Monthly Archives: December 2012

A $151 project intended to alleviate traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension is reportedly experiencing delays that could result in a trip to court. The project will add an additional lane in each direction along a six-mile stretch of road from Mid-County to Lansdale exits. According to Turnpike Commission spokesman Carl DeFebo, challenges arose after construction on the project began back in 2011 along a six-mile long construction zone. These include the building of temporary supports needed to reinforce the existing travel lanes, which are the highest traveled, four-land stretch of the turnpike in the Commonwealth.

In our last post, we began to speak about the variety of planning and development activity that has taken place in Philadelphia in the last year. As we noted last time, it was a busy year, particularly with respect to the Delaware Riverfront and district level planning.

Kellie Patrick Gates of PlanPhilly recently commented on the busy year in Philadelphia in terms of planning and development. Overall, it was a busy year, particularly with respect to planning around the Delaware River and district level planning.

Postgreen, a Philadelphia-area development company, reportedly has two projects coming soon to Frankford Avenue. Unlike some developers, though, Postgreen has an eco-friendly approach more typical of urban planning than real estate development. The projects, near the East Kensington/Fishtown border, will feature a mixed-use, affordable and energy-efficient approach, an ideal mix for a modern urban planner.

It has taken three years, but the final land development application of Medical Mission Sisters has finally been approved by the Abington Code Enforcement and Land Development Committee. The property spans parts of both Abington and Philadelphia and the sisters will be constructing 61 new apartment units.

It has been a relatively decent year for commercial real estate in Philadelphia this year according to the Federal Reserve Board, and the latest numbers show that the year will finish by continuing its trend of modest gains for the city’s market.

Philadelphia Real estate developer Goldenberg Group recently started construction on a $100 million student apartment building next to Temple University, the site of the former John Wanamaker Middle School. The residence is set to be 14 stories, and will add 832 beds for university students.

After eight years of discussion, the possibility of creating a central land bank to handle the large number of vacant and abandoned properties in Philadelphia is moving closer to becoming a reality. Back in October, Governor Corbett signed a bill that gives cities permission to establish land banks, and since then the Nutter administration has been moving to create a land bank within the Philadelphia Housing Development Corp.