ULI Philadelphia’s report provides recommendations on development, design and growth opportunities for the area surrounding the North Philadelphia Rail Station

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia today released its report on the Technical Assistance Panel convened on January 25-26, 2018 to study the area surrounding the North Philadelphia Rail Station for redevelopment.

At the request of the study sponsors- the City of Philadelphia in conjunction with the North Station District, LLC (the development team)- ULI Philadelphia convened a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP), a group of volunteer member experts, to examine redevelopment and design possibilities for parcels adjacent to the North Philadelphia Rail Station. The project sought to assess market conditions and community impact of design, transit and development opportunities. The project site is a focal point of the City of Philadelphia’s comprehensive plan, Philadelphia2035, identifying the area as a growth opportunity for the neighborhood, city and region. This project brought together a panel of volunteer architectural, planning, development and design professionals, who, after completing an intensive two-day research and stakeholder interview process, presented their recommendations on the proposed design and use(s) employed in possible future development.

Considerations around market demand, partnerships, transit connectivity and infrastructure, maintaining strong urban design principles and establishing a robust community engagement process to address local jobs, safety, retail and community spaces are themes of the recommendations. The report release follows a public presentation at the City of Philadelphia’s Innovation Lab on January 26, 2018. To view the full report, click here.

“The North Station District site sits at the intersection of the Amtrak Northeast Corridor Line, the SEPTA Broad Street subway line, and four separate SEPTA regional rail lines. With a level of transit-richness not seen elsewhere in the region, the site has strong long-term opportunity” said Peter Angelides, Principal with Econsult Solutions and TAP Co-Chair, “but investment should not be tied to the reconfiguration of the train station(s). Engagement with partners and stakeholders will direct future development.”

“The project design, as presented in the draft renderings provided by the North Station District, LLC sponsors, represents a solid foundation and sophisticated understanding of the urban context” said Seth A Shapiro, Principal with BartonPartners and TAP Co-Chair. “In particular the design endeavors to create a gateway to the neighborhood and district through a civic intervention.”

Since 1947, ULI Technical Assistance Panels (TAPs) have harnessed the multidisciplinary expertise of its members to help communities solve challenging land use, development, development, and redevelopment issues on behalf of government agencies and community-based nonprofits. ULI serves as the “honest broker,” bringing all stakeholders together in an environment free of politics and preconceptions. All reports and opportunities to participate in the program can be found here: https://philadelphia.uli.org/community-outreach-initiatives/technical-assistance-panel/.

ULI Member Volunteer Panel:

• Peter Angelides*, Principal, Econsult Solutions
• Danielle DiLeo Kim, Principal, Danielle DiLeo Kim Consulting LLC
• Hercules Grigos, Partner, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP
• Gregory Hallquist, SVP Development & Construction Equinox Management & Construction
• Gregory Krykewycz, Associate Director of Transportation, DVRPC
• David Moos, Co-founder and Principal, Coscia Moos Architecture
• Seth A Shapiro*, Principal, BartonPartners
• Catherine Timko, Principal, The Riddle Company

*Denotes TAP Co-chair

Study Stakeholders:

• Victoria Harris, SEPTA
• Byron Comati, Amtrak
• Cicek Gercel-Taylor, Harrisburg University
• Maria Sourbeer, Shift Capital
• Rose Gray, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha (APM)
• John Haak, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
• Ashley Richards, Philadelphia City Planning Commission
• Greg Heller, Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority
• Christopher Puchalsky, Philadelphia Managing Director’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (oTIS)
• Alan Rosenberg, Temple University Health System
• Tinamarie Russel, North Central Philadelphia Susquehanna Community Development Corporation
• Jessel Alexander, North Central Philadelphia Susquehanna Community Development Corporation
• Kenneth Walker, Jr., North Central Philadelphia Susquehanna Community Development Corporation
• Dawn Summerville, Philadelphia Department of Commerce
• Duane Bumb, Philadelphia Department of Commerce
• Shalimar Thomas, North Broad Renaissance