Opening the Delaware waterfront to the city

Two proposed developments along the Delaware invite pedestrians and play, promising (finally) a living, breathing urban space on river, Inga Saffron writes. At Piers 34-35, across from the I-95 exit, Digsau architects took cues from Standard Hotel by the Highline and lifted their 22-story apartment building above the piers supported by concrete stilts. The stilts open views of the water, offer places for visitors to enjoy the breeze, and also serve as a flood mitigation tool. Up the Delaware, Atrium Design Group's design for the proposed 169 rowhouses at the Foxwoods site breaks up the site by organizing the homes around garden blocks akin to those on St. Albans Street in Graduate Hospital (made famous in the Sixth Sense). The design provides walkways to the river and the architects elevated the living rooms to the second floor to deal with flooding issues. Notably, both projects include parking without letting cars own the precious waterfront real estate. Both projects still need government approvals.


West Philadelphia’s “Streetcar Suburb Historic District” is expected to expand its borders to include the area around 40th and Ludlow streets this week, University City Review reports. Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office makes the move by sending its request to the National Park Service. The planned expansion, which “has moved forward with virtually no opposition” according to the Review’s Jack Firneno, would include the Consortium Building at 26 S. 40th Street. The Consortium Building owner U3 Ventures has been working to restore building and petitioned the state to expand the borders in order to qualify the site for historic preservation tax credits. The Consortium Building is one of Frank Furness’s earliest pieces in Philadelphia (which PlanPhilly reader Gemma Tierney won a private tour of, for donating to our annual membership drive!).

One in 14 Philadelphians received an eviction notice in 2016, a symptom of a quiet housing crisis. Jake Blumgart reports on a new set of legal services launched by the city for renters in danger of losing their home. Several local housing and legal organizations, including Community Legal Services, Tenant Union Representative Network, and Philly VIP will power the new eviction defense initiative. Renters, advocates, and legal aid lawyers celebrated another win in January: the First Judicial District announced that landlords who are filing to evict must provide evidence that they’ve complied with Philadelphia law.

What’s the latest on contaminants in Philadelphia’s tap water? Technical.ly Philly’s Roberto Torres looks at the results of startup Tern Water’s test using 200 tap water samples from seven states, half of which were conducted in Philadelphia. Tern shared in a press release that 90 percent of the 200 samples had at least one “risky” contaminant, and even ritzy areas like Rittenhouse aren't safe from the dirty water.

As Philadelphia bleeds green in anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday, let’s take a look back at the history of the Eagles’ stadiums. Curbed Philly looks at the Birds’ different homes, dating back to the Baker Bowl by North Broad Street and Lehigh Avenue back in 1933.

Source: Plan Philly