Second downtown location? (Philadelphia, Girard, Belmont: neighborhoods, casino, to live)

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by cpomp

#1 and #2 are far to ghetto to have an attractive downtown.

#3 Too many NIMBYs. People in the suburbs are even more anti-development than the city.

#4 This would be an extension of downtown, and the only logical option.

I would have said Callowhill/Northern Liberties had the chance, but NoLibs is too low density and Callowhill is at least a decade away from that.

The area around Temple is pretty ghetto, but it seems like it is becoming nicer with each passing year. If Temple got a hold of the projects near the Temple University station, tore them down, and built a mixed-use complex with a residential component, the area would be even nicer.

#2 is a shame that it is so ghetto. It is one of the best transit nexuses that Philly has to offer.

I can see Callowhill becoming more dense, especially if the project at Broad and Callowhill (I forgot its name) takes off. Spring Garden Street is another one I can see becoming more dense, especially as the Greenway project finishes up. Even North Vine is taking off with 1601 Vine, the Mormon Temple, and the meeting house all being constructed on former surface lots. It would be cool if the area between North Vine and Spring Garden became a super-dense extension of Center City.

Originally Posted by kyb01

Actually I think he means the area that already has lots of development near City Ave and Monument Rd for #3.

Yep! That's what I had in mind (even towards Presidential Boulevard). West of Belmont Avenue could become more dense in my opinion, excluding the large shopping center. Convert the R6 to heavy rail rapid transit (or at least a full-fledged Regional Rail line) and increase the bus frequency between Bala station and everything east of it, and we have excellent transit connectivity!

Also, I will do some research in that movement. I'm interested now.

[thwanko]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

I have a few places in mind that could see high density development:

#1. TempleTown (Cecil B. Moore)-I think this neighborhood is prime for high density construction. With Temple unable to acquire more space for its campus, going vertical seems like the only logical choice. Morgan Hall was completed in 2013 and really shows us what that area is capable of.

#2. North Philadelphia (Broad and Lehigh)-This is one of the most transit friendly nodes in the city, with access to the Broad Street Line, SEPTA Regional Rail lines, Amtrak, and the multitude of buses that pass through this area. I can see TOD development occurring here

#3. City Avenue-City Avenue is perfect for high density development. The only downside is that City Avenue isn't transit-friendly. If the R6 Bala/Cynwyd Line was converted into heavy rail rapid transit, that area would explode with growth!

#4. Broad and Washington-This area of the city can support high density construction, retail, and even a light rail line down Washington Avenue.

I think Broad and Erie would be more likely to see highrise development far in the future than Broad and Lehigh. There is already a highrise-ish building there, albeit an abandoned one, it is next to Temple's medical campus, and it is currently a much busier intersection.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by thwanko

I think Broad and Erie would be more likely to see highrise development far in the future than Broad and Lehigh. There is already a highrise-ish building there, albeit an abandoned one, it is next to Temple's medical campus, and it is currently a much busier intersection.

That makes sense. I hear that Erie Avenue is one of the heaviest traveled corridors for SEPTA. I was thinking Broad and Lehigh just because of how many modes of transportation exist near it.

[lawrencea1]

What about Germantown and Chelten. There is already two "highrises" and it has pretty good transit with the 23 and two regional rails nearby. A lot of the businesses there cater to lower income people but as people begin to reinvest in Germantown it could happen there.

[rotodome]

Germantown used to BE Philadelphia's second downtown, so that suggestion is not far off!

[RightonWalnut]

Second downtown? Sports Complex.

Rename this area "Downtown Philadelphia" and up-zone the hell out of it. With the recent success of the Navy Yard, forget about putting residential there. Put the residential here. Lay out KOZ zones on certain parcels, and let developers go to town. Here, there is easy highway access to I-76 and I-95, as well as close proximity to the airport, and the Broad Street line. Close proximity to green space too. Build some office buildings, and let the rest of the Navy Yard fill out. The rest of the demand for the area could be from residential and and hotel developments. Build a nightlife district or two as well centered around Xfinity Live! and maybe an all pedestrian retail district as well akin to Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

Get it done city officials!

Outside of that, I don't really see any other area outside of Center City and University City that could serve as a "Downtown-esk" area in our lifetimes. I could see highrise demand along City Avenue and North Broad between Center City and Temple, but I don't see anywhere else that's so built up with enough momentum to draw in investors and developers to make such developments a reality.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

The area around Temple is pretty ghetto, but it seems like it is becoming nicer with each passing year. If Temple got a hold of the projects near the Temple University station, tore them down, and built a mixed-use complex with a residential component, the area would be even nicer.

#2 is a shame that it is so ghetto. It is one of the best transit nexuses that Philly has to offer.

I can see Callowhill becoming more dense, especially if the project at Broad and Callowhill (I forgot its name) takes off. Spring Garden Street is another one I can see becoming more dense, especially as the Greenway project finishes up. Even North Vine is taking off with 1601 Vine, the Mormon Temple, and the meeting house all being constructed on former surface lots. It would be cool if the area between North Vine and Spring Garden became a super-dense extension of Center City.



Yep! That's what I had in mind (even towards Presidential Boulevard). West of Belmont Avenue could become more dense in my opinion, excluding the large shopping center. Convert the R6 to heavy rail rapid transit (or at least a full-fledged Regional Rail line) and increase the bus frequency between Bala station and everything east of it, and we have excellent transit connectivity!

Also, I will do some research in that movement. I'm interested now.

Temple simply does not have the financial resources to "create" another downtown like Penn does. Plus the residential parts of UC were never totally neglected the way N. Philly has been. Yes, there were run down parts of UC but not pure devastation. So, I don't see anything grander happening there.

I already mentioned that the "Franklin Town" neighborhood is happening now, 40 years later, because of the Mormon projects, the Granary and expansion of Museum Towers. Further east, east of Broad, the Reading Viaduct project will change the Callowhill/Easerhead neighborhood. The are already signs of that along 13th St where a main stairway to rail park will appear.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by rotodome

Germantown used to BE Philadelphia's second downtown, so that suggestion is not far off!

It absolutely was. Definitely.

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by RightonWalnut

Second downtown? Sports Complex.

Rename this area "Downtown Philadelphia" and up-zone the hell out of it. With the recent success of the Navy Yard, forget about putting residential there. Put the residential here. Lay out KOZ zones on certain parcels, and let developers go to town. Here, there is easy highway access to I-76 and I-95, as well as close proximity to the airport, and the Broad Street line. Close proximity to green space too. Build some office buildings, and let the rest of the Navy Yard fill out. The rest of the demand for the area could be from residential and and hotel developments. Build a nightlife district or two as well centered around Xfinity Live! and maybe an all pedestrian retail district as well akin to Lincoln Road in Miami Beach

This is where I was thinking would be the best for a second downtown. Then the area in between it and center city could get built up.

[Flyers Girl]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Something that would add to the skyline without being continuous from the current skyline.

Are you envisioning something like what you see in Manhattan from the NJ Turnpike, where you see tall buildings way downtown and then lower buildings until you get to the Chrysler Building/Empire State Building areas of midtown? If that's the case, like another poster said, I don't see it happening.