Development Archives

Just a few years ago, visitors to South Philly — at least, visitors with a taste for Coleridge — must have thought, “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop for recreation.” South Philadelphia is bounded by the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, but wandering the neighborhood you may never have noticed it. You may, however, have noticed that this primarily residential part of town had little access to public open space.

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission encourages community feedback on development projects and solicits that feedback in a number of different ways. We have been talking about how Registered Community Organizations fit into the process.

The development process in any city should include input from the neighborhood. In Philadelphia, that input often comes from Registered Community Organizations. The city registers RCOs during June, and the registration is good for two years. Right now, there are more than 200 RCOs in Philly, and each has a say in developers’ requests for zoning variances.

Philadelphia Councilman at-Large Jim Kenney may have been disappointed last week to hear that Huy Fong Inc., the manufacturer of the immensely popular Sriracha sauce, will not be moving here any time soon. Kenney had contacted the company to offer Philly as a new location when he heard about Huy Fong’s dispute with its neighbors. The controversy has taken a dramatic turn or two in the months since we first wrote about it (see here), but Huy Fong and the city of Irwindale, California, announced last week that they have settled their differences.

Investors, business, and private individuals all take part in the development process. From planning, construction, to occupancy, there are many steps involved to build a successful structure. Developing a piece of land can be exciting, stressful, and worrisome all at the same time, but sound legal advice and planning may ease some of a developer’s concerns and help him or her avoid unwanted legal contests.

Some industries require professionals to undergo years of rigorous training before they may interact with clients. However, other industries are more flexible. They allow interested individuals to pursue opportunities and to be creative about their approach. Arguably, real estate is one of the most varied, interesting and flexible industries that one can venture into.

The life of a neighborhood and the life of a broader community are often not unlike the lives of individuals. Both communities and individuals tend to weather ups and downs, tend to resist change, tend to ultimately undergo changes and then refocus and redefine themselves.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia broke ground last year on its new specialty care center in King of Prussia. The center has outgrown the space it has been occupying in two buildings, and expanding the space was not practicable. So, CHOP bought 10 acres of land in the Philly suburb and, literally, dug in to a new phase of the hospital’s expansion plan. When construction is completed, the 100,000-square-foot building will house all specialty care programs.

For a borough with a mere 7,800 residents, Conshohocken could be flattered or insulted that Wawa is still trying to build a store in the middle of town. It would be the third Wawa in the area: There is a Wawa at either end of town as well. The town covers just about one square mile of Montgomery County, and a lot of that is water.

When a business is looking for a location for its business, it is often looking for a place to lease. Unlike individuals looking for a house, many businesses don’t want to purchase land and build a building, as it restricts mobility if the location turns out to be unprofitable. So, when business are looking for locations, they are often restricted by how much they can afford to lease.