Land Development Today - July/August 2007 - (Page 19)

“Even though our project is literally next door to the residences on Elfreth’s Alley,” states Patron, “the plan developed by BartonPartners has met with not only acceptance but affirmative support from neighbors and neighborhood groups.” Patron has been behind the National project since the start in 2003, when he was working with Matrix Development. “From the beginning, we always envisioned The National as two phases of the same project. The parcel on the west side of 2nd Street was pretty straightforward, but the East parcel was much more complex.” The West parcel was developed in a joint venture between K. Hovnanian and Matrix, and is complete today. Because of the complexities of the East parcel, it took longer to assemble the right combination of resources, which ultimately came in the partnership of Paradigm and Red Bank, NJ-based Robertson Douglas Group. Fred Patterson of Robertson Douglas says The National East strategically broadens its traditional portfolio in single family homes: “We are looking for urban redevelopment opportunities. Suburbia is getting to be a very tough environment in which to build.” The two privately-held partners committed to creating goodwill for The National East in its community through grass roots outreach. In many meetings with individuals and neighborhood groups like the Old City Civic Association, the Old City District, the Elfreth’s Alley Association, and the Appletree Court Association, the developers obtained a broad base of support for their project. The whole of Old City is subject to a height restriction of 65 feet - insufficient for the six-story and ten-story buildings BartonPartners’ plan proposed, and obliging the city to initially deny a building permit. However, following that first denial, the developers presented letters of support from these groups and were able to convincingly show neighborhood support in front of Philadelphia’s Zoning Board of Adjustments. While previous developers had proposed building on the site of Flagpole Park - a traditionally open plaza used for tour group rendezvous and neighborhood gatherings - “we thought that was inappropriate,” Patron says. Instead, the developers will give back the park and a townhome at 128 Elfreth’s Alley in which the association will house its museum. The design also adds a public walkway to serve nearby Appletree Court. Working in a neighborhood with hundreds of years of habitation brings additional responsibilities, Patron says. “Being aware of the historical importance of the site,” reveals Patron, “we hired an archeologist to devise a recovery plan, and a protocol for handling of artifacts turned up during site preparation.” During construction of The National East, the developers and the contractors on site are working hard to anticipate and address some of the issues raised by neighbors during the first phase of construction, including lack of parking, truck traffic, impeded access to neighboring Circle 121 • or www.LandDevelopmentToday.com/adinfo www.LandDevelopmentToday.com 19 http://www.terracon.com http://www.LandDevelopmentToday.com/adinfo http://www.LandDevelopmentToday.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Land Development Today - July/August 2007

Cover Contents Our Voice: Industry Advocates Your Voice: Reader Response Cover Story: Preparing Your Tax Strategy The Rules of the Game Historical Redevelopment Project Profile: Seattle’s High Point Retention: From Ravine to Road Land Use: Picatinny Arsenal Mixed Use: Florida Offices Industry News Products/Services Showcase Classifieds Recommended Reading Advertiser Index Editorial Board The Last Word: What? Me Plan… Urban Development

Land Development Today - July/August 2007

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