Tag: frankford cdc

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Frankford Avenue Streetscaping Update

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Overview
One of the Frankford CDC’s major projects is developing and implementing a streetscaping plan for Frankford Avenue. With a design grant from the Community Design Collaborative, we are working with a design team to create a conceptual streetscaping plan for the area around Margaret-Orthodox. This conceptual design will explore and address issues of safety, litter and trash, lighting, greening, and stormwater management in the immediate area, while keeping an eye toward repicability along Frankford Avenue. Once the conceptual plan is complete, the Frankford CDC will be able to approach funders to finance the implementation of the plan.

Safe Growth / Safe Commercial Corridor Program
During the summer of 2015, the Frankford CDC participated in the City’s SafeGrowth/Safe Commercial Corridors Program. With a team including police, residents, and business owners, our two commercial corridor managers looked at how design and programming could contribute to the perception of safety around SEPTA’s Arrott Transportation Center, also known as Margaret-Orthodox. The team came up with a number of short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations, including removal of newsstand and benches, more frequent resource tables, improved lighting, and streetscaping.

Task Force Meetings
In early January 2016, we held the first small task force meeting with the design team from the Community Design Collaborative. At this meeting, roughly 30 stakeholders from the residential and business communities as well as from the City discussed various ideas and concerns regarding the area around Margaret-Orthodox to convey to the design team what the major issues and hopes for the area are. From here, the design team will come up with a number of recommendations which will be presented at a second task force meeting. The second task force meeting will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to respond to the preliminary ideas the design team comes up with. With feedback from the second task force meeting, the design team will complete the conceptual streetscaping plan. The second task force meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 17, at 6:30 PM at Second Baptist Church (1801 Meadow Street). Please RSVP to Ellie Devyatkin if you plan to attend.

Timeline
We anticipate having the complete conceptual streetscaping plan in hand by summer 2016. With the conceptual design, we will be able to develop an implementation plan and secure funding for the various stages of implementation. We will also be coordinating with SEPTA’s two-year Arrott Transportation Center project, which will include replacing much of the sidewalk in the immediate vicinity and removal of the newsstand and some benches.

For further information, meeting times/locations, questions, or concerns,
please feel free to contact Ellie Devyatkin
by phone (215-743-6580) or email (edev.fcdc@gmail.com)

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Frankford Tree Lighting 2015

Thanks to the Gilbert family at the Holiday Thriftway on Frankford Avenue, Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sanchez, State Rep. Jason Dawkins and the Frankford Community Development Corporation, the holiday season was officially launched on Friday night, December 4th with the lighting of the tree.

The weather was beautiful and the kids excited as they had some light refreshments in anticipation of gifts that came after the tree blazed into its glory.

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That spot in front of the Triftway makes a great venue for this kind of event.

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Frankford CDC Selected to Participate in the Philadelphia Safe Commercial Corridor Program.

A program facilitated by LISC, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Commerce Department, the Philadelphia Safe Commercial Corridor program uses the Safe Growth model as a way to tackle crime and safety issues on urban commercial corridors through design. Safe Growth is a proven method of organizing and training teams of diverse community stakeholders including leaders in community development, design, planning, law enforcement, and government, to positively impact real-life crime and safety issues.

The information and data gathered through a study using the safe growth model with be used by the Frankford CDC as a segue into a streetscaping design for the 4600-4700 blocks of Frankford Avenue and the 4600 block of Paul Street. The Frankford CDC will be working with the Community Design Collaborative to design the streetscaping concept. This project will build on the organization’s efforts around revitalizing Frankford Avenue around the soon to be renovated Arrott Transportation Center.

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SEPTA Agreement Makes Way for Development

After several months of discussions, SEPTA and the Frankford Community Development Corporation have reached an agreement on the development of the blocks now occupied by SEPTA between Pratt Street and Dyre Street and Griscom Street and Frankford Avenue.  SEPTA’s plans for construction on the lot adjacent to Frankford Avenue will go as planned with the addition of an area for stores on the Frankford Avenue side.  The lot where the employe parking lot is now located will be made available for “… development which will include a food market (with ancillary parking)…”

SEPTA will invite developers to submit proposals for the development of these sites and responses will be evaluated and a selection may be made based of that process.  The bottom line is that this kick starts the development of the area around the FTC.

Below is Gary McLaughlin at the board meeting discussing one of the issues in the resolution.

 


 

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Frankford Needs a Supermarket

There has been some talk about the Thriftway closing next year.  Rite Aid Has owned the property for several years and has opted to exercise its right to not renew the lease.  They plan to demolish the existing structure and build a new Rite Aid.  This will leave Frankford without a supermarket.

That is a big story in Frankford but it is only part of a larger picture.  The area around the FTC (Frankford Transportation Center) has been identified as the place most likely to attract developers.  They are the people who build things like shopping centers and housing.  The CDC has walked through the neighborhood with some of these guys and they all say the FTC is the place to start.  The CDC does not invest money to get these things done; they get developers interested in doing them.  That is part of their job.

So when news that SEPTA was going to do a construction project in the 5100 block of Frankford Avenue it sounded like an opportunity.  The project is to build a backup control center and also a break room for SEPTA FTC employees.  It would all on that empty space between Frankfod Ave. and Griscon between Pratt and Dyre.

Meetings were held, discussions between SEPTA and the CDC took place and some form of understanding that the community’s need for a supermarket at that location would be included in the project.

At the Frankford Business and Professional Association meeting on June 23, a SEPTA representative revealed that they are about to break ground on the project and there is no provision for space for a supermarket.

Kim Washington, The Executive Director of the CDC, went into action.  The SEPTA board was having a public meeting on Thursday, June 25th.  With only 2 days’ notice, she got 35 residents who agreed to attend the meeting with her. They met at the CDC office on Griscom Street all wearing pink shirts with the words “Stop Executing very Poor Thoughtless Action”.

The meeting began at 3PM and at 3:30 it was adjourned.  Washington rose to object saying she had to address the board.  She spoke for about 6 minutes which you will find at this link.

What followed was an hour long discussion between Francis Kelly, Assistant General Manager of Public & Government Affairs and Kim Washington, Gary McLaughlin, Jennifer Powell-Folks and Nashid Edwards speaking for Frankford.  The Frankford folks did a great job of making their case.IMG_1591

SEPTA says they cannot change their plans because they have already awarded contracts, Federal funding is approved for this location and project and any change could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make.

Frankford argues that SEPTA is in this situation because of its own mistakes and should do the right thing to correct them.

SEPTA asks if the Rite Aid site is big enough for a Rite Aid and a supermarket.  It is big enough for the buildings but would not have room for parking.

SEPTA asks if the property on 5100 block of Griscom (presently employee parking between Griscom and Penn).  The property is but the streets are residential and not big enough for tractor trailer delivery.

Frankford proposes that the project be redesigned to make it a 2 story building with a supermarket on the ground floor and SEPTA use of the second floor.  SEPTA says this would be a major redesign that would cost a lot of money.

Frankford proposes that the SEPTA building go over on the lot with the new Rite Aid.  There is enough room for those two buildings.  SEPTA says the funding is for the building to go where it is planned to go and changing it will cost a fortune.

The lack of communication with the Frankford community is the real heart of the matter.  A SEPTA representative attends the Frankford Business and Professional Association meetings routinely but SEPTA maintains that they met their obligation of notifying the community by advising Philadelphia City Council and posting public notices in the newspapers about the project.  That does not sound like a solid community partnership.

While you might expect that from a corporation in the private sector, SEPTA is a public agency.

There was no resolution at the meeting but they did commit to meet again.  Further news will be forthcoming.