The site assembly activity is responding to the area's locational advantages. This section of Market Street is adjacent to the University City core. It contains two stations for the Market-Frankford El, and is easily accessible by auto. It is centrally located in West Philadelphia, and approximately 100,000 West Philadelphians live within a one mile radius. Investment interest is also responding to the presence of over 30 acres of land that is vacant or for sale. This is a significant concentration of developable land which generates the potential for major changes in the physical form and land use pattern of West Philadelphia.

Guidelines are needed to prevent haphazard development. Future growth should take place in an orderly and well-planned manner in the district.

To the south and east of The Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital, business activity has declined over the past three decades. Small stores and industrial buildings have closed. The Arena has been demolished, and the television studios are no longer in use. By 1983, the Provident Mutual Life Insurance Company had moved out of its headquarters building at 4601 Market Street, and the insurance company donated the property to the Urban Education Foundation, to become the urban campus of Lincoln and Cheyney Universities. The Urban Education Foundation is finding it financially difficult to sustain this large campus.

Deterioration and obsolescence in this section of West Philadelphia has attracted private investors who, during the 1980's, started to purchase and assemble property in anticipation of new commercial and residential development. Some investors are simply holding onto the land and waiting, while other property owners are proceeding with development.

During the past ten years, the Penn Electric Company moved its retail operation to the 4800 block of Market Street. More recently, the School District of Philadelphia established its Parkway Gamma and Alternative Middle Years programs in the former West Catholic High School for Boys at 4801 Chestnut Street. One block to the east at 4702-22 Chestnut Street, a housing rehabilitation project was recently completed that produced 47 apartments for low and moderate income families. Directly across the street at 4725-31 Chestnut Street, Community College of Philadelphia has opened its new West Philadelphia campus. A new retail store was just constructed at 49th & Chestnut Streets. Large tracts of land along 46th Street just north of Market Street have been designated by a non-profit developer, Philadelphia Interfaith Action, as the location of a new townhouse community.

District : 46th and Market Area

46th & Market Area: Organization of the study area (see map) Vicinity of 46th and Market Large amount of land available for development 46th Street El station provides transit access Urban Education Foundation building is the key landmark Market Street, 40th to 46th Predominant use is commercial Contains 17 vacant structures and many vacant lots 40th Street El station provides transit access The Elwyn Institute is the major employer South 40th Street, Market to Locust A restaurant, entertainment and retail district Extends from teh El station to the University of Pennsylvania Chestnut to Walnut Streets, 40th and 50th Mixed use zone in the Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill neighborhoods The paired highways of Chestnut and Walnut Streets carry heavy traffic volumes, resulting in many auto-related commercial uses. Contains many architecturally valuable buildings

Vicinity of 46th & Market Streets
The Urban Education Foundation should be the focal point for new activities in this area. This historic office building is known to most West Philadelphians. Its imposing size, grand entrance and gold dome make this building an important asset for the area. The 361,000 square foot office building and its site is expensive to maintain, and the non-profit owner is seeking additional income by increasing the number of tenants leasing space here.

Market Street, 40th to 46th Street
This is an area of long-term opportunity that is currently in a state of transition. It contains some severely blighted blocks; it is unevenly developed; and it lacks continuity in terms of land use and function. The area near 41st Street is especially problematic. The former Modern Laundry complex at NE corner 41st & Market is vacant and vandalized, and a concentration of vacant properties exists directly across the street.

This section of the Market Street corridor does, however, have large and noteworthy residential uses at either end. To the east, the two subsidized housing developments in the 3900 block of Market Street are successful and well-maintained. To the west, the high-rise West Park Apartments in the 4400 block are easily recognized from a distance, although at ground level they have little presence or relationship to the Market Street sidewalks.

South 40th Street
Commercial activity is relatively weak close to Market Street, but more intensive at 40th & Chestnut. The largest commercial concentration is at Walnut Street, where two movie theaters and other modern stores are located. A branch of the Free Library is also located here, at the southeast corner 40th and Walnut Streets. This commercial area will be bolstered by the planned construction of a multi-level University of Pennsylvania parking garage (with ground floor retail space) at the NW corner of 40th & Walnut Streets.

Fortieth Street is primarily an entertainment-oriented commercial area with movie theaters and many restaurants and bars. Many customers are affiliated with the university. Several of the restaurants specialize in international or ethnic cuisine, and draw customers from other parts of the City. While restaurant and entertainment uses are well established here, there is potential for more of the neighborhood's retail needs to be met in this commercial area.

Chestnut to Walnut Streets, 40th to 50th Streets
The character of this mixed-use area is different from the residential sections of the Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill neighborhoods, which are located south of Walnut Street. The heavy traffic of Chestnut and Walnut Streets has spawned car washes, convenience stores and a new strip shopping plaza at various locations along these highways. Two gas stations exist at Chestnut & Farragut, and two more are located at 46th & Walnut. These auto-oriented uses do not contribute to the quality of the appearance of the Walnut Hill and Spruce Hill neighborhoods.

There are, however, many buildings along Chestnut and Walnut Streets that are positive elements of the neighborhood fabric. Beautiful historic buildings exist here; the fine 3-story semi-detached homes at 4042-60 Chestnut Street and 4300-34 Walnut Street are examples. During the 1980's, the Mercy Douglas organization built its Human Services Center on Chestnut Street and mid-rise housing for the elderly on Walnut Street. These new developments enhance the appearance of the area. In between these major thoroughfares, Sansom Street is predominantly residential.

The intersection of 43rd & Chestnut Streets displays the contrasts in this area. One corner is occupied by a group of one-story shops anchored by a large video store, with parking in the front and minimal landscaping. The other three corners are occupied by beautiful historic buildings: Christ Memorial Church, the Courtland Apartments and the Netherlands Apartments.

Market Street between 40th and 46th Streets should gradually be redeveloped, primarily with modern mid-rise buildings. The renewal of this corridor is an important goal for West Philadelphia in general, and the use of eminent domain to acquire and assemble development sites may be required to accomplish this objective. Depending on future trends in the surrounding area, land use alternatives including housing, offices or institutional development should be explored. Mid to high densities should be considered because Market Street is very wide and easily accommodates mid-rise buildings in nearby areas.

South 40th Street should be expanded as a restaurant, entertainment and retail district. A small concentration of stores adjacent to the 40th Street El station will function as the northern terminus of the retail area. Physical improvements are recommended in order to enhance the appearance of the commercial district: new sidewalks should be installed, and merchants should adopt design standards that will encourage facade improvements and ensure that they are made in a unified manner. The proposed University City Special Services District (see page 56) could take on the responsibility for planning and funding physical improvements along 40th Street, in conjunction with major institutions in the area. Existing organizations such as the West Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the West Philadelphia Partnership and the West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhoods and Businesses could also perform a role in this regard.

On the Chestnut and Walnut corridors, historic structures will be preserved. Historic district designation (see pages 56 and 60) and zoning remapping are recommended in order to encourage preservation and orderly development. Existing C-3 and C-4 Commercial zoning does not encourage the preservation of historic buildings in the area, and the Planning Commission will work with local property owners to rezone the area to more appropriate classifications. Also, the Planning Commission will not support zoning actions that involve demolition of architecturally significant structures.

Rezoning is also recommended for the auto service uses located on Chestnut and Walnut, between 45th and 49th Streets. Currently zoned "C-2 Commercial," these properties should be rezoned to "C-7 Commercial" as part of the zoning remapping recommended above. The proposed zoning has more stringent requirements for landscaping and screening. Improved design and layout of these auto-related businesses is also needed to reduce noise and visual intrusion for the neighbors, and to improve traffic safety. The Planning Commission recommends increased use of landscaping, installation of planted buffers between commercial and residential properties, prohibitions on outdoor storage and non-accessory general advertising signs, and consolidation of curb cuts.

On Chestnut and Walnut Streets, additional strip commercial development should not occur. New construction of multiple storefronts (set back behind parking areas) has proven to be undesirable in older urban areas. These developments are rarely attractive from an aesthetic point of view, and unfocused commercial development will be damaging to West Philadelphia's existing commercial districts. The objective of discouraging future construction of randomly located mini shopping centers will become a basis for Planning Commission review of zoning variances and zoning remapping proposals.

Where historic preservation is not an issue, an alternative form of new retail development that is encouraged on Chestnut and Walnut Streets is a multi-story structure containing retail on the ground floor and apartments or offices above, with building height and setback matching that of adjacent buildings. Parking would be situated behind the building or off to one side.

District: West Parkside Enterprise Zone

This district, generally bounded by Lancaster Avenue, Girard Avenue, Belmont Avenue and 52nd Street, is West Philadelphia's oldest and largest industrial area. The district covers approximately 180 acres of land along the "Main Line" railroad tracks that are used by AMTRAK and SEPTA trains. The district was designated as the West Parkside Enterprise Zone in 1983.

Eighty companies are located here. Most existing businesses occupy older industrial buildings on Lancaster and Parkside Avenues, but a new industrial park built on land previously occupied by a large railroad storage and switching yard promises to add many more new buildings and jobs to the Enterprise Zone.

The Enterprise Zone is surrounded by Fairmount Park and three West Philadelphia neighborhoods: East Parkside, West Parkside and Cathedral Park. Recommendations in this Plan call for residential renewal at several locations in Parkside and Cathedral Park (see Part Three: Neighborhoods and Housing).

Enterprise Zones
Incentives to Business
Low interest loans State tax credits Utility discounts Job training Infrastructure improvements

The State Enterprise Zone program focuses on the revitalization of this section of West Philadelphia using economic development and neighborhood improvement strategies in tandem. The goal is to create new jobs and retain existing jobs in the area. The neighborhoods that surround the Enterprise Zone can supply the labor that will meet the needs of local employers. People who move into new and rehabilitated housing will be able to walk to their place of employment. Longtime residents will also be able to find work in the Enterprise Zone.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has established four Enterprise Zones in the City, and businesses in each zone are eligible for special financial incentives provided by the Commonwealth. Job training and job placement programs are also provided in each Enterprise Zone. In West Philadelphia, the West Parkside Job Resource Center was established for this purpose. The job resource center tailors its services to the needs of local businesses.

The 60-acre Parkside Industrial Park is the centerpiece of the West Parkside Enterprise Zone. This business park, managed by Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (P.I.D.C.), provides a resource that West Philadelphia had lacked: large, fully prepared building sites for light industrial development, located in close proximity to interstate highways. New streets and utilities have been constructed with state funds, and two companies have constructed new facilities (Bell of Pennsylvania and Wade Cablevision). Now, the City should focus on improving the entrance to the industrial park and increasing its visibility from Parkside Avenue. The entrance, which today is barely noticeable, could become an impressive calling card that would be noticed by regular passersby and by people who are visiting the nearby Mann Music Center.

The West Parkside Enterprise Zone contains another valuable resource that complements the industrial park. The Philadelphia Business and Technology Center, 5070 Parkside Avenue, is a 321,000 square foot "business incubator" facility that provides specialized support services for start-up companies. Forty-eight businesses are currently located at the P.B.T.C. Flexible space is available in this six-story building, and much of the space offers beautiful views of Fairmount Park, the Mann Music Center and Center City Philadelphia.

Lancaster Avenue forms one of the boundaries of the Enterprise Zone. Industrial activity is appropriate along Lancaster Avenue, but the corridor's appearance is badly in need of improvement. A design competition should be conducted to identify ways to improve the streetscape along this corridor -- perhaps through the use of unified signage, landscaping, screening and sidewalk treatments.

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Summary of Recommendations: West Parkside Enterprise Zone

1. Parkside Industrial Park: entranceway improvements and edge treatment. The main entrance to the industrial park, at 49th & Parkside, should receive prominent signs and new landscaping; and SEPTA-owned land, located adjacent to the existing entrance, should be made available for this purpose. In addition, a Streets Department storage yard should be relocated in order to enhance the industrial park's presence on Parkside Avenue.

2. Lancaster Avenue: screening and landscaping strategy; a design competition is recommended as a first step towards beautification of this historic corridor.

3. Philadelphia Business and Technology Center: marketing support; all economic development-related agencies of the City and the Commonwealth should refer potential business clients to the P.B.T.C. management.

4. Demolish abandoned train station located on overpass above 52nd Street.

5. Construct a new commuter rail station in the future, as additional jobs are phased in.

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