Liz,
If Penn owns and retains the real estate, no matter what is built, then
Penn is the developer to some degree. So it's ultimately Penn's call if
any particular proposal would work or not. The world can attempt to
persuade Penn to favor one business plan over another, but it can't
dictate that business plan until it ponies up the monies that will
relieve Penn of some of the burden of investing.
Neighbors in the immediate environs of this proposal have every right to
defend their existing zoning, regardless of whether it helps or hurts
Philadelphia as a whole. If they can force Penn to abandon Plan A and
move to Plan B, more power to them.
When the City is wallowing in new growth and new revenue, it is easy for
the City to assign top priority to neighborhood preservation. When decay
is outpacing construction and revenue is declining, it is hard for the
City to assign top priority to neighborhood preservation, in that rare
case where someone actually wants to risk a big new business in any
Philadelphia neighborhood.
If it were up to me, I'd choose neighborhood preservation because I'm
already comfortable here with things much as they are. But I don't cut
City checks, and those who do may have a different take on this case
than I have.
Once again, not advocating ... just pointing out.
If you want libraries, you want revenues. If you want revenues, you want
growth.
-- Tony West
Guy has provided some thoughtful writing on the 40th Street Hotel plans.
Tony, I think the profits / volatility argument is more a
consideration for the developers.
We neighbors have every right to continue to defend our existing
zoning, building codes and height limitations against rapacious
developers.
If the Hotel fails the neighborhood is stuck with a monolith and 100+
units that can be easily converted to use as a Homeless Shelter,
Dormitory or Condo. An 11 story building is a dramatic and
permanent anomaly within our Victorian Street Car Suburb. The
neighborhood will bear the risks and annoyances of construction and
the ultimate use. The precedent could than be used to attempt hi-rise
construction on the se corner of 43rd & Baltimore, or any other lot,
existing or to be razed, in our neighborhood.
Liz
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