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!

Old-Ass Building of the Week-- June 24th

William Welsh House

1122-24 Spruce Street

                 On the 1100 block of Spruce Street, a wide, stone-faced building stands out from its red brick neighbors. Like the old Lincoln Institute around the corner, this 156-year-old masterpiece constitutes yet another piece of relatively forgotten Native American history in Washington Square West.
                  Read more at the Hidden City Daily!

Lost Building of the Week-- June 18th

Vulcanite Building

1710 Market Street

The building as it appeared in 1899. Source: Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project

                 Check out this beauty from a time when even a small-time office building was something to design the crap out of. The Vulcanite Building, besides having one of the coolest building names ever, was a masterpiece of commercial design that only stood for 34 years and came to an unceremonious end to make room for a project that never happened.
                Read more at Philadelphia Magazine's Property Blog!

Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- June 18th

Walnut Street Theatre Tower, World's Tallest Old Folk's Home

825 Walnut Street

                 This is the kind of Dead-Ass Proposal that really pisses me the fuck off. A highrise in a location that sorely needs it, a project that would have had huge success for multiple reasons, a replacement for a decades-old surface parking lot. This would have been a major landmark for the city and world record-breaker. What a disappointment.
              Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!