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C O M M E R C I A L C O R R I D O R S

Revitalizing urban neighborhoods through innovative design.

Sponsored by the Community Design Collaborative

in Partnership with

Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation

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The launch of Infill Philadelphia: Commercial Corridors comes at a very opportune time.

Following decades of rapid decline, commercial corridors are reclaiming the national

spotlight and, once again, being recognized for their historic value as essential centers

of urban life. And essential they are–bringing neighborhoods together and keeping shoppers and

their dollars local.

This promising initiative creatively addresses many of the challenges surrounding infill develop-

ment through innovative design. The timing is particularly relevant as the launch of this project

coincides with the City of Philadelphia's broader plan to step up commercial corridor revitaliza-

tion. As part of its Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, the city recently launched ReStore

Philadelphia Corridors, which will direct approximately $65 million from the recently approved

Cultural and Commercial Corridors bond to make commercial corridors more welcoming and to

attract and retain businesses.

Infill Philadelphia: Commercial Corridors complements this work perfectly, responding to a wide-

spread desire to rediscover the elements of urban life that make city living exciting and conven-

ient, with central places to shop, work, meet neighbors and enjoy art, culture and nightlife. The

initiative demonstrates how inventive design can open up new possibilities while also preserv-

ing the wonderful context and fabric of Philadelphia's neighborhoods.

Revitalizing Philadelphia's neighborhoods is critical, and requires diverse expertise and a collec-

tive commitment from both the private and public sectors. The success of Infill Philadelphia:

Commercial Corridors proves how collaboration can generate new ideas and fresh approaches.

We are pleased the Community Design Collaborative is lending a unique voice to the process and

commend both the Collaborative and Philadelphia LISC for their promising partnership and the col-

laborative process that gave life to the inventive designs on the pages that follow.

Eva Gladstein

Director of Neighborhood Transformation

Office of the Mayor, City of Philadelphia


I n f i l l P h i l a d e l p h i a : C o m m e rc i a l C o r r i d o rs 1

Infill PhiladelphiaInfill Philadelphia, a first-of-its-kind, five year initiative,was launched in January 2007 by the CommunityDesign Collaborative—a nonprofit driven by the phi-losophy that design matters in every neighborhood.This unique initiative brings together design practition-ers, community development experts, policymakers,funders and the media to address urban infill develop-ment, a significant neighborhood revitalization strate-gy for Philadelphia and other older American cities.

The initiative was created to help older communitiesre-envision their neighborhoods, leverage existingassets, rethink the use of older spaces, and addresspractical concerns of specific sites and the communi-ty. The results will help illustrate how well-designedinfill development can renew Philadelphia communi-ties, knit them back together and return a better quality of urban life to more Philadelphians.

Infill Philadelphia uses a design-centered approachthat hinges on collaboration and promotes innovation,from start to finish. Guiding the Infill Philadelphiaapproach is an intensive, interactive design process,or “design challenge,” in which volunteer designfirms simultaneously develop conceptual designs forthree real-life sites selected by community-basedorganizations.

Infill Philadelphia will be implemented in three phas-es, each addressing a specific type of infill develop-ment. The first phase of the initiative focuses on com-mercial corridors.

Infill Philadelphia: Commercial CorridorsVibrant commercial corridors have long been indica-tors of healthy neighborhoods. They have historicallyserved as the centers of neighborhood life, providingresidents with access to shopping, jobs and entrepre-neurship opportunities. Even today, commercial corridors remain critical “zippers” that bind neighbor-hoods together and keep resident and business dollars local.

In Philadelphia, after decades of decline, public offi-cials, private developers and local community leadersare placing new emphasis on revitalizing commercialcorridors, recognizing their power to promote localinvestment, keep property values strong, and preservethe social and physical fabric of older neighborhoods.

To ensure the designs created through the first phaseof the initiative can move from concept to develop-ment, the Collaborative sought out the expertise andsupport of Philadelphia Local Initiatives SupportCorporation (LISC), a national leader in the area ofcommercial corridor development. The two joinedforces and sponsored a design challenge, whichexplored revitalization projects for three distinct com-mercial corridors in Philadelphia and result in threehighly innovative designs.

Each site represents a different scale of developmentand a design challenge characteristic of many corri-dors. Design concepts were developed to respond toeach site’s unique requirements: converting an exist-ing building into a full-service restaurant, reusing avacant theater, and enhancing a corridor gateway.

A new approach to a common developmenthurdle in urban neighborhoods…Infill development sites are best characterized as neglected public spaces andclusters of vacant or nearly-empty buildings and land. Over time, these sites canobstruct community development plans and even threaten neighborhood stabilityand growth.

Goals:Generate workable solutions for under-utilized space in Philadelphia neighborhoods.Promote systems change by developingexciting ideas that will help Philadelphialeaders rethink the future of the city’sneighborhoods.Foster an understanding of the value of

good design among community leadersand developers.

The Design Challenge:Teams. Three community-based organiza-tions and three volunteer design firmsteam up to address a site selected by thecommunity-based organization. Site visits. Each team visits the site andsurrounding corridor to better understandits challenges and opportunities.Juried mid-review. A jury of experts in thefields of design, development, funding, andpolicy provide feedback to the teams. Juried public presentation. The firmspresent final design concepts to the juryand a larger audience.

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2 I n f i l l P h i l a d e l p h i a : C o m m e rc i a l C o r r i d o rs

Context for Change The Lancaster Avenue Commercial Corridor cuts adiagonal path across West Philadelphia, north ofMarket Street. It’s a popular shortcut through WestPhiladelphia and the route for SEPTA’s #10 trolley, butit can be daunting to cross on foot because of itswidth, steady traffic and complicated intersections.Wide and heavily traveled, the corridor serves WestPowelton and Saunders Park, a mixed-income areawith nearly 10,000 residents. While household incomeand home values are high at the eastern end of thecorridor, they dip to the west and south.

The corridor has declined considerably in recentdecades, yet it contains many 19th century buildingsstill rich in original architectural detail. The growingstability of the adjacent neighborhoods, strong com-munity commitment and reinvestment by PresbyterianMedical Center, the University Science Center andUniversity City High School, have presented the corri-dor with great possibilities for revitalization. Furtherbolstering the corridor’s potential for change is thefact that it’s located within a five-minute walk ofDrexel University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Opportunity for RevitalizationRecently, the section of Lancaster Avenue between36th and 42nd Street has became the focus of revital-ization funding and support through PhiladelphiaLISC’s Commercial Corridor Revitalization Program,Pennsylvania’s Main Street Program and the People’sEmergency Center Community DevelopmentCorporation (PEC-CDC).

The People’s Emergency Center, a social servicesagency which provides comprehensive services tohomeless families, has invested more than $20 millionin the neighborhood over the last ten years throughits community development arm. Investments includethe development of more than 100 units of affordablehousing and several social service facilities. PEC-CDCis a visible leader in the revitalization of LancasterAvenue, as one of six Philadelphia commercial corri-dors funded through Pennsylvania’s Main StreetProgram. Its strategy is to promote mixed-use devel-opment, arts-related projects and new retail (espe-cially full-service restaurants) that can add moreevening activity and attract a diverse audience fromboth the neighborhood and nearby institutions.

The SiteLaTonya Furman, second-generation proprietor of thefamily-owned New Angle Lounge, is inspired by theprospect of the corridor’s renaissance and wants toturn her family’s local taproom into a restaurant andjazz club. The restaurant, Trilogy, would be theFurman family’s third enterprise.

The project site is made up of three separate build-ings located on a triangular island block at the inter-section of Lancaster Avenue, 39th and Spring GardenStreets. Trilogy’s location at the east gateway to the corridor helps to draw customers from both thesurrounding neighborhood residents and nearby institutions.

Lancaster AvenueCommercial Corridor

People’s EmergencyCenter CDC

CICADA Architecture/Planning, Inc.

The New Angle: Strategies for a Restaurant Retrofit

The Lancaster Avenue elevation of the New Angle Lounge. ■ The Furman family wants to bring a full-service restaurant to the corridor. ■ A sculptural canopy wraps around the building and unifies old and new architectural features.

The Charge: Create a sense of fun and openness onthe sidewalk level, enhance the visibility of the newbusiness and the Lancaster Avenue gateway, andreconfigure the existing buildings for reuse as a full-service restaurant.



The Design SolutionCentral to the team’s design are new, large first-floorwindows allowing activity within the restaurant, cluband lounge to spill out onto Lancaster Avenue. Thewindows would provide natural light for lunchtimepatrons while illuminating the sidewalk at night.

Glowing vertical signs on the southeast and south-west corners, placed at the acute angles of the build-ing, would make Trilogy stand out as a beacon andprovide a counterpoint to its long Lancaster Avenuefaçade. The jazz stage would occupy the southeastcorner, visible from the outside to call attention to therestaurant and club and mark the east gateway forthe corridor.

The design calls for the upper stories to be renovatedand the finely-detailed existing bays and cornices tobe preserved. On the ground floor, a sculptural, curvi-linear canopy would wrap around the southeast cor-ner to provide cover for outside seating and a contrastto the restored upper stories. The evanescent qualityof this translucent canopy would be accentuated atnight by strings of LED lights.

The fluid design of the exterior would extend inside, byopening up the walls separating the three existingstructures to allow views to the jazz stage throughoutthe restaurant. The main entrance would be centeredon the Lancaster Avenue facade. The less-visiblenorthern side of the reconfigured building wouldhouse the kitchen, with access to an exterior coolerand storage area and a prep kitchen in the basement.Upper floors could be renovated as apartments togenerate revenue for the owner.

“What a great way to introduce the corridor—with the windowsopen, music playing, and a view of the people and the bandinside.” —Jim Hartling, Infill Philadelphia Juror

At night, activity and light spill out onto Lancaster Avenue.

Design Strategies

■ Introduce contemporaryelements that comple-ment original architecturalfeatures and establish thebuilding as a beacon forthe corridor

■ Open up the ground floorto reconnect retail withthe sidewalk and street

■ Combine first floors tocreate a larger, more marketable retail space



Context for ChangeThe 60th Street Commercial Corridor is located in theheart of Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek neighborhood,extending north to south from Arch to CatherineStreets. This 11-block corridor serves a moderate-income, African-American community where morethan two-thirds of households are homeowners. Oncea vibrant stretch of busy city blocks, the corridor isnow confronting high vacancy—the result of compe-tition from newer retail centers in the nearby suburbs.

Adding to the challenge is the reconstruction of 60thStreet Station of the Market-Frankford Line. The corri-dor has always been a daily destination for SEPTApassengers using the station. However, reconstruc-tion has left it shuttered for several years and todayresidents make only ten-percent of their purchasesalong the corridor. Together, these factors haveaccelerated the corridor’s decline.

Opportunity for Revitalization60th Street is currently receiving revitalization fundingand support through Philadelphia LISC’s CommercialCorridor Revitalization program and The PartnershipCommunity Development Corporation (The PartnershipCDC), who both recognize the corridor’s potential tochange. The West Philadelphia EconomicDevelopment Strategy, a step-by-step plan forstrengthening neighborhoods through the revitaliza-tion of major commercial corridors, is instrumental tothis change.

Supporting this plan is a redevelopment strategy cre-ated for the corridor through a 2003 study funded byPhiladelphia’s Department of Commerce. The study’srecommendations include consolidating the corridorbetween Arch and Spruce Streets, where nearly two-thirds of the 150 active businesses are clustered.Reinvestment on these blocks can help 60th Streetregain its role as a viable, walkable corridor, especial-ly with 60th Street Station’s recent reopening.

The SiteThe immediate focus for The Partnership CDC is creat-ing an identity for the corridor that reflects the commu-nity’s African American, Caribbean, Asian and Africanroots and strengthening retail closest to the station.One of the sites integral to the corridor’s revival is thevacant Imperial Theater, located on the 200 block of60th Street. Constructed in 1914, the Imperial’s large,white terra cotta archway anchors the block, with themain theater space tucked behind four adjacent store-front buildings. Remarkably, the upper stories of theItalianate buildings that line the theater block stillretain their original architectural character. However,at the ground floor level, the orginal storefronts havebeen covered up over the years by wood siding, secu-rity grates and small windows.

The team’s project site consisted of two parcels—thefirst comprised of the theater structure and the adja-cent storefront buildings and the second combiningfive additional vacant lots and buildings fronting 60thStreet in addition to a partially-occupied warehouseon Chancellor Street. When assembled, the propertyrepresents the largest commercial redevelopmentopportunity within the corridor.

The Imperial’s archway entrance is mid-block, with the main theater space tucked behind four storefronts. ■ The owner of Beans, Greens, and SoulfulThings, a thriving new business nearby. ■ Restoring the original theater entrance and upper-story bays would preserve the rhythm of the block.

The Imperial: Strategies for Theater Reuse 60th Street Commercial Corridor

The Partnership CDC

Terra Studio, LLC

The Charge: Explore reuse alternatives for a neighbor-hood theater, consider options for preserving the theater structure and the integrity of the existingblock, and reassemble and re-imagine smaller com-mercial properties to support new, multi-use retail.



The Design Solution The repair and preservation of the theater’s façadewas the team’s primary concern because of the his-toric and social value of the building and its uniquepresence on 60th Street. Unfortunately, upon closerinspection, the team concluded that there were nointerior elements to save. The concept calls for theground floors of the four adjacent storefront buildingsbeing joined into one, larger retail space with gener-ous windows to the street. The upper story bays andcornices would be restored to protect the integrity ofthe block.

Two reuse options were explored: mid-rise housingand a family entertainment center. The mid-rise hous-ing option did not support the Partnership CDC’s strategy to focus its residential development plans on blocks south of Spruce Street. However, the familyentertainment center concept fit perfectly with itsgoals to re-establish 60th Street as a fun destinationwhile meeting the current needs of neighborhoodfamilies.

The new venue would be entered through the historictheater archway, with the main theater space refittedas a roller-skating rink—the anchor attraction. Theteam’s research indicated that successful familyentertainment centers rely on multiple attractions, sothe team’s two conceptual plans demonstrate howthe theater building, when combined with adjacentparcels, could accommodate dining and party areas,a snack bar, a softscape play area, a video arcade, anindoor amusement ride and accessory parking on thedevelopment site.

“A design study is a great way to spark interest by property own-ers and help them reconsider their properties. —Stephanie Scott,The Partnership CDC

An entertainment center would draw neighborhood families to 60th Street.

Design Strategies

■ Combine properties tosupport the adaptivereuse of a signature commercial building

■ Selectively preserve architectural elements tomaintain the context ofthe corridor

■ Open up the ground floor to the street toencourage activity andpublic safety



Context for ChangePassyunk Avenue has long been an integral part ofSouth Philadelphia. Best known as Philadelphia’s sig-nature Italian neighborhood, the community hasgrown increasingly diverse in recent years with anew generation of homebuyers and a new wave ofimmigrants.

East Passyunk Avenue runs diagonally across SouthPhiladelphia east of Broad Street and is colorfullymarked by several intimate, engaging and walkableintersections. At Federal Street and PassyunkAvenue, neon-lit Pat’s Steaks and Geno’s are out-standing South Philly icons. At Tasker Street andPassyunk Avenue, a new piazza provides a place forspecial events and a farmer’s market. In stark con-trast, East Passyunk’s gateway intersection at BroadStreet and Passyunk Avenue is difficult to navigateand lacks the flavor of the rest of corridor.

Opportunity for RevitalizationThe East Passyunk Avenue Business ImprovementDistrict (the BID) extends from Federal Street toBroad Street and includes 150 independent retailers.Customers from both the immediate neighborhoodand greater Philadelphia region flock to the corridorseeking great Italian food and famous specialty items.

Organized in 2002, the BID has developed a marketingstrategy for the corridor, renovated individual store-fronts and built the piazza at Passyunk and Tasker. Inaddition to a modest revenue stream from theimprovement district, the BID receives supportthrough Pennsylvania’s Main Street Program.

Now the BID is looking at the bigger picture. Centralto its plans are streetscape improvements to add con-tinuity to the corridor and accentuate key intersec-tions. The leadership of the BID sought preliminarydesign advice from the Community DesignCollaborative to address improvements at Broad andPassyunk.

The SiteBroad and Passyunk is anchored by St. AgnesHospital, Wachovia Bank and Citizens Bank. PassyunkAvenue bends northward after it crosses BroadStreet, effectively cutting off the view of the EastPassyunk Commercial Corridor from Broad Street.

Where Broad and Passyunk meet can be confusing,even intimidating, for both drivers and pedestriansdue to the present configuration and traffic patternsat this five-point intersection. The sheer width ofBroad Street and the setback of buildings at key cor-ners make Broad and Passyunk an unusually sprawl-ing urban space. Older, multi-story structures occu-pied by Citizens Bank and Verizon hold their corners;but a small lawn maintained by St. Agnes Hospital atthe northwest corner of Broad and Passyunk andWachovia’s one-story, drive-through bank at thenortheast corner break up the continuity and sidewalkat the intersection.

The intersection of Broad Street and Passyunk Avenue, looking east. ■ Inside the Avenue—a warm welcome. ■ Colorful lighting over streets in Madrid canbe adapted for use on East Passyunk Avenue.

Broad and Passyunk: Strategies for a GatewayEast Passyunk AvenueCommercial Corridor

East Passyunk AvenueBID

Brown & KeenerBressi–Urban Designand Place Planning

The Charge: Address vehicle and pedestrian traffic,recapture critical corners and pedestrian space, andextend East Passyunk Avenue’s unique identity all the way to Broad Street to create a strong corridorgateway.



The Design SolutionThe team recommended re-engineering the Broadand Passyunk intersection to permit left-hand turns bysouthbound drivers, making the Avenue easier toaccess. Their design scheme also added bump outsto shorten walking distances for pedestrians crossingBroad Street and slow down drivers entering the EastPassyunk Avenue Commercial Corridor. To moreeffectively use the McKean Street and PassyunkAvenue corner, the team recommended closing ashort section of Juniper Street and extending thesidewalk at the point of McKean and Passyunk to cre-ate space for public art, plantings or a kiosk.

Because South Philadelphia has a unique vernacular–which includes lights strung over residential streets,bold and playful neon signs, quilted metal buildingfeatures, and corner buildings wrapped with “skirts”–the team provided examples of how vernacular-inspired lighting and public art installations could beused to tell visitors that “Downtown South Philly” isjust around the corner. Lights would be strung overthe blocks at the bend in East Passyunk Avenue.More elaborate fixtures, or “urban chandeliers,”could be placed in strategic points to draw the eyetowards the corridor. A piece of public art could beplaced in the undeveloped St. Agnes parcel on thenorthwest corner of Broad and Passyunk.

Among the recommendations was a longer-term project: redeveloping the northeast corner of BroadStreet and replacing the one-story bank building with amulti-story, mixed-use anchor that provides parking forEast Passyunk Avenue and re-establishes the corner.

“Unless you are from South Philadelphia, you can’t find PassyunkAvenue easily. Something is needed that says ‘This is Passyunk.’” —Earni Young, Infill Philadelphia Juror

A conceptual plan recommends sidewalk reconfiguration (black); public art (red); mixed-use development (blue), and acombination of façade lighting, over the street lighting, and “urban chandeliers” (yellow) to create an engaging gateway.

Design Strategies

■ Create gateways toenhance commercial corridor visibility

■ Redesign intersectionsand public areas to create outdoor ameni-ties and improve thepedestrian experience

■ Use the vernacular andneighborhood culture to convey communityidentity and create asense of place



A s directors of the organizations that partnered to create a new dialogue and vision for

commercial corridors in Philadelphia, we can confidently report back to our board

members, funders and many volunteers that the return on investment for this program

is significant. The hours and dollars spent to bring this idea to life have been well worth the com-

mitment.

The design professionals, community development leaders and jury members who gave hours

from their over-extended schedules to participate have told us the same—time well committed.

Not all volunteer experiences give you the opportunity to use your creative talents, meet new

people who can enrich your professional and personal lives, and learn—all while giving time and

talent to contribute to Philadelphia’s future success.

While this publication summarizes the fruits of everyone’s efforts in this first stage, we want to

stress the value of partnerships and collaborations in our closing message. This program would

not be successful if it weren’t for the many different volunteers, organizations and funders com-

ing together to brainstorm ideas and create concepts that can be taken to scale—and ultimate-

ly developed.

Infill Philadelphia: Commercial Corridors is just the beginning of an initiative with plans to devel-

op two more components over the next few years. We’re only now beginning to realize the

impact that this program can have in Philadelphia, and we are hopeful that even more potential

partners and volunteers will contribute their great ideas and energy to Philadelphia’s growth

and prosperity.

Elizabeth Miller Mark Edwards

Executive Director Program Director

Community Design Philadelphia LISC

Collaborative


The Community Design Collaborative gratefully acknowledges the followingindividuals and organizations for their generous contributions:

PARTNERPhiladelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

TEAMSLANCASTER AVENUE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation CICADA Architecture/Planning, Inc.: Anthony Buonomo, Daryn Edwards, AIA,Paula Giantsios, Mary Holland, AIA, Teisha Perry, Kurt Raymond, AIA

60TH STREET COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR The Partnership Community Development Corporation Terra Studio, LLC: Gabriela Cesarino, Naquib Hossain, Tim Kerner, AIA, Kira Merdiushev

EAST PASSYUNK AVENUE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement DistrictBrown & Keener Bressi–Urban Design and Place Planning: Todd Bressi,Laine Cidlowski, Mark Keener, AIA, AICP, Doug Robbins

JURYScott Erdy, AIA, Erdy McHenry Architecture, LLCEva Gladstein, Office of the Mayor, Neighborhood Transformation InitiativeAlan Greenberger, AIA, MGA Partners Architects, Design Advocacy GroupJim Hartling, Urban Partners, Philadelphia LISC Local Advisory CommitteeAhsan Nasratullah, Teres Holdings, LLCLarry Segal, Impact Pennsylvania Strategies, LLCBarry Seymour, AICP, Delaware Valley Regional Planning CommissionJanice Woodcock, AIA, AICP, Philadelphia City Planning CommissionEarni Young, Philadelphia Daily News

MODERATORAlan Urek, AICP, Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Community Design Collaborative Board

ADVISORSJ. Randall Cotton, Preservation Alliance of Greater PhiladelphiaHarris Eckstut, Econsult Consulting Services

FUNDERSThe William Penn FoundationPhiladelphia Local Initiatives Support CorporationPhiladelphia Office of Housing and Community DevelopmentOffice of the Mayor, Neighborhood Transformation InitiativeReStore Philadelphia Corridors

Produced by Sage Communications Partners LLP in 2007Photography by Raymond W. Holman, Jr. Photography and Mark Garvin Design: Willie•Fetchko Graphic Design


For more information aboutInfill Philadelphia, visit:www.infillphiladelphia.org

or contact:Community Design Collaborative

117 South 17th Street, Suite 210Philadelphia, PA 19103215.587.9290www.cdesignc.org

Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporation

The Cast Iron Building718 Arch Street, Suite 500-SPhiladelphia, PA 19106215.923.3801www.lisc.org/philadelphia/

Community Design Collaborative is a volunteer-basedcommunity design center that provides pro bono preliminary design services to nonprofit organiza-tions; promotes best practices in community designand development; and offers design professionals aunique way to volunteer their skills in service ofneighborhoods. Founded in 1991 as a program of AIAPhiladelphia, the Collaborative is an independent 501(c)(3) with a network of more than 600 volunteers.

Philadelphia Local Initiatives Support Corporationhelps resident-led, community-based developmentorganizations transform distressed communities andneighborhoods into healthy ones—good places tolive, do business, work and raise families. By provid-ing capital, technical expertise, training and informa-tion, LISC supports the development of local leader-ship and the creation of affordable housing, commer-cial, industrial and community facilities, businessesand jobs.

2007


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