queen lane projects down by 8/15?

**allarevessels** · 07-29-2012, 11:31 PM

http://www.pha.phila.gov/queenlane scheduled demo complete 8/15. truth?

**green77** · 09-20-2012, 08:15 AM

There have been many delays to the demolition and rebuilding. PHA has had some public meetings about presence of the Potters Field and what type of housing to build. I believe there is a zoning hearing on 9/26th for the project.

**green77** · 10-10-2012, 08:32 AM

The future of the Queen Lane homes site and Pulaskitown is being hotly contested, to say the least:

Future of Queen Lane Apartments site the focus of heated Germantown meeting

Originally Posted by allarevessels

http://www.pha.phila.gov/queenlane scheduled demo complete 8/15. truth?

**NickFromGtown** · 10-16-2012, 07:03 AM

I'm not really sure what the agenda is here regarding Potter's Field. Is it really to respect those who are buried there or is it a way to keep PHA from building as few new units as possible? Either way, this high-rise has to come down. It's caused incalculable damage to the surrounding area that needs to be undone as soon as possible. I don't know what the holdup on demolition is. As it stands now, Queen Lane Apartments is a huge liability for the PHA.

**billy ross** · 10-16-2012, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by NickFromGtown

I'm not really sure what the agenda is here regarding Potter's Field. Is it really to respect those who are buried there or is it a way to keep PHA from building as few new units as possible? Either way, this high-rise has to come down. It's caused incalculable damage to the surrounding area that needs to be undone as soon as possible. I don't know what the holdup on demolition is. As it stands now, Queen Lane Apartments is a huge liability for the PHA.

I believe that the holdup is money. PHA is incompetent, so even though its costs are dramatically reduced in comparison with other property owners, it is flat broke. Thus it needs to get money from HUD to demolish the tower if that tower is going to come down. The feds won't release the money without a plan. The plan has changed, and now people are trying to hash out a new plan, but there is not as of yet consensus. I'm hoping that HUD can bend its rules and release the demolition money in the absence of a plan, as was done with Abbottsford, which is now half field and much less scary than before, since I don't think that we should rush into a plan on how we're going to deal with this site, which is fraught with history, from 1755 to 1955 to today.

Maybe the city can start fining PHA for having derelict property like that. I don't think that the city should continue to suffer due to PHA's incompetence, and if necessary the city may need to take matters into its own hands, as it is doing now with the old mill at Wayne Junction.

**iamawake** · 10-21-2012, 03:46 PM

Hello,
The holdup is not money...yet. Because of the burial grounds and federal dollars involved the project is required to follow 106 process. Look up achp.gov and 106 process for specifics. http://www.achp.gov/regs-rev04.pdf
The next step in the process is under ground investigations. There is some possibility of the Potters Field being larger then described in current building plans. This needs to be discovered prior to construction. Many "delays" are at the hands of the land owner. The Germantown Potter's Field has been identified longer than the new development has been in design. Newest article in Newsworks- Queen Lane Apartments demo in limbo as archaeologists, historic-preservation experts plan Potter's Field visit

There is an outcry in the community for scattered site housing rather than density housing at this site. Development of existing properties in the neighborhood could benefit everyone.

"Strangers Burying Ground or Potters Field for all
Germantown to use for a Burial Place for all
Strangers, Negroes and Mulattoes as Die in any
part of Germantown forever,"

This land was purchased in 1755 for the use as burial grounds.

**NickFromGtown** · 01-13-2013, 07:34 AM

This is a classic case of be careful of what you wish for:

PHA may 'cut our losses' and scrap Queen Lane Apartments demo plan, says agency official

Unless Queen Lane Apartments is to be turned into senior housing, it MUST be demolished. Turning this place back into what it once was is essentially a doomsday scenario that must not happen. It is very scary that it being renovated for previous use is even being considered.

**allarevessels** · 01-13-2013, 01:02 PM

I agree...I was frustrated beyond belief when I read that this took place, I didn't know this "public" meeting was going to take place so I didn't attend...My block captain didn't put out a flyer saying "hey, everyone there's this important meeting happening you should attend"..I can't believe there's such a scarce public opposition to this. Maybe there's a huge opposition to rehabbing the building and I'm not aware of it. I want to join the opposition to a rehab and be made aware of meetings like this in the future. I don't want to have to read on Newsworks about things that are happening in my neighborhood and that directly effect my quality of life. Is it my own fault that I didn't know about this? How can I join the fight against this building being rehabbed for low income housing? I bought a house nearby because I thought this eye sore was scheduled for demolition. When I drive through the surrounding blocks it isn't difficult to imagine this area rebuilding. I daydream of a colorful and well kept neighborhood. That won't happen if this building returns. ugh.

**tintin19119** · 01-13-2013, 01:55 PM

Nutter can`t wait to knock that building down ,so he double or triple taxes in that area,if he didn`t do it already.

**NickFromGtown** · 01-13-2013, 02:07 PM

So to return to my original question, what is the real agenda regarding Potter's Field? This situation has become extremely unstable. PHA has decided to go atomic and the fact that they have renderings makes this even more troubling and urgent. If the idea here is to honor the dead, there can be more than one way to do that. The field can be exhumed if necessary or land can be set aside. We can put markers down. We can do a number of factors. What we can't do is continue to think that PHA can be controlled and strung along.

While I understand the archeological dig is working to find the extent of this ground, it seems that the history of this ground is poorly known. Given what we know and the current circumstances, the stakes are too high to be playing chicken with an organization like PHA.

**thoth** · 01-13-2013, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by NickFromGtown

So to return to my original question, what is the real agenda regarding Potter's Field? This situation has become extremely unstable. PHA has decided to go atomic and the fact that they have renderings makes this even more troubling and urgent. If the idea here is to honor the dead, there can be more than one way to do that. The field can be exhumed if necessary or land can be set aside. We can put markers down. We can do a number of factors. What we can't do is continue to think that PHA can be controlled and strung along.

While I understand the archeological dig is working to find the extent of this ground, it seems that the history of this ground is poorly known. Given what we know and the current circumstances, the stakes are too high to be playing chicken with an organization like PHA.

As far as I could tell from the tone of comments made by the neighbors pushing the potter's field issue, it seems like they want to eliminate or heavily reduce any potential reuse of that land for affordable housing.

**billy ross** · 01-13-2013, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by thoth

As far as I could tell from the tone of comments made by the neighbors pushing the potter's field issue, it seems like they want to eliminate or heavily reduce any potential reuse of that land for affordable housing.

The vast majority of housing in Philly is 'affordable housing' - Philly's a very affordable city, but I know that's not what you meant. You're using newspeak for subsidized housing.

What does the councilwoman say about this? Is PHA legally allowed to rehab that building using the money it got for demolition and new construction? Considering that there's a very successful national program to remove publicly owned housing and replace it with privately owned subsidized housing, and that Atlanta has gotten rid of 100% of its old-style projects, I have a hard time believing that Philly would buck that trend and restore an old-style project. Philly's last new projects were built in 1981 under Bill Greene (after Rizzo said they'd get built over his dead body), and since then very many projects in Philly have been removed (Passyunk, Liddonfield, MLK/Hawthorne, Schuylkill Falls - there may be more (Raymond Rosen?)). The only towers that I can think of that have been renovated here have been Fairhill and one of the three Southwark towers, and they were redone as senior housing, I believe. I personally feel that PHA is trying to put a gun to the community's head so that the community buckles. If Germantown were a healthy community it would be organized about this and the councilwoman would already be coming down very hard on PHA for even broaching this possibility and throwing cold water onto the neighborhood's renaissance.

**mtp** · 01-14-2013, 11:55 AM

My impression, from what I've read of the coverage, is that the Potter's Field makes any change to the existing footprint a very expensive proposition, and one that PHA didn't anticipate or, at the very least, doesn't want to deal with. By repurposing the existing structure, they can get something done and avoid having to negotiate the minefield that is the Potter's Field.

**NickFromGtown** · 01-14-2013, 12:22 PM

This is the inherent problem, of course. What does "repurpose" mean? Does that mean convert to senior housing? If so, that is perfectly fine. If that means convert from now-vacant building to what it used to be, that is completely unacceptable.

**green77** · 04-01-2013, 11:26 AM

Newsworks has been following the developments at the site.
I'd be very interested in seeing the proposed concepts from Peter DiCarlo-

Alternate Potter's Field development proposals presented at NW Neighbors meeting

**NickFromGtown** · 04-01-2013, 11:46 AM

I'd be interested to see PHA's proposal. As the commenter in that article correctly points out, they are looking at spending around $636,000.00 PER UNIT with their plan. How is that even possible? That figure is utterly absurd. Are the workers going to be keeping themselves warm with money bonfires during the winter?

Even the Onion Flats in Logan only cost $250,000 per unit, which is still high, but they do have things like high-end appliances and solar panels.

**green77** · 04-01-2013, 11:55 AM

Agreed- the allowed per unit costs for PHA redevelopments are ungodly high, but I think closer to $300 K per unit. This budget probably includes the tower demolition and possibly building the Potter's Field memorial area.

Originally Posted by NickFromGtown

I'd be interested to see PHA's proposal. As the commenter in that article correctly points out, they are looking at spending around $636,000.00 PER UNIT with their plan. How is that even possible? That figure is utterly absurd. Are the workers going to be keeping themselves warm with money bonfires during the winter?

Even the Onion Flats in Logan only cost $250,000 per unit, which is still high, but they do have things like high-end appliances and solar panels.

**NickFromGtown** · 04-01-2013, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by green77

Agreed- the allowed per unit costs for PHA redevelopments are ungodly high, but I think closer to $300 K per unit. This budget probably includes the tower demolition and possibly building the Potter's Field memorial area.

Demolition definitely won't be cheap. Still though. This is absurd. That tower needs to come down though. I really hope that the final product is mixed income.

**green77** · 04-01-2013, 01:27 PM

I agree with you totally

**billy ross** · 04-01-2013, 05:00 PM

What will it cost to take down the tower? It would be unfair to include that in the per unit costs. I assign that to the reversing previous errors category of expenses. Sometimes when you screw up really badly it costs you to make amends.

And, honestly, 55 units isn't all that many. Falls Ridge has 50 in the empty nester building alone.