Jabari Jones, a student in Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business and WPFSI intern will chair the Strategic Planning Committee that will be writing the next Strategic Plan for the business association. Jones also serves as an executive board member on LA21. The Strategic Plan is set to address issues like safety, lighting, beautification and more resources to help small businesses like technology, websites, and social media. The plan also hopes to focus on helping small businesses capture the student spend from college students moving into the area.
“Our Strategic Plan is the business association’s vision for the future,” Jones said in an open letter. “It will be a physical testament to our unwerving commitment to economic development and our understanding of the importance of innovation in business.”
The Strategic Plan will be titled the Strategic Plan of Lancaster Avenue: Defining A Modern Business Association. Jones plans to have representatives from all of Lancaster Avenue’s stakeholders weigh in on the Strategic Plan by offering them membership on the Strategic Planning Committee. “We will be brought together to the same table under our shared vision of seeing a future prosperous Lancaster Avenue” Jones said.
Jones called the letter an official call-to-action to all of Lancaster Avenue’s stakeholders to be represented and weigh in on the future of Lancaster Avenue. He concludes the letter by saying “Together, I confidently believe that we can create and implement a strategic plan that will bring economic growth, opportunity and beautification to Lancaster Avenue.”
Change is coming for small businesses along the Lancaster Avenue corridor. The Lancaster Avenue 21st Century Business Association (LA21), a business association whose mission is to provide economic growth and opportunity to small businesses on Lancaster Avenue, had announced the creation of a new plan to help businesses along the corridor from 34th to 52nd [...]
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The nonprofit affordable housing developer Community Ventures is working with the registered community organization (RCO) Parkside Association of Philadelphia to create new senior and affordable housing and park space along the beleaguered 52nd Street corridor between Lancaster and Parkside Avenues in the West Parkside and Cathedral Park communities. The Parkside Association and Community Ventures are proposing a 32-unit senior [...]
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The Parkside Association and Community Ventures are proposing a 32-unit senior and disabled housing complex on the 1700-block of 52nd Street, according to Lucinda Hudson, the president of the Parkside Association. In addition, the development will contain 20 units of affordable housing for people of all ages. The Parkside Association will also be moving their own office into the complex.
The “main benefits of the project are elimination of blight on both sides of a full block of 52nd Street, restoration of two community parks,
The project was given unanimous RCO approval two weeks ago.
Spurred by this proposed development, the nonprofit West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution (WPFSI) is seeking to add multiple retail components to the corridor. Jim Burnett, executive director of WPFSI, said that the organization has begun working with the Goldenberg Group to locate retail tenants for the affordable housing complex. WPFSI and the Goldenberg Group were also the developers behind the Parkwest Town Center, a large multi-tenant shopping center which is located along the corridor.
Further south, WPFSI also has plans for the intersection of 52nd and Lancaster intersection, where a lot of the property at the intersection has been vacant and languishing for at least a decade. Burnett said he is looking at the northeast, southeast, and southwest corners of the intersection to bring some new retail space. The new space would also house the Progressive Change CDC, which is being developed by WPFSI. He’s also looking to relocate his nonprofit’s office (currently located a block away at 52nd and Warren) to the area.
By Andy Sharpe, Generocity.org
http://www.generocity.org/new-housing-development-and-commercial-corridor-improvements-in-west-parkside/
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]]>Parkside Association of Philadelphia, Inc was established on June 1, 1977 to provide community based planning for the West Parkside Community. Parkside Association of Philadelphia incorporated on December 30, 1977 and has been in operation for 33 years and continues to be a dynamic force in and for the community. In 1977 the City of [...]
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In 1977 the City of Philadelphia proposed to construct a parking lot for what was then called the Dell East in Fairmount Park. This was directly across from the residential 5100 hundred block of Parkside Avenue. Lucinda Hudson, then 28 year old mother of two sons, led a protest to stop the construction of that parking lot. PAP was born out of that protest which was viewed by the residents as a negative externality on their community. The momentum spurred further community organizing, participation, development planning efforts, and the subsequent appointment of block captains that would eventually become the Board of Directors of PAP. Ella D. Francis was elected as PAP first president and served in that capacity until October 1997, when Lucinda Hudson was elected and has been the president until present day. In 1978, West Parkside was given neighborhood status, and the Philadelphia Planning Commission put together the “West Parkside Strategy Plan”, a comprehensive plan directed at improving the neighborhood’s housing stock, site improvements to facilitate pedestrian travel, and improvements in bus service.
PAP has demonstrated experience in community development evidenced through its successful rehabilitation of 19 houses producing 26 units of living. Subsequently, the rehabilitation of these buildings has created much needed affordable housing stock for community residents, and restored aesthetic appeal to Parkside’s external façade abutting Fairmount Park contributing to the greater marketability of the community.
Centennial Village will be a mixed-generation community with fifty-two dwelling units and 7,633 square feet of commercial space located in the West Parkside neighborhood. It will be developed by Community Ventures in collaboration with the Parkside Association of Philadelphia. The site will occupy most of both sides of 52nd Street between Columbia and Parkside Avenues, as well as adjacent properties on nearby streets.
The City of Philadelphia has budgeted almost $3,000,000 in Neighborhood Transformation Initiative funds to acquire fifty-four properties on 52nd Street and on adjacent blocks. The Centennial Village site will be assembled from this acquisition package and from a group of adjacent publicly-owned properties. The remaining acquired properties will be set aside for follow-up packages of affordable sales homes. The remaining funding has come from a combination of CDBG funds from the office of Housing and Community Development; the West Philadelphia Empowerment Zone and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).
An apartment building containing thirty-two one-bedroom units, a community room, a rental management office, and commercial space will occupy most of the entire west side of 52nd Street between Columbia and Parkside Avenues. Off-street parking will be provided at the rear of the apartment building with access from the 5200 Block of Parkside Avenue. A community park adjacent to the parking lot and fronting on 5200 Parkside will be renovated. The entire east side of 52nd Street facing the apartment building between Columbia and Parkside Avenues will also be developed. A former bar at Parkside Avenue will be renovated to include two two-bedroom units on the second and third floors and 833 square feet of unfinished retail space on the first floor. Two mixed-use buildings with a total of four three-bedroom homes and 3,600 square feet of commercial space (half of which will be occupied by Parkside Association and used to provide community services) will be constructed on the vacant lots between the Parkside Inn and Viola Street. Two three-bedroom and two four-bedroom homes will be constructed just south of Viola Street. The community park on the south end of the block will be renovated (funded by a contribution from Community Ventures’ development fee). Finally, the project site includes seven vacant structures and two vacant lots that have a direct impact on the main site. Located near the properties on the east and west sides of 52nd Street, they will be developed as eight single family homes and one duplex.
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]]>On February 01, 2014, we held our pilot Roundtable discussion with Philadelphia millenials. In attendance was a diverse group of Philadelphia residents who provided insight on their view of this city. The public school system, crime and safety, housing options, transportation, and entertainment were some of the topics that were addressed. In conclusion, the group [...]
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Don’t miss out on the next discussion.
The purpose of this discussion series is to collect as many opinions from a diverse group of twenty somethings about what they look for in an ideal neighborhood. This study will give us a better picture of what developments West Philadelphia needs, in hopes that we can create it.
Date: Saturday, March 8th at 11:30 AM
Location: Landmark Americana (City Line, 2481 N 54th St, Philadelphia, PA 19131)
Any questions, call 215-452-0100 or email juliana@wpfsi.com. Space is limited so RSVP TODAY!
To register: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/roundtable-discussion-ii-philly-your-voices-our-city-tickets-10122427453
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]]>This year West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution along with Progressive Change CDC have introduced a new and exciting initiative: Roundtable Discussion; Philly, Your Voice, Our City. This is a discussion with twenty-somethings about how to grow Philadelphia. We will be addressing important issues such as amenities and services in the city as well as specific [...]
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The purpose of this discussion series is to collect as many opinions from a diverse group of twenty somethings about what they look for in an ideal neighborhood. This study will give us a better picture of what developments West Philadelphia needs, in hopes that we can create it.
Kick-off: Saturday, February 1st 11:00 AM – 2:00PM
Location: Landmark Americana (3333 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104)
To register, call 215-452-0100 or email juliana@wpfsi.com. Space is limited so RSVP TODAY!
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