Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- October 8th

University City Science Center 2004 Master Plan

3400 to 3800 blocks of Market Street

                      The University City Science Center loves to generate Dead-Ass Proposals like its their hobby, but this one is definitely their most large-scale attempt. Had this happened, the construction would be done by now and the 3400-3800 blocks of Market would make the average passerby shit their pants with astonishment. The University City Science Center began developing on this part of Market Street in 1965 (they were in the Widener Building before that) and has had about 5 gorillion different master plans and building proposals since. Even though lots of new construction and development is taking place there now, it pales in comparison to this master plan.
                  Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Empty Lot of the Week-- October 1st

James Forten School NIMBY Lot

414-416 South 6th Street

                         James Forten gets no goddamn respect. He was an African American figure about 1000 times more important than the same old handful of black leaders trotted out every February. This badass was a Revolutionary War hero, one of the earliest abolitionists, started one of the earliest (if not the first) racially diverse workplaces in America, and is arguably directly responsible for the entire black population of Philadelphia (and Pennsylvania). Did I mention that he lived seven months of his life in a dungeon in the lower decks of a British ship? Or that he once walked from Brooklyn to Philadelphia? Or that he was one of the richest self-made men in America? So what does James Forten get for all his great works, his suffering, his contribution to American life? AN EMPTY FUCKING LOT!!!!
                    Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Old-Ass Building of the Week-- September 30th

Bird Building

1034 Spring St

Photo by Brad Maule

                         After about 15 false starts, I finally had to finish writing about the Bird Building, which has been bugging me with its difficult-to-find history since Philaphilia first started. Read all about it at the Hidden City Daily!

Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- September 24th

Philadelphia Wax Museum

1499 South Columbus Boulevard

Reversed South Street Bridge skyline view in the background, but the most current rendering, as far as I know.

               Alright, so this proposal isn't technically dead, but it might well be Dead on Arrival. This concept for a Philadelphia Wax Museum has been floating around for at least 5 years and might have even existed since 1997. Its hard to tell if the proposal is serious or even REAL. Though the idea of a wax museum honoring great Philadelphians is not too bad, the implied execution of it seems near impossible.
              Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Empty Lot of the Week-- September 17th

George Gordon's Lot

300 Arch Street

Pathetic!

              Ok, so Old City has a whole shitload of surface parking lots and even a few completely unused slumlord-owed patches of vacant land. Nonetheless, I'm pretty sure that this little lot irks me the most. That's right. This corner of landscaping at the southwest corner of 3rd and Arch with that ugly green metal box on it is indeed an empty lot and has been such for 50 goddamn years.
              Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!

Old-Ass Building of the Week-- September 16th

Parke Building/ Markley Building/ Bank and Trust Company of West Philadelphia

17 South 52nd Street

Pic by Brad Maule

                  This is yet another building that I've wondered about forever. Many attempts I've made to research this building over the past 2.5 years failed, but I was finally able to get the skinny on this big bitch-bastard on 52nd Street once and for all. Check it out at the Hidden City Daily!

Dead-Ass Proposal of the Week-- September 10th

Penn's Landing Tower

735 South Columbus Boulevard

            It seems that all Ensemble Real Estate can do for Philadelphia is an ensemble of Dead-Ass Proposals. Though they did finally get something done recently (Courtyard by Marriott in the Navy Yard), these motherfuckers seem to be full of broken promises. This, the Penn's Landing Tower, is just one of many.
            Read more at the Philadelphia City Paper's Naked City Blog!