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January 26, 2015 • Volume 18 • Issue 2 • A bi-weekly email news service

Office Sector News
Comcast Will Lease All of New Innovation and Technology Center
Comcast Corporation will occupy the entire Comcast Innovation and Technology Center under construction at 18th and Arch Streets, except for the floors that will be used for a 222-room Four Seasons Hotel, David L. Cohen announced at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank’s Real Estate Forecast on January 21st.

Comcast originally had contracted to lease 75% of the building, but the company has continued to expand and now needs the additional space.

Liberty Property Trust is constructing the $1.2 billion center, which will have 1.3 million square feet of Trophy office space. The 59-story tower, designed by architect Lord Norman Foster of Foster + Partners, is expected to open in 2017.

To read the Philadelphia Business Journal’s coverage, please go to bit.ly/1J9nEzP.

CBD in Expansion Cycle
Philadelphia’s central business district (CBD) is part of the national trend of office construction returning to the CBD, according to Integra Realty Resources’ ViewPoint 2015. The report attributes the trend to service industries becoming more technology focused.

Philadelphia’s CBD is in the second stage of an expansion cycle, defined as having decreasing vacancy rates, high absorption, moderate to high new construction, moderate to high employment growth, and medium to high rental rate growth. Transaction volumes in Philadelphia were notably strong, up 223% in 2014 over five-year historical averages, the report noted.

Class A office vacancy in the CBD was 11.50%, and in Class B, the vacancy rate was 7.40%.

The Philadelphia multifamily market had a Class A vacancy rate of 4.54% and a Class B vacancy rate of 2.31%.

To order a free copy of the report, please go to bit.ly/1wqJm9B.

Healthcare Startup Moves From Princeton to Center City
IntegriChain, a startup that helps healthcare suppliers manage inventories and orders moved its headquarters on January 16 to the third floor of 8 Penn Center, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported. The firm was founded in Princeton eight years ago.

Sixty of IntegriChain's 80 employees are working in the new Center City office, and 20 will remain in Princeton, where the company will continue to keep a smaller workforce.

IntegriChain signed a three-year lease and will expand into an additional 2,800 square feet on the same floor later this year, the article noted, and hire an additional 12 to 15 employees.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1wp3oBm.

Development News
Curtis Center Makeover To Begin in Spring
Keystone Property Group and Mack-Cali Realty Corporation have released their plans for the renovation of the Curtis Center across from Washington Square, Philly.com reported on January 12.

Construction of 55 luxury apartments planned for the upper floors, primarily on the Sixth Street side of the building overlooking Independence Mall, is expected to begin this spring. Amenities will include a coffee shop, spa, and gym. The Seventh Street side of the building will remain office space.

The atrium fountain will be replaced with a bar and The Dream Garden mosaic, designed by Maxfield Parrish and produced by Louis Comfort Tiffany, will remain in the lobby. Voith & Mactavish architects are designing the space.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/17DbNwf.

First of Two Digital Billboards Lights Up the Lits
Brickstone Realty on Tuesday, January 20, officially turned on the 14-foot digital billboard atop the historic Lits building in the 700 block of Market Street in a “Lighting of Lits” ceremony at the close of the business day. A2aMEDIA of Boston designed the sign, which uses less energy than traditional LED screens. A second sign is expected to be complete on the Eighth Street end of the building by the end of February.

The authorization of the digital screens is tied to a broader range of public improvements that Brickstone will make, including lighting the building facades and enhancements to the subway concourse.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1Ey3n45.

Electric Plant in Fishtown to Become Boutique Hotels
Developer Bart Blatstein and caterer Joseph Volpe will buy the former Delaware Station electric plant owned by Exelon Corporation and located along the Delaware River in Fishtown, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on January 16. The property has a 1,000-foot stretch of waterfront and includes a pier.

The partners are interested in developing the property into two boutique hotels and adding apartments and a marina later, the article noted.

The property has 300,000 square feet of vacant buildings, including a power plant, plus an additional 16 acres with some of the land underwater.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1udcuRF.

Economic and Demographic News
Where African Americans Are Doing the Best Economically
The Philadelphia region ranks 20th of 52 large metros in the U.S., both in terms of income and entrepreneurship (self-employment), in Newgeography’s “The Cities Where African Americans Are Doing the Best Economically,” an analysis published on-line on January 15 and previously published in Forbes.

The median household income for African Americans in Philadelphia was $36,595, higher than the national median household income of $34,598. The highest median household income was found in third-ranked Washington, D.C., where the median was $64,896. Philadelphia’s self-employment share of 9.1% was far below that of Atlanta (17.1%), Washington, D.C. (15.1%) and Baltimore (15%).

Atlanta ranked #1 for African Americans. The median household income there was $41,803, but the article cited the strong infrastructure that included Spelman College and Morehouse College, two of the top-ranked Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country.

However, home ownership was higher in Philadelphia, at 47.3%, than Atlanta, at 46.9%.

Between 2000 and 2013, Atlanta’s African American population increased by 49.9%, while in Philadelphia the population increase was 13.3%.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1BhmBg6.

Millennials to Outnumber Baby Boomers in 2015
In 2015, the number of Millennials (those born from 1981 to 1997) is expected to reach 75.3 million and overtake the number of Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964), currently at 74.9 million, the New York Times reported on January 19.

The growth of Millennials is linked with immigration, which has fueled their numbers.

The number of Millennials in the workplace will create a different type of workforce, the article noted, and with Baby Boomers retiring and leaving, Millennials will have more opportunity to advance.

To read the article, please go to nyti.ms/1BvkBAQ.

Workforce, Unemployment Down in Philadelphia
Most of the largest U.S. metro areas (17 of 20) experienced growth in their labor forces between November 2013 and November 2014, and Philadelphia (-0.7%) was one of three that did not, along with Detroit (-1.6%), and Baltimore (-0.3%), according to the January report Metro Labor Force and Unemployment Profile from Garner Economics.

The Philadelphia area’s unemployment rate was 5.2% in November 2014, down 1.7% from the same time in the previous year.

Nine of the 10 metro areas where unemployment rates declined the most also experienced declines in their civilian labor forces, meaning that their reduced unemployment was at least partially a function of job seekers leaving the workforce entirely, the report noted.

To read the report, please go to bit.ly/1upMZwH [PDF].

Federal Reserve Reports Positive Business Activity in Two Sectors
Manufacturing activity in the region increased modestly in January while nonmanufacturing activity slowed during the month but still remained positive, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey and Nonmanufacturing Business Outlook Survey.

In the Manufacturing sector, 30.8% of respondents reported an increase in new orders, while 22.3% reported a decrease, and 45.9 indicated they stayed the same. Prices paid were up for 20.4%, down for 10.6% and stayed the same for more than two-thirds or 67.7%. The number of employees increased for 13.1%, fell for 15.1%, and 71.1% reported the same number of employees.

In the Nonmanufacturing sector, 41.2% of respondents reported an increase in new orders, 26.5% reported a decrease, and 14.7% indicated no change. Prices paid were up for 20.6%, down for 5.9%, and stayed the same for 55.9%. The number of employees increased for 29.4%, decreased for 11.8%, and remained the same for more than half, 58.8%.

Looking ahead six months, 62.6% of respondents from the Manufacturing sector and 82.4% of those from Nonmanufacturing expected business to improve, while 11.8% from Manufacturing saw conditions worsening, and none from Nonmanufacturing expected a downturn; 24.7% of Manufacturing respondents expected business to remain the same and 5.9% of Nonmanufacturing also expected no change.

To read the Manufacturing report, please go to bit.ly/1547doT.

To read the Nonmanufacturing report, please go to bit.ly/1yG7MTJ [PDF].

Employment News
Wells Fargo Moves 250 Employees Into City
Wells Fargo & Company has moved 250 employees from The Wharf at Rivertown in Chester to the Plaza building at Fifth and Market Streets, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported on January 13. The move includes Wells Fargo’s mortgage servicing group and was precipitated by an expiring lease, the article noted.

Wells Fargo employs more than 6,000 people in the Philadelphia region and is the largest deposit taker with 20% market share.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1zDVH1t.

Eds and Meds News
$50 Million Gift for CHOP
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has received a $50 million donation from philanthropist Raymond G. Perelman, which will be used to establish the Raymond G. Perelman Campus, an eight-acre area that will serve as a pediatric research and clinical innovation hub, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported on January 21.

The campus will be off Civic Center Boulevard, just south of the main hospital, and encompass CHOP's Ruth and Tristram Colket, Jr. Translational Research Building, which opened in 2009; the new Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, under construction and slated to open this summer, and a 2.6-acre landscaped plaza, the article noted.

The money will also be used to establish the Raymond G. Perelman Research Fund, which will provide support for immune system studies, two new tenure-track faculty positions at CHOP, and other research initiatives.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1CQECPx.

Court Rules That SRC Can’t Cancel Teacher Contract
Commonwealth Court judges on January 22 unanimously ruled that the School Reform Commission (SRC) does not have the power to cancel union contracts, a decision that will restore $54 million in health-care cuts to teachers in the School District of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on January 22.

The court’s opinion, written by Judge Patricia A. McCullough, concluded that the law had no provision that expressly gives the SRC the right to cancel a collective bargaining agreement.

SRC Chairman Bill Green will decide this week whether to appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court, the article noted. Last year the court declined to take a case that made similar arguments when the SRC chose to bypass seniority in teacher assignments, layoffs, and recalls.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1zDpoiY.

City Ranks Low on Per-Pupil Spending
At $12,570 per student, Philadelphia ranked eighth out of the 11 districts studied by The Pew Charitable Trusts for the school year 2013-14.

The report examined how a new, comprehensive state education funding formula, if adopted by Pennsylvania, would impact the School District of Philadelphia. The analysis concluded that a state formula based on district needs, demographics, and ability to pay —such as those used in most states — would not necessarily provide a substantially higher level of aid for urban districts.

According to the report, per-pupil funding for Philadelphia schools was less than that of seven of the 10 other districts studied — all of which were in states with funding formulas. Pennsylvania is one of only three states that do not use a comprehensive school-finance formula to distribute state education funding to individual districts, the report noted. Philadelphia’s low ratio of real estate assessed value per pupil was a major factor influencing funding levels.

To read the report, please go to bit.ly/1ysY4RD.

Residential Market News
Equitable Trend Noted in Home Sales
The average house value in Philadelphia increased by 0.8% in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to the latest report from Kevin C. Gillen, Senior Research Fellow with the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University.

The small increase, slightly less than in the previous quarter, can be attributed to an expansion of appreciation among lower-priced homes in neighborhoods throughout the city. Until recently, Philadelphia’s housing recovery had been largely confined to the higher-income and higher-priced areas of the city. In the last quarter, house-price appreciation was strongest in poorest areas and flat or negative in higher-income neighborhoods, suggesting the recovery has become more widespread and equitable.

Center City/Fairmount was down by -2.7%, Northwest Philadelphia by -1.9%, South Philadelphia by -1.8%, Lower Northeast Philadelphia by -1.6%, and University City by-0.9%.

By contrast, North Philadelphia increased by 0.9%, Kensington/Frankford by 2.1%, and West Philadelphia by 2.3%.

During the quarter, there were 3,710 arms-length sales, an almost 11% increase over the same quarter one year ago, and marks the strongest fourth quarter of sales activity in five years, the report noted.

Housing inventories also continued to decline during the quarter, and are very close to being back to their historic pre-Recession average of 6,ooo.

To read the report and view the charts, please go to bit.ly/1yt07qr.

Philadelphia One of Most Livable Cities in the World
Philadelphia ranked 20th on the list of top 20 Most Livable Global Cities for Balancing Work and Play, based on a study published in the World Review of Science, Technology, and Sustainable Development.

The Livable Cities index is a new approach to evaluating cities that measures the work-life balance. Traditional indexes were divided into two groups: cities described as having economic prowess and agenda-setting power and cities described as comfortable, defined as pleasant living, a mild climate, easy transit, and clean environment.

The researchers used data from five categories: economic vibrancy and competitiveness, domestic security and stability, public governance, socio-cultural conditions, and environmental friendliness and sustainability.

European cities dominated the list with Geneva ranked first. In addition to Philadelphia, two other American cities were listed: New York was 17th and Los Angeles was 19th.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1wip2eV.

Retail News
CCD Restaurant Week Continues
Center City District Restaurant Week continues through Friday, January 30. More than 120 participating restaurants throughout Center City are offering three-course dinners for only $35, and 56 of those restaurants are serving three-course lunches for $20.

For complete information, please visit centercityphila.org/RestaurantWeek. On the site, you can make online reservations through OpenTable and enter a contest to win 52 gift certificates from Center City restaurants.

Use m.centercityphila.org to search for participating restaurants, check menus and make reservations on your phone! For up-to-date news, follow Restaurant Week on Twitter: @PhilaRestWeek.

To view the list of participating restaurants, please go to centercityphila.org/life/RWRestaurants.php.

Philadelphia Named a Top City in the World for Shopping
Condé Nast Traveler on January 3 published a list of the 24 best cities and neighborhoods in the world for shopping and fashion, as chosen by their readers, and gave Philadelphia the #2 ranking, just behind Barcelona, Spain.

“Philadelphia boasts enough museums and landmarks to keep any history buff occupied for days, but it’s now rising through the ranks as a U.S. shopping destination,” the article noted.

New York City was ranked 24th.

To read the article, please go to cntrvlr.com/1yjr7bR.

Gaming News
SugarHouse Revenue Rises Slightly in December
Revenue at SugarHouse Casino on the Delaware River increased in December, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

In December, the casino took in $22,120,354, compared to November’s $21,740,834. The Commonwealth's share of taxes was $5,741,403 in December, compared to $5,592,310 in the previous month. The City of Philadelphia collected $721,191, compared to the $703,679 of November.

To see all casino revenues, please go to bit.ly/16izgf9.

Arts and Culture News
ArtPlace America Announces Finalists
ArtPlace America on January 12 announced 90 projects that have been selected as finalists for consideration for its 2015 National Grants Program. The finalists have proposed opportunities for the arts to play an explicit and intentional role in a community development project that seeks to strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric of a community. ArtPlace received 1,283 letters of inquiry. Program recipients will be announced in June 2015.

Among the finalists in Center City is the Reading Terminal Market, which is seeking to add pedestrian lights and new streetscaping adjacent to the market. Multiple stakeholders will create a design vision and public space management plan to transform the bleak underpass that connects the Market with a multi-modal transit hub into a welcoming outdoor space for events and performances.

Other finalists in the city are Dupree Studios, the Mural Arts Program, and the Painted Bride Art Center.

To see descriptions of all the finalists’ projects, please go to bit.ly/1IRitSS [PDF].

Transportation News
Leslie Richards Named Transportation Secretary
Montgomery County Commissioner Leslie Richards on January 14 was named by Governor-elect Tom Wolf to serve as Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Wolf also announced that Barry Schoch, current Secretary of the Department of Transportation, would move into the Office of the Governor to serve as a senior advisor to the governor on issues related to transportation and infrastructure.

Richards’ appointment will have to be confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate, PlanPhilly noted.

Richards worked as a project manager for a women-owned civil engineering firm before entering politics, now also serves as chairwoman of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, and is a member of the SEPTA Board, the article noted.

To read Wolf’s press release, please go to bit.ly/1xqnCLc.

To read the PlanPhilly article, please go to bit.ly/1weq3QB.

SEPTA To Begin Testing Electronic Fare System
SEPTA has installed almost 100 turnstiles, about 50 fare kiosks, and 300 validators on buses, which will allow it to move forward with a trial run of the new fare collection system, Newsworks reported on January 19. SEPTA will be testing the new hardware and software during the trial run.

SEPTA’s goal is to have the new system operational in the city by the end of this year and in the suburbs, including the rail system, by 2016.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1yFRF8P.

SEPTA Contracts Approved
Contracts for Teamsters Local 500, which represents about 400 clerical employees, and Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (formerly United Transportation Union) Local 1594, which represents about 330 suburban bus and trolley operators, were approved by the SEPTA board on January 22, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

The contracts provide 5% pay increases over a 31-month term, following a pattern established by last year's settlement with the largest of SEPTA's 17 unions, Transport Workers Union Local 234, the article noted.

To read the article, please go to bit.ly/1xKdNch.

Decline in Driving Predates Recession
New research shows that the decline in driving dates back to 1992 and isn’t related to the most recent Great Recession that began in early 2008, the Washington Post reported on January 16.

Washington state experienced peak car travel in 1992, Washington, D.C. in 1996, and Nevada, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, Rhode Island and Virginia before the new millennium, the article noted.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board.

By 2011, the last year for which data are available, 48 of 50 states had peaked in miles traveled per capita. The two outliers are Alabama and North Dakota.

To read the article, please go to wapo.st/1CguPSh.

Parks and Open Space News
Skating and Special Activities at Rothman Institute Ice Rink
In addition to offering ice skating every day through February 22, the Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park will offer a skating exhibition at 12:30 p.m. on January 30. Stop by and watch skilled performers and have lunch at the Rosa Blanca Café.

On  Saturday, January 31 and Sunday, February 1, the rink is offering a weekend special. Skate on Saturday and get free admission when you return on Sunday. Also on February 1, the Rothman Institute will present a chance for Philadelphia Flyers fans to put on their gear and come skate with Flyers alumni at the rink, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Flyers scheduled to attend: Bob "The Hound" Kelly, Todd "Fridge" Fedoruk and Joe Watson.

Coming up in February are the Zombie Skate on February 13, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., hosted by Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary; and the Sweetheart Skate on Saturday, February 14, from 7:00 p.m. to10:00 p.m., with complimentary flowers and a photo booth.

Also on February 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Smith Memorial Playground will bring their outdoor Playwagon to the park, filled with fun and engaging activities.

The Rothman Institute Ice Rink is open to the public Monday through Thursday, 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Admission is $3 for children, ages 10 and under, and $4 for adults. Skate rental is $8. Group rates are available for parties of 10 or more. Please email Groups@RinkManagement.com.

A four-week Learn-to-Skate program is available on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Visit dilworthpark.org/rothmanicerink for details.

The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park is operated and managed professionally by Rink Management Services Corporation (RMSC) of Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Government News
PICA Report: Pension System Is Significant Risk
The funded ratio of the City of Philadelphia pension system has declined from 76.7% as of July 1, 1999 to 47.45% percent as of July 1, 2013, the most recent valuation, and presents a significant risk to the City’s long-term financial stability and to the ability of the City to maintain competitive service levels and tax rates, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA).

The City needs to act on multiple fronts to ensure that the costs of the system remain affordable over the long term, the report noted.

PICA suggested that the City should make the hybrid defined benefit-defined contribution pension plan mandatory for new hires, abolish the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), seek to increase contributions to levels consistent with major city pension plans through the negotiation process, and seek additional dedicated funding sources for the pension system, among other things. The sale of PGW would have made a significant dent in the City’s unfunded pension liability.

To read the report, Philadelphia’s Pension System: Reducing Risk and Achieving Fiscal Stability, please go to bit.ly/1xzC8kZ [PDF].

Clarke Sends Plan to Combine City Agencies Back to Committee
On January 22, Council President Darrell L. Clarke indicated he would send his proposal to restructure the city's planning and development agencies back to committee for more discussion and amendments.

In the article “Darrell Clarke wants to restructure the government. Does anybody else?,” PlanPhilly reported on the Council President’s efforts to change the structure of city government by placing the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, Philadelphia Historical Commission, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Board of Building Standards, and Board of Licenses and Inspections into a new Department of Planning and Development, headed by a cabinet-level director appointed by the mayor.

The proposal, which would require the approval of city voters through a ballot question, was introduced as Bill #140721 on September 25, 2014 by Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. on behalf of Clarke.

The article notes that when the Committee on Law and Government voted to recommend the bill on December 9 after about one hour of testimony and the promise of amendments, many in City Hall were surprised. Various parts of the plan needed vetting by a wider variety of individuals and agencies, according to testimony during the hearing, but Clarke asked the committee to approve the proposal, and the committee complied.

To read the earlier PlanPhilly article, please go to it.ly/1BbOBPq. To read Thursday’s article, please go to bit.ly/1E7wyxz.

To read the bill, please go to bit.ly/1C4vqJg.

Update on New Governor
Democrat Tom Wolf took the oath of office on Tuesday, January 20, to become Pennsylvania's 47th governor.

In his inaugural speech, Wolf stated that his goals for his first term were “jobs that pay, schools that teach, and government that works,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. His highest priority is school funding that is equitable, the article noted.

On January 19, Wolf announced the appointment of Philadelphia native Pedro Rivera as the state's next Secretary of Education, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. Rivera spent 13 years in Philaldelphia’s public schools in various roles, including principal, assistant principal, classroom teacher and human-resources director. He is now superintendent of the 11,500-student School District of Lancaster.

The state House of Representatives and Senate will reconvene today (Monday, January 26) at 1:00 p.m.

To read the Inquirer’s article on the Wolf inauguration, please go to bit.ly/1582q64.

To read the Daily News’ article on the appointment of Rivera, please go to bit.ly/1yxowuv.

To read Governor Wolf’s inaugural address, please go to bit.ly/15CM46G.

PWD Updating Stormwater Regulations
The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is updating its private development stormwater regulations to meet Federal and State requirements under the Clean Water Act, effective for new projects submitting on July 1 and thereafter.

The changes will allow each development to hold more water on site, slow stormwater entering sewers, and filter the dirtiest of the stormwater running off the site, the PWD website noted.

In addition, PWD will introduce a new expedited review option, simplify worksheets and application materials, and develop a new Guidance Manual and Plan Review Website.

The changes are designed to improve the health of Philadelphia’s rivers, minimize local flooding, and encourage the use of green infrastructure throughout the city.

For more information or to comment on the changes, please go to phillywatersheds.org/StormwaterRegulations.

Upcoming Events
Hearing on Sick-Pay Bill
City Council’s Committee on Public Health and Human Services will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 27, at 10:00 a.m., in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on Bill #141026, introduced on December 11 by Councilman William K. Greenlee.

About 120,000 Philadelphia workers would be eligible for mandatory sick pay if the bill were passed. An employee would accrue one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked under provisions of the bill. Mayor Michael A. Nutter twice vetoed sick-leave legislation, but reversed his stance after a task-force report on the issue recommended that employers with 15 or more employees be required to provide paid sick leave. The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce plans to testify against the bill.

To read the bill, please go to bit.ly/1AuxYx6.

Hearing on Bill to Lower Wage and Net Profit Taxes
City Council’s Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, January 28, at 10:00 a.m., to hear testimony on Bill #140081, introduced on February 6, 2014, by Councilman David Oh, which would lower the City Wage Tax.

To read the bill, please go to bit.ly/1dY5sqO.

CCRA to Hold Meeting on Proposed Hudson Hotel
The Center City Residents Association will hold a community meeting on Thursday, January 29, at 7:00 p.m. at 10th Presbyterian Church, 1700 Spruce Street (Delancey entrance), to address a proposed 12-story, 310-room Hudson Hotel on the southeast corner of 17th and Chancellor Streets.

The parcel presently contains Little Pete's restaurant and an adjacent nail salon and beauty parlor on 17th Street and, on Chancellor Street, a four-story parking garage. To read a “Development Impact Analysis” of the project prepared for the developer by Econsult Solutions, please go to http://bit.ly/1y9usFd [PDF].

The developer of the hotel is Chancellor Hotels LLC, whose sole partner is Stephen Pouppirt, the president of Clemens Construction, PlanPhilly reported.

The developer will make a presentation and answer questions after the presentation of the Econsult report.

To read a PlanPhilly article about the project, please go to bit.ly/10FKUof.

2015 Edmund N. Bacon Awards Ceremony + Talk
The Philadelphia Center for Architecture will present the 2015 Edmund N. Bacon Prize to Judith Rodin for her continuing contributions to the built environment on Wednesday, February 18, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Moore College of Art & Design, 20th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Rodin is currently president of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York and was formerly president of the University of Pennsylvania.

Daily News Editorial Page Editor Sandra Shea will converse with Rodin about designing resilient structures, systems, and cities.

Also to be honored will be the student winners of the 2015 Better Philadelphia Challenge.

Tickets are $15 until February 4, then $22, $150 VIP, and free for students with ID.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please go to bit.ly/1BRY6X9.