This Week's Philadelphia Deal Sheet: New Members Added To City's Civic Design Review Committee
Three new members have taken their seats on the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s Civic Design Review Committee after they were appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker.
The advisory group with no governing power is now helmed by Chair Ximena Valle, a founding principal at Fifteen Architecture and Design. It was previously chaired by Mdesigns principal Michael Johns.
“My goal will be to listen carefully, to facilitate productive conversation and to shift the needle at least a little bit in having everyone see each other’s perspectives,” Valle said at the start of the body’s Tuesday meeting.
She is also a member of the Planning Commission, which is a prerequisite for leading the CDRC.
Mosaic Development Partners Executive Vice President Maria Sourbeer and DesignPhiladelphia Director of Design Education Michael Spain also recently joined the committee and introduced themselves at Tuesday’s meeting.
That’s when CDRC reviewed the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s plans for a 1,005-spot parking deck in Grays Ferry. After a wave of public pushback, the committee voted unanimously that CHOP return for a second hearing.
PEOPLE
The Mike McCann Team at Keller-Williams has been selected as the exclusive leasing agent for Frankford Grand, a 107-unit apartment complex at 1122 Frankford Ave. in Fishtown. Jim Onesti and Evangeline Gambardella will oversee the lease-up and marketing process.
SALES
Saigon Plaza, a grocery-anchored strip center at 5201 Kaighns Ave. in Pennsauken, sold for $10M.
A Marcus & Millichap team including Mark Krantz and Derrick Dougherty represented the seller, who operates Sun Seng Supermarket, the complex’s longtime anchor.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Buccini Pollin Group and the University of Delaware will break ground on a 229-unit mixed-use multifamily complex on the school’s STAR Campus Thursday. The satellite development is south of the main UD campus on College Avenue in Newark.
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Alterra IOS and Eco Materials built a $40M soil cleanwashing facility at 6110 W. Passyunk Ave.
The machinery at the site processes sand, aggregate and construction waste so it can be reused. Eighty-five percent of the material makes it back into the construction ecosystem, according to a press release.
THIS AND THAT
Equity Retail Brokers has rebranded to Equity CRE as the Plymouth Meeting-based firm enters the industrial, office and multifamily sectors. The company is also opening a second office at 1425 Walnut St. in Center City.
The shift in focus comes alongside several new hires, including Executive Vice President Steve Jeffries and associate Shawn Lyons.
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Malvern-based IMC Construction plans to open a new office at the University of Delaware in Newark next month. The expansion comes amid increased demand for construction services in the First State, where IMC has completed about $400M worth of projects in recent years, according to a press release.
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Korman Communities celebrated the 100th anniversary of the building that now houses its Franklin Residences with an event last week. The towers at 834 Chestnut St. were built for the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, which opened its doors in 1925.
