Hyperspace Clusterfuck: How The River ‘Hoods Have Just Been Sold Out And Then Almost Accidentally Sort Of Saved
While we were anxiously awaiting Vincent Fumo’s response to this rabble rousing request from Hallwatch guru Ed Goppelt, things might be mellowin’ out for Vince, Sugarhouse, Foxwoods, and every neighborhood bordering the Delaware.
In the thick of summer, we know you’ve spent alot of time hitting up those Fishtown house parties, so here’s your revised novella: Fumo promised legislation to limit the casino death grip on local neighborhoods, a promise he knew he couldn’t keep. Goppelt called him out on it. And now enter the kid who may have just made a lot of friends cleaning up the mess, PennPraxis.
No one has been too thrilled with the casino proposals that may be turning Philly into Atlantic City’s seventh dirty borough. Now, it seems that PennPraxis might have imagined a solution that, dare we say, everyone might like.
According to PlanPhilly, our new fav urban development watchdog:
The Praxis vision would take the two largest chunks of riverfront land and create two new neighborhoods, one in South Philadelphia and another stretching along Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Port Richmond… This denser urban fabric could then sprout a cityscape of human-scaled homes, shops and parks, drawing the vitality of Philadelphia’s existing neighborhoods down to the river’s edge. It’s not Miami Beach, but rather Rittenhouse Square, that Praxis envisions on the river.
Not to get anyone’s hopes up or anything, but the development drawings look hot, hot, hot, after the jump.
North Philadelphia Plan:
This drawing shows off the 5 planned parks that Praxis is calling a “necklace of greenery,” nestled in between 400 acres of urban space fitted for residential, commercial, and casino zoning. Take note kids, this could exponentially increase the number of places to smoke your greenery.
South Philadelphia Plan:
Check it, 325 acres of worthwhile real estate along between I-95 and the Delaware. This proposed “urban boulevard” could make parties south of Washington really worth the commute. Cross your fingers Mission 300.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Real estate slump is a total bummer for these plans.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:37 am
The slump would likely be over
by the time this project was underway, and such newly-built riverfront properties would be very appealing.
The human scale of her neighborhoods is one of Philly’s strong suits. The tops of the buildings should be kept at the same height as a treeline. Taking the A train through parts of Queens in the summer, you can barely see a house for all the tree foliage–just an odd steeple here and there. That’s how these neighborhoods should be. Let’s hope it might happen.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Word to whimsy, and even in a slump attractive properties move forward. It’s hard to imagine lakefront/parkfront land not getting developed profitably, even in the middle of a freaking depression.
Slumps mean slowed, not stopped.
July 26th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
More like a pearl necklace. Wonder how many brick and baseball bat beating victims they’ll exhume.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Lord_Whimsy - I’m from Queens and I can tell you a) the A train doesn’t go anywhere near it; and b) at least in my hood, you can’t see the houses cuz there ain’t many.
Must we aspire to Queens?? (Only Philly would.)