

Among them was Cecilia Yep, a Chinatown resident and a founder of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation. She leaned over the rail that divides Council from the audience to talk to DiCicco. Yep said DiCicco assured her there would be plenty of opportunity for public input, as this was the start of the process. She'll be at the public hearings, she said, but the Councilman did not convince her that introducing the legislation was the right step.

"It's kind of like we're being railroaded and we can't do anything about it," she said. "We got rid of the stadium, and now we've got a casino."

Mayor Michael Nutter had DiCicco's back at a joint press conference the two held in the hallway outside the mayor's office following the Council meeting. Mostly, they reiterated the points DiCicco has tried to make to the communities near The Gallery ever since he announced last week that he would be submitting this legislation: The introduction of the legislation does not rush the casino project, it begins a process that will allow Council and the City Planning Commission to analyze it and take public input. The public will have many opportunities to comment. And doing nothing is not an option, because when the casinos have gone to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court saying that the city has stalled, the court has made decisions for Council.

DiCicco said submitting the legislation was not an endorsement of the site, but "an act of good faith" that city leaders had to give to Foxwoods before the casino would be willing to spend time and money on plans for a new location off the Delaware Riverfront.

DiCicco, Nutter and other local and state officials have long fought to get both Foxwoods and the city's other proposed casino, SugarHouse, to move off of the waterfront. They've used legislation, litigation, and a lot of talking. SugarHouse remains unwilling to budge from its Delaware Avenue site, although it has talked of redesigning its plan to better fit in with the city's long-term vision of the waterfront. But last month, Foxwoods investors and the mayor, Governor Ed Rendell and other elected officials announced that Foxwoods would consider The Gallery.

"How can we in good faith ask them to look for a new site and then not give them any signal that we're even willing to talk to them about it?" DiCicco asked.

But the neighborhood activists who oppose the casino are frustrated with DiCicco for not insisting on having the social impact study, traffic study, detailed drawings and other elements of the plan prior to submitting the CED legislation.

City leaders and the public should decide whether The Gallery is the right site before adopting the CED, said Helen Gym, a board member of Asian Americans United. "Our feeling is that this is just way too premature."

Right now, Gym said, city officials are in a position of power. By expressing a willingness to move "They've blinked," she said of Foxwoods. "They need to move. They know it and we know it. So take the time and pick the best site."

Foxwoods' license, issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, lists its waterfront site. The casino would have to reappear before the Board to request a change to The Gallery. This is one reason why Gym believes Council should not create a CED at The Gallery. "It would be naïve to think that the city rezoning to Commercial Entertainment District wouldn't give Foxwoods the maximum leverage to get a license change," she said.

The mayor said at Thursday's press conference that the City can't tell Foxwoods where to move anymore than it can tell any other private enterprise where to move.

DiCicco said last week that he believes if things don't work out for Foxwoods at The Gallery, they will go back to their waterfront site. At that site, they have most of the permits needed to receive their building permit. And earlier this week, the State Supreme Court appointed a judge to monitor dealings between Foxwoods and the city. This judge, called a Special Master, is supposed to act as an intermediary in disputes and make sure the City follows the courts earlier orders related to Foxwoods.

The Court's short order, issued late Tuesday, does not specify a location to which it applies. That had both city and state officials and Foxwoods officials wondering whether the Special Master would be involved in discussions and applications involving The Gallery site.

Thursday, Nutter said the city was proceeding as if it did not, because when the request for a Special Master was made, The Gallery was not on the table.

A Foxwood spokesman Wednesday said casino officials had no comment on their interpretation of the order. Nor would they comment on whether the order made them reconsider staying put on the waterfront site.

Nutter said so far as he can tell, Foxwoods remains extremely interested in The Gallery site.

DiCicco said that at present, he believes the majority of Chinatown residents oppose the project, but as more details come in and more public sessions are held, some might change their minds. Chinatown is not the only neighborhood that gets projects residents oppose, he said, referring to the sports and entertainment facilities in South Philadelphia.

The mayor and councilman spoke enthusiastically of how the casino might help revitalize the entire Market East corridor, but insisted that the project is not a done deal.

"There is no other idea out there that could potentially add the economic impact that this potentially could," Nutter said. "That site is certainly better (than the waterfront site), but they will have to go through the same process as anybody else to convince us it's right for the city."

The introduced legislation was sent to the Committee on the Rules. If it passes committee, it will go before Council for a vote. But before that happens, the Planning Commission will weigh in. Next Tuesday, the Commission will discuss the legislation at an open meeting, the location of which has not yet been determined. Commission Chairman Andy Altman said the usual room at 1515 Arch Street isn't big enough to hold the anticipated crowd.

The Commission will make a recommendation to Council prior to Nov. 1, when Council will hold a public hearing on the legislation.

After Council passes the legislation, Foxwoods can submit a plan of development, which would include detailed physical plans for the building as well as traffic, economic and social impact studies, Altman said. The Planning Commission will review the plans and receive public comment on them, and then will vote to either approve or disapprove.

Neither Council nor the Planning Commission can vote on the casino without these detailed plans, Nutter said. Altman said Foxwoods has told the city they will have something together within 60 to 90 days.

If the Planning Commission approves the plan, it goes to City Council, which would also review them at a public meeting and then vote yes or no.

Part of what Council considers will be the location, said DiCicco spokesman Brian Abernathy. And Council could vote no based on location. "We would need a very specific reason to say no to a specific place," he said.

Contact the reporter at kelliespatrick@gmail.com

Home Page Summary

Oct. 16 / By Kellie Patrick Gates Commercial Entertainment District legislation and a new zoning overlay for Market East will now work their way through City Council.

Source

Written By

KellieP

Publish Date

October 16, 2008

Abstract

Barnes storming into reality

mgolas — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:19:16 -0400

Bio

Body

Oct. 15

By Thomas J. Walsh
For PlanPhilly

There were some low-key fireworks early Wednesday evening at the new home of the Barnes Foundation on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where a well-heeled crowd of 200 or more gathered to celebrate the official kick-off to demolition of the Youth Study Center, between 20th and 21st streets on the Parkway’s north side.

The new Barnes will open on the Parkway in 2011, it was announced.

Dispensing with the silver shovels involved in traditional groundbreaking ceremonies, Derek Gillman, executive director of the Barnes, signaled a large construction tractor with an extending claw to attack the building’s fourth floor metallic edges. The heavy equipment operator did this three times at different levels, with small, timed fireworks launching from the spots where the claw clenched metal. It wasn’t exactly Citizens Bank Park after a Ryan Howard homerun, but it was original.

The other fireworks were figurative, coming from the score of vocal protesters outside the fenced-in grassy areas and beyond earshot (mostly) of the speakers inside a large white tent. Security guards and Philadelphia police kept an eye on the crowd, who bemoaned what they deem a waste of taxpayer money and a defiling of the will and intentions of Dr. Albert Barnes. Barnes built his museum and arboretum in the 1920s.

Mayor Michael Nutter and Gov. Ed Rendell joined other city officials, Barnes board members and contributors on the dais. Gillman said the large turnout was testament to the “enormously important moment” for the Barnes and for the Parkway, and to the fact that so many, beyond the museum’s trustees, support the controversial move from its Merion location. By making the stunning collection of Impressionist paintings and other early 20th century art more accessible to the public from around the world, Gillman said they are “faithfully” executing Barnes’ vision.

The collection “doesn’t belong to anyone,” Gillman said. “It belongs to everyone.” The new facility will be called the Barnes Art Education Center.

Robert Zaller, of the group Friends of the Barnes, told the Associated Press that the plans are “a criminal conspiracy to bring about the biggest art heist since the Second World War.”

Nutter, who makes his home in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia, lives “about four blocks” from the Barnes across City Line Avenue, and acknowledged the “hootin’ and hollerin’” going on outside the fence during Wednesday’s announcements.

“I remember a time when there was a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’” about the Merion location, Nutter said, with its problematic parking, noise, and operating hours. The neighbors seemed to be asking the Barnes to practically close up shop, he added, “or leave.”

“So at some point, you have to be careful what you ask for.” That was good for a few polite fists thrown in the air.

Rendell said he’s been keen on the move for 15 years, dating back to his time as mayor. “I thought it was a splendid idea both as the mayor of Philadelphia,” he said, “and someone who was quizzical” about an astounding and unique art collection that “very few people could see.” Of Lincoln University, the Barnes’ main educational partner, Rendell said that nowhere in the world “is there a link-up with an arts program of this caliber.”

Rendell got a big hand when he announced an additional $5 million of state funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to assist with the demolition of the Youth Study Center. That’s on top of an initial $25 million appropriation from the commonwealth. The city is not contributing financially to the move beyond the $1 a year, 99-year lease it has signed with the foundation.

About $156 million from benefactors has been raised so far.

The new building “will house the foundation’s world-renowned art collection in galleries that replicate the scale, proportion and configuration of the original Merion galleries,” according to a press release. “In addition, the new Barnes campus will provide a substantial increase in dedicated space for teaching the foundation’s art education programs.” There will also be space for a special exhibitions gallery, art conservation, classrooms, an auditorium, a gift shop and a café.

Accompanying the construction fencing along the Parkway are large “ribbons” – large, curved signs hundreds of feet in length that feature reproductions of Barnes paintings, quotes from the founder and others, and the names of the major players involved in the site’s design and construction.

One of those names is the Olin Partnership, the project’s landscape architects. Preliminary drawings show new trees complimenting existing ones on the four-and-a-half acre site, with an eye toward honoring the often-overlooked and lush Merion Arboretum that surrounds the existing museum. Olin is also working on improvements to the Rodin Museum, just across 21st Street, and the effort is designed to be linked for a contiguous landscape spanning several blocks.

Tod Williams & Billie Tsien Architects of New York, a husband-and-wife team, are the lead architects for the project. Like the unique space in Merion, the new interiors “should make your shoulders drop,” said Williams, speaking with PlanPhilly after the event. The paintings will be hung in the same fashion as they are now, in terms of distance from the next work, height from the floor, and general grouping.

The key to building the new space, Williams said, is to further the required replication by rendering a “personal, sensual” place, which is “not corporate” in feeling, even remotely. In that sense, positioning and maintaining the intimacy of the large Matisse mural “The Dance II,” commissioned by Barnes himself and painted to fit within the arched walls of the museum’s main hall, will be a challenge, Williams said.

The Barnes property in Merion will remain, and be home to the Barnes archives and arboretum.

Announced project timeline:
Currently: Remediation and site preparation
Winter 2008-2009: Demolition
Spring and summer, 2009: “Architects design refinement”
Fall, 2009: Construction commences
Winter 2011: Construction completed, interior work and installation

Contact the reporter at Tom@ThomasJWalsh.info.

Home Page Summary

Amid protests, timeline is set for premier arts museum to relocate and reinvigorate itself at new address on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Source

Written By

Thomas J.W

Publish Date

October 15, 2008

Abstract

John Norquist at Ed Bacon Foundation Awards

andrewg — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:15:12 -0400

Start: 12/02/2008 - 6:00pm

End: 12/02/2008 - 8:30pm

Start: 12/02/2008 - 6:00pm

End: 12/02/2008 - 8:30pm

Body

The Ed Bacon Foundation invites you to an Awards Ceremony to announce the winners of
REBUILD | REVIVE - A National Student Design Competition
The Award for Professional Excellence
2008 RECIPIENT
JOHN O. NORQUIST
President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism
Mayor of Milwaukee (1988-2004)
This annual award honors one outstanding national figure who has advocated for excellence in urban development, planning, and design.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Loews Hotel (PSFS Building), 33rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA
6:00 p.m.    VIP Reception (with Patron Ticket only)
7:00 p.m.    2008 Awards Ceremony -- student and professional awards
8:30 p.m.    Gala Dinner Reception and Exhibition of the Winning Designs