Empty Lot of the Week-- July 23rd

Chestnut Street Bridge Lot

2320-2330 Chestnut Street

              Sometimes, when an empty surface parking lot gets decorated too heavily, we all forget that there's supposed to be a fucking building in its place. This is one such lot, disguised by art, shameful in origin, and with little or no chance of being filled in the next 1,000 lifetimes. It doesn't seem like a big deal-- a little sunken lot with a beautiful mural on it. Nonetheless, that's no excuse to keep a lot empty for over 50 fucking years.
             Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Old-Ass Building of the Week-- July 22nd

Garrick House aka Paschall Residence aka Old Yellow Mansion aka General Howe's Headquarters

6840 Paschall Avenue

Pic by Brad Maule

                     Old-Ass Building? Ancient-Ass building! This house is 290 years old, easily the oldest building I've ever written about. A Revolutionary War- AND Civil War-related site, this motherfucker is now occupied by some crappy church. Check it out at the Hidden City Daily!

Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- July 16th

The Horizon and The Tides

901 North Penn Street

Old 2003 rendering.

                Waterfront Square, the luxury condo gated community on North Penn Street on the Delaware Riverfront, was proposed in 2003 by its original developer, a partnership of Isle of Capri Associates and a Tel Aviv-based developer, as a 5-tower, 968 unit juggernaut on nearly 10 acres. However, only three of the towers got built. The last two, called the Horizon and the Tides, have fallen into the Dead Proposal black hole... or have they?
                 Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Empty Lot of the Week-- July 9th

Social Service UArts Cemetery Lot

310-316 South 13th Street

                 This is the emptiest lot I can think of. It doesn't look too serious: a 60-foot wide parking lot behind a University of the Arts dorm. Nonetheless, the emptiness of this lot becomes clear when you realize that this piece of land has NEVER had a building on it. Ever! This 60 foot gap on 13th Street has been there forever. Only a few feet under that asphalt is some original virgin Philadelphia soil. Now that's an empty lot.
                Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- July 2nd

1200 Bank

1200 Chestnut Street

                   It only takes one NIMBY to fuck up a multi million dollar, fully-approved project that would have saved an historic building and created tons and tons of tax revenue. 1200 Bank would have been a kick-ass establishment to have at a corner that sorely needs it, a proud symbol of Philadelphia's continuing renaissance. Nonetheless, the grand Philadelphia tradition of NIMBYism helped take it down.
                Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Four of the Crappiest Parts of Center City

                     

                   Nowadays, development in Philadelphia seems to be focused heavily on neighborhoods and districts surrounding Center City. Its almost like there's an attitude that Center City is finished, nothing left to do. Well, as we all know, that is not the case. Here's four areas of Center City that are in desperate need of the right developer's touch. For the purposes of this list, I'm using the most strict definition of Center City: Vine to Pine, River to River.
                    Check it out at Philadelphia Magazine's Property Blog!

Empty Lot of the Week-- June 25th

Eakins Oval Surface Parking Disaster Area

The Southeastern End of Eakins Oval

                How the fuck does a ROAD become an empty lot? Who thought this would ever be a good idea? This shitbag parking lot has infested Eakins Oval for almost 50 years and is finally in the process of being wiped the fuck out. To be fair, its not like this lot goes totally unused. Though it just parks cars for 99% of the time, its also the jumping off point for charity walks/marathons and serves as the meeting area for tours and shit. Also, the big events on the Parkway often put this ~460 foot long piece of asphalt to good use.
              Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!