NE Philly to get new "suburban" mall on Delaware Waterfront.

**desolate** · 08-12-2010, 12:35 AM

Frankford Arsenal buildings to be demolished to make way for new sububan style shopping mall on Delaware Waterfront.

Free Parking. Big Box Stores. New Highway exit with direct highway access to mall.

Spirit News Papers

Spirit Community Newspapers

"The creation of the 500,000-square-foot shopping center, endorsed by the community and local business and civic associations, is expected to create at least 250 construction jobs during its development and, upon completion, more than 1,000 retail jobs.

The $50 million shopping center is key to preserving the historical infrastructure of the Arsenal. Funds generated from the development of The Shopping Center at the ARSENAL will help maintain and preserve the "Certified Historic Structures" in the southern section of the Arsenal. These include several 194-year-old buildings that by 1940 served as the preeminent site for the production of military ammunition in the United States. These buildings now are home to two charter schools – Maritime Academy Charter School and The Franklin Town Charter High School – as well as several businesses including Thomson Reuters and The Philadelphia Rare Books and Manuscripts Company."

Also..

NE Philly will most likely get their riverfront trail first to connect some great waterfront parks they already have.

http://www.drcc-phila.org/reports/Ne...ter%202010.pdf

The NE waterfront.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41926767@N06/3862973502/

(it's behind a prison for disclosure but still..)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4192676...n/photostream/

If you don't come up with millions of rules (The mess of CDAG/Praxis/neighborhood groups/grids 100 foot setbacks on the south Delaware etc) maybe things start to happen.

**ArcticSplash** · 08-12-2010, 08:34 AM

Actually a lot of people use the park that's behind Holmesburg Prison. Most people are locals and get there on bike but there's plenty of parking for picnics and cookouts. They've been adding more and more space back there and it's an awesome place to bike.

Police presence though is thin... you may see a cop each lunch in his car there once in a while but I don't think they come around to monitor the park often enough. The park space is located a healthy distance away from the prison and it's right on the water so it's actually quite nice. The place gets really windy though sometimes. I like going there when I get bored with Pennypack.

It could do with some perimeter trees on it to block the view of the prison and it needs a more pronounced entrance.

If you don't know exactly where the entrance is to the park you will have a hard time finding it, even with the signs.

**OldMaestro** · 08-12-2010, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by MayfairMeat

Actually a lot of people use the park that's behind Holmesburg Prison. Most people are locals and get there on bike but there's plenty of parking for picnics and cookouts. They've been adding more and more space back there and it's an awesome place to bike.

Police presence though is thin... you may see a cop each lunch in his car there once in a while but I don't think they come around to monitor the park often enough. The park space is located a healthy distance away from the prison and it's right on the water so it's actually quite nice. The place gets really windy though sometimes. I like going there when I get bored with Pennypack.

It could do with some perimeter trees on it to block the view of the prison and it needs a more pronounced entrance.

If you don't know exactly where the entrance is to the park you will have a hard time finding it, even with the signs.

Are you talking about the place that is accessed from "Princeton" Avenue?"

**desolate** · 08-12-2010, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by MayfairMeat

Actually a lot of people use the park that's behind Holmesburg Prison. Most people are locals and get there on bike but there's plenty of parking for picnics and cookouts. They've been adding more and more space back there and it's an awesome place to bike.

Police presence though is thin... you may see a cop each lunch in his car there once in a while but I don't think they come around to monitor the park often enough. The park space is located a healthy distance away from the prison and it's right on the water so it's actually quite nice. The place gets really windy though sometimes. I like going there when I get bored with Pennypack.

It could do with some perimeter trees on it to block the view of the prison and it needs a more pronounced entrance.

If you don't know exactly where the entrance is to the park you will have a hard time finding it, even with the signs.

Rhawn St's the entrance.

It's not marked AFAIK.

**OldMaestro** · 08-12-2010, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by desolate

Rhawn St's the entrance.

It's not marked AFAIK.

The one next to the yacht club is off of Princeton. Where does Rhawn come in east of State Road?

**desolate** · 08-12-2010, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by OldMaestro

The one next to the yacht club is off of Princeton. Where does Rhawn come in east of State Road?

The entrance to the park is where 95 passes over State Road at Rhawn.

Or directly south of the prisons.

State and Rhawn Philadelphia - Google Maps

**Geno** · 08-12-2010, 01:09 PM

Oh boy, big box stores! I can't wait.

**OldMaestro** · 08-12-2010, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by desolate

The entrance to the park is where 95 passes over State Road at Rhawn.

Or directly south of the prisons.

State and Rhawn Philadelphia - Google Maps

Oh, I can't picture at all where that road comes in to get back to that park. I always assumed you accessed it from Princeton where the other public boat launch is.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=State+...gEwAA&t=h&z=16

**eldondre** · 08-12-2010, 02:04 PM

wow so awesome!!

**desolate** · 08-12-2010, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

wow so awesome!!

Ya know El the NE has two riverfront parks that are pretty nice.

Pennypack, where those pics came from and Linden Point.

While not amazing, they are solid and well used parks.

With no signage and no addition to any other "riverfront" system.

I think that's why Penn Praxis's approach to this is so irritating.

The plan and plan...

and seem to ignore what we have now and don't even mention them in anything.

There isn't even a map of all of the River Parks.

**eldondre** · 08-12-2010, 03:11 PM

is this about putting a surface lot on the waterfront or the two parks?

**desolate** · 08-12-2010, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

is this about putting a surface lot on the waterfront or the two parks?

where's the surface lot?

behind that big green area with the bike and jogging trail? (almost the size of a store, larger than say any of the proposed pier parks)

It's how you pay for like..parks and stuff.

**billy ross** · 08-12-2010, 08:24 PM

Mark Hankin is a POS.

**Phillyurban8** · 08-13-2010, 06:04 AM

It would be nice if the development included permeable lots, retention ponds or green roofs to help with water runoff, since it's so close to the river.

**desolate** · 08-13-2010, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by Phillyurban8

It would be nice if the development included permeable lots, retention ponds or green roofs to help with water runoff, since it's so close to the river.

almost all new construction does.

all retail projects contain storm water controls.

They are easily placed under the parking lots.

**OldMaestro** · 08-13-2010, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by desolate

The entrance to the park is where 95 passes over State Road at Rhawn.

Or directly south of the prisons.

State and Rhawn Philadelphia - Google Maps

I took a ride past this last night. So the road to get back there is the road you take to get to the "Riverview Home." There is a sign just above the "Riverview Home" that says Pennypack Trail. It's pretty hard to see if you're not trying to find it.

**desolate** · 08-13-2010, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by OldMaestro

I took a ride past this last night. So the road to get back there is the road you take to get to the "Riverview Home." There is a sign just above the "Riverview Home" that says Pennypack Trail. It's pretty hard to see if you're not trying to find it.

Yeah.

It's pretty much impossible to know about let alone find.

Or, before we spend millions more on more riverfront plans..

let's try and highlight or even locate the current parks.

**Cya** · 08-13-2010, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by OldMaestro

I took a ride past this last night. So the road to get back there is the road you take to get to the "Riverview Home." There is a sign just above the "Riverview Home" that says Pennypack Trail. It's pretty hard to see if you're not trying to find it.

I was back there only once. And that's only because someone else was driving who knew where it was.
I tried to find it again recently, but could not. It's really tucked away. Maybe that's not such a bad thing--when you consider the litter and trash all over the hatcheries @ Linden Ave. Really disgraceful--embarassing even.

**Scoats** · 08-14-2010, 11:32 AM

We have 4 riverfront parks in the NE. Soon to be 5.

- Pleasant Hill, which is off Lindon Ave. It has the hatcheries, a boat ramp, some softball fields, and a large parking lot. Nice to be on the river, but not much of a draw if you aren't launching a boat.

- Pennypack, which is near Rhawn Street. It goes behind the city old folks home and a prison. This is on the site of the Old House of Corrections. It originally linked Pennypack Park and it's bike/jogging trail to the Delaware. It has ball fields and a gazebo. Nicer than Lindon Ave but still not much of a draw. If you are driving your bike to ride on the Pennypack trail, it is a great place to park your car. Sitting next to the river after your bike ride is nice.

It has expanded northward and now has a really amazing paved nature trail through meadows and wetlands. Plans are for a bridge to be built over the Pennypack Creek to meet up with Pleasant Hill Park.

- Princeton Ave state park next to St. Vincents. Boat ramp, view of river, a bench, parking, not much more. The river view is nice, but there isn't any there there.

- Boat launch next to Frankford Arsenal. I think the state owns this. Large parking lot on the river with a boat ramp.

- Lardners Point, a new park currently being built at the base of the Tacony Palmyra Bridge that will be part of the Delaware River Heritage Trail. I expect it will be similar to the extension of Pennypack at the Delaware.