South Philly Review

Share this Story:

Despite its rich cultural and athletic identity, residents often claim that nothing truly exciting happens in South Philly. City planner Jennifer Barr aims to silence naysayers, and her hopes gained traction Feb. 1 with the release of the Lower South District plan.

With Barr as its team’s project manager, the document, replete with suggestions on topics such as land management, open space and transportation, will seek to enhance a 6.58-square-mile expanse that enlists the sports complex area and The Navy Yard, 4747 S. Broad St., as its primary draws.

“We wanted to divide the city in manageable ‘bites’ that were larger than neighborhoods,” the resident of the 1500 block of South Clarion Street said of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s decision to conceive changes for Philadelphia’s 18 districts.

As the City has lacked a comprehensive zoning resolution since 1960, the commission acted on the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter’s requirement to construct and maintain a plan by crafting Philadelphia2035. It adopted the Citywide Vision portion in June and will spend the upcoming years focusing on a heavily recreational and occupational zone.

Barr and her peers created Lower South’s boundaries using 2010 Census tract designations that follow major roadways and the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. With a population of 5,200, the district encompasses few residential stretches, but, in addition to the stadium region and The Navy Yard, also integrates industrial areas, including food distribution, port and shipbuilding facilities and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. As the Citywide Vision forecasts city population and job gains of 100,000 and 40,000, respectively, by 2035, Barr and company used census figures, historic documents, previous plans and other aids to determine themed focus areas. Their sessions yielded 114 recommendations intended to intensify life and leisure for denizens, employees and visitors.

The commission divided its proposals into three themes. The ambitious ideas address the city’s physical development yet anticipate much more with plans to thrive, connect and renew each district.

“Investment in the physical is tied to private investment, populating growth and retention and tax revenues,” Barr said.

The thrive concept dubs the Lower South “a growing metropolitan center providing unique housing, business, industrial and entertainment opportunities,” with neighborhoods and economic development dominating its goals’ breakdown. Packer Park and Southern Boulevard residents lack an identifiable neighborhood center within the Lower South and a community-serving municipal facility outside of FDR Park, according to the district plan.

Inhabitants want a community center, so the commission posits that constructing one, encouraging neighborhood shopping and services in new sports complex developments and creating a safer pedestrian environment for dwellers to enjoy “would allow the residential density necessary to attract neighborhood businesses like food markets, a gym and professional services that neighbors desire now,” according to an ’04 Sports Complex Special Services District survey.

Occupancy matters head the remaining thrive ideas, with hotel developments and extended-stay housing options to accommodate the 24-acre sports complex and The Navy Yard leading a lengthy list. Housing opportunities for seniors have rated highly, as the commission has pondered using the complex and yard, along with vacant buildings on the 1800 block of Hartranft Street and the former Naval Hospital site, whose eastern end in ’01 became the Eagles NovaCare Complex, 1 NovaCare Way.

The economic development category offers the commission’s biggest set of suggestions. With eight million annual visitors to Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way; Lincoln Financial Field, 1101 Pattison Ave.; and the Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., the sports complex unites six professional sports teams in one strip. Improving the pedestrian experience by limiting automobile/pedestrian conflicts to encourage transit trips and enlivening the Pattison Avenue thoroughfare from Broad to 11th streets with licensed vendors and entertainers kick-start the plans. Helping to create parking for patrons of the impending Xfinity Live! entertainment complex, 1100 Pattison Ave., also has won merit.

With more than 8,000 of the district’s 15,000 employees, The Navy Yard has become a commerce haven. As businesses vie for placement within it, the commission envisions attracting restaurateurs and retailers, among many measures. Other economic development goals include deepening the Delaware River’s shipping channel to 45 feet; improving highway access to and enhancing beautification of the area surrounding the former Food Distribution Center, 3301 S. Galloway St.; and coordinating the reuse and greening plans for Sunoco Inc. refinery, 3144 W. Passyunk Ave., which could cease operations by July.

Mayor Michael Nutter approved a new zoning code Dec. 22, and it will take effect Aug. 22. Hoping to make Philadelphia America’s greenest city by ’15, he has advocated transportation changes, a concept that teams with utilities to form the connect theme. Stressing modification, too, the members deemed highways, complete streets, bus service, fixed and freight rails and ferry travel modes to tackle.

“Many of the recommendations build upon themselves or refer to recommendations in other sections,” Barr said.

With Lower South’s heavy use of Interstates 76 and 95, four of their seven total interchanges have been prioritized for improvement. Studies and reconfigurations would result, as the City hires want to ease sports complex traffic flows and add ramps, according to the plan. The Lower South presents difficulties to navigate other than by automobile, so the commission wants to improve bicycle connections between FDR Park and other South Philly communities and to redesign Broad Street from Oregon Avenue to The Navy Yard by completing sidewalks, adding pedestrian-scale lighting and improving landscape maintenance.

The Broad Street-bound C bus will become two routes Feb. 29, with Route 4 to serve the local segment. The commission wants to provide additional bus shelters for the new path, extend the 23 bus to the sports complex on event days and create a one-seat transit ride from Center City to The Navy Yard by extending an existing bus route on every other run.

An ’08 study suggested extending the Broad Street Line to The Navy Yard and has found a proponent in the commission, which is seeking to have multiple agents finance the extension. Five recommendations would aid Lower South’s three Class I railroads and two ideas are working to provide ferry conveyance to and from The Navy Yard. The promotion of solar and wind energy production and enhanced storm water management conclude the connect theme.

Open space, historic preservation and the public realm comprise the renew theme. The commission backs the completion of the Delaware River Trail to The Navy Yard to advance waterfront access strategies. FDR Park would come to include revenue-generating activities like paddle boats and special events and would rely on interpretative signage and kiosks to laud its design and history.