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Ask Skip: On The Waterfront
Are there any plans to develop the waterfront between the two bridges? I am referring to the land between Vanderslice (on the North Side) and Mill and Price Streets. If so, where can I find this information?
Yes, there are plans for that area, though the status of those plans is murky.
Officially, the area is a slice of “the steel site”: that swath of land in the center of the Borough stretching from the Schuylkill all the way west past Paradise Street, all of it formerly home to the Phoenix Steel Corporation.
The site is now owned by the Phoenix Property Group, and is subject to a master plan PPG proposed and the Borough approved in 2001. You can see the master plan at Borough Hall.
Some development has occurred on the site, including residential development on the site’s far western portion at Mason and Wheatland Streets, and, closer to the area of your concern, above French Creek at Vanderslice Street.
Look at a Borough zoning map, and you’ll see the lion’s share of that area, both banks of the creek, part of a “Greenway Overlay District” intended to encourage preservation and enhancement of “the waterfront,” whatever development occurs around it.
Progress on PPG’s development stalled seriously in 2006 after the Borough declined to approve a proposed residential development on the site north of the creek and east of North Main.
At the same time, however, Borough Council encouraged resubmission of plans PPG had prepared in conjunction with The Brandywine Financial Group, plans in which Council was especially interested, for a commercial development along the 100 block to Bridge Street north to the Creek. PPG sued the Borough over the decisions, and no new plans have since been submitted.
But last month, Council President Henry Wagner (D-Middle) appointed a special committee to start fresh discussions with PPG and Brandywine. It appears that a first meeting has been held, just this week. Watch this space, and the paper’s print edition, for more details as we are able to confirm and update the story.
Posted by
Skip Lawerence
Yes, there are plans for that area, though the status of those plans is murky.
Officially, the area is a slice of “the steel site”: that swath of land in the center of the Borough stretching from the Schuylkill all the way west past Paradise Street, all of it formerly home to the Phoenix Steel Corporation.
The site is now owned by the Phoenix Property Group, and is subject to a master plan PPG proposed and the Borough approved in 2001. You can see the master plan at Borough Hall.
Some development has occurred on the site, including residential development on the site’s far western portion at Mason and Wheatland Streets, and, closer to the area of your concern, above French Creek at Vanderslice Street.
Look at a Borough zoning map, and you’ll see the lion’s share of that area, both banks of the creek, part of a “Greenway Overlay District” intended to encourage preservation and enhancement of “the waterfront,” whatever development occurs around it.
Progress on PPG’s development stalled seriously in 2006 after the Borough declined to approve a proposed residential development on the site north of the creek and east of North Main.
At the same time, however, Borough Council encouraged resubmission of plans PPG had prepared in conjunction with The Brandywine Financial Group, plans in which Council was especially interested, for a commercial development along the 100 block to Bridge Street north to the Creek. PPG sued the Borough over the decisions, and no new plans have since been submitted.
But last month, Council President Henry Wagner (D-Middle) appointed a special committee to start fresh discussions with PPG and Brandywine. It appears that a first meeting has been held, just this week. Watch this space, and the paper’s print edition, for more details as we are able to confirm and update the story.
Posted by
Skip Lawerence
posted by The Phoenix Files at
7:44 AM
3 Comments:
How is it that we have not seen one word in the newspaper about the affidavit seen on Councilman Buckwalter's site?
http://watchingphoenixville.com/
Thanks Skip. Without your keen insight we'd never have known that things about the steel site were "murky." We'd have probably continued with the obviously mistaken impression that they were only FUBAR.
Skip ,another fine job! By the way Skip do you ask for id , just to make sure everyone is over 14 before they are allowed to post here?
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