bros and hos run the city to da GROUND!

Ori – why don’t you focus on the abandoned buildings that are all over Point Breeze and fix what is already there? There is plenty for you to do. I don’t quite understand why empty space makes you so upset. Vacant lots can be turned into parks. Wouldn’t that be nice for Point Breeze?

Blight makes me upset….not empty space. It is easier for developers to fix buildings already in place than to do new construction. My business is new construction….and there is no shortage of vacant land in our neighborhood.

I am obviously not the only builder in Point Breeze and I am just not in the rehab business unless it’s a critical piece (like 2001 Federal or 1200 Point Breeze).

Ori, I applaud you for turning around a neighborhood, but may I ask why you don’t rehab buildings? You have become notorious for creating what the internet calls “G-ho specials” Frankly they are ugly homes and do not reflect the character of the neighborhood. There are families who do not need three and four story homes. I and many others would see you more as a savior to the neighborhood if you helped saved the architectural presence of it too.

It’s just not as simple as that. I wish…believe me I do. There are a lot of things that play in to this. Most notably, managing risk. I know to the penny what it costs me to build new construction…..rehabs are inherently risky and I am risk averse. I’d be happy to speak further about what’s going on here (215)735-7368.

hey bobby d, save architectural presence ??? Please give me an address that you would like saved in Point Breeze for architectural presence?

hey hd63 it’s Ori’s $ he can do what he wants with it. Vacant lots can be turned into parks??? Ur a dope, what about the vacant lots the city owns, there full of trash u knitwit!

I love the idea of a city stewarding land for a better use, but Philadelphia has been woefully inept in doing this in the past. Doesn’t the neighborhood already have a million PHA units? It seems that even if the all remaining land was developed for market-rate homes that there would still be plenty of current residents that would stay and make it a mixed neighborhood. If Johnson’s plan actually happens, it might be best to write-off Point Breeze and develop in areas with less PHA presence.

Good Luck. Pretty juicy story here. I would suggest contacting all the area print-Inquirer,Daily News,City Paper,Metro,Philadelphia Weekly, Weekly Press.
The TV news eats stories like this up. Thats why I didnt vote for this guy, constinuents and interests to protect.
Really sad and one of the reasons that Philadelphia is always 50 years behind the times.
So many areas of neglect and so few areas of promise like Point Breeze. Unbelievable.

Is there any state/federal legal recourse to prevent Kenyatta Johnson from stifling development in Point Breeze? Perhaps a letter or phone call to Gov Corbetts office or a Senator representing SE PA might not be a bad idea. You make a great case on this blog.

I WANT THIS STORY TO STAY FRONT PAGE GET THE WORD OUT PLEASE!!!!!!!!! THIS NEEDS TO GET OUT!!!!!! THANK YOU NAKEDPHILLY.COM FOR DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB AND THANK YOU ORI!

MuscleMan – thank you for calling me names. You have proven yourself to be a true MuscleMan.

Off hand, I know about 6 or 7 lots that are used as parks or green spaces in a 4 block radius of me. Also, building houses isn’t going to eliminate trash.

Bobby Dombroski – I couldn’t agree more.

Ori – What I think you are saying is that its more lucrative for you to do new construction. I, on the other hand, see grass and some trash not as blight (although I would love the community to do more about the trash), but abandoned buildings with boarded up windows as the real eye sores of the neighborhood.

Maybe you would be more welcomed by the Point Breeze community if you diversified and made a true attempt to improve Point Breeze not just make money with all new construction tailored towards a specific demographic. Your efforts appear more exploit the empty space rather than improve the community.

And since you are replying – what is with the fenced in lot at the corner of 20th and Annin? It has been blocking the sidewalk for nearly 3 weeks with no signs of work or permits posted. According to the PRA those lots are listed as “sale pending”. My neighbors, many of which are young children and elderly have been forced to walk in street to go to the corner store on 20th and Federal.

That is not what I am saying. What I am saying is that I employ 25 people (who all live in Philadelphia) who depend on me making sound business decisions so that they continue to have jobs. They do not wish for me to gamble and prefer for me to stick with what I know how to do. What properties with boarded up windows do you wish for to to clean up? Are they for sale?

I feel extremely welcomed by the Point Breeze community. The demographic of my tenants and new home owners is exceptionally diverse. Please define what you mean….or are you just looking to throw punches with no facts?

Exploiting empty space by building much needed residences and commercial businesses? Would you rather me buy land to build bird sanctuaries? I get that it’s easy to attack someone who builds stuff for a living but come on….I’ve invested every penny I’ve earned back into the community.

20th & Annin…I’m building 6 single family homes on that property….breaking ground very, very shortly. I owned the property for less than a few weeks and had several slip and falls from the condition the PRA left the side walk. I poured new sidewalk across the street and closed off the sidewalk in disrepair. And why would they be forced to walk in the street? All they have to do is cross to the other side of the street. According to the PRA I never expressed interest in these lots either right?

And if I was just trying to make money (which I am not) I would not have renovated 2001 Federal with the coffee shop, created a garden, and leased the Munson Manor (what? oh yeah, forgot to mention it in all this mess).

MUNSON MANOR HERE WE GO!!!!!!!

I believe you live in PB so don’t you see these rotting buildings infested with animals, trash and squatters? As for what is for sale, I am not developer by trade, thus I have not been looking.

Based on what I have read, heard from neighbors, other developers and some of your former tenants, you have been painted as a cut throat, shady, crass, money driven developer. With no personal experiences aside from this blog your sarcastic tone does little to make me feel trustworthy of your intentions.

And honestly, the cleaning up of the lot behind the coffee shop – come on – you know you didn’t own it and just because you inquired doesn’t make the property yours. The only thing that situation said to me is that you don’t respect the rules and you feel entitled to do whatever you want. No matter how screwed up the city is, the bottom line is that you didn’t own it and it was a strategic move to improve your business. What does that say about your character and integrity?

Since my opinions are based on hearsay and the media, I understand that this may not be who you really are, but its your current image in my circle.

I am coming from the place of a person whose life will be effected by your choices. I will be the one without parking because you choose to build all of these 3 story homes with no off street parking. I am the one who will no longer have green space outside my door. I am the one whose property taxes will increase (I have no plans of selling my home, thus an increased property value isn’t a big incentive). I don’t expect you to not strive for success, I just challenge you to think about what you are doing. Once you remove the grass, its gone. Once you put a 3 story home, its going to stay that way for a long time. Once people get pushed out, they aren’t going to come back.

You are a business man, not a community planner. Are you thinking about quality of life, the social and environmental impact of what you are doing? Point Breeze is like a blank canvas, lots of potential to make it not like any other place in Philly, but I see what your doing is more of the same. Cookie Cutter.

Have you applied for the proper zoning for those 6 single family homes? According to the zoning records you have not, nor has this come before the community for approval. The corner is zoned for 4 lots all facing 20th street. According to your plans, you intend to build 4 on Annin, 2 on 20th along with a garage. This is the kind of stuff I am talking about. What do you think 6 three story buildings in a space zoned for 4 are going to do for our quality of life, for parking? Does there need to be more traffic for the police and fire station? Talk about cramming in as many as you can. From what I hear one of those houses is for you along with the garage. Assuming that is true, I guess since you’ve taken care of yourself who cares about the rest of us?

@45bb078cf19ab66ec502a67414c221c8:disqus I appreciate your thoughtful posts. It seems that you are not against development. Instead, it seems like you strongly advocate for smart development.

At the same time, assuming you are a Graduate Hospital or Point Breeze resident, it seems contradictory to preach smart development on one hand and ask for amenities such as parking and “green” space on the other. Looking at the map, there are few parks in these neighborhoods. The good news is that the city has taken some steps to create parks. An empty lot does not count as a park, even if you like the green it offers. Likewise, while it is nice to have parking in the city, it is a luxury.

Even after AVI happens I doubt you’ll be paying more than 3 figures in taxes. You want interesting designs yet oppose 3 story structures and want everything to have parking. Good luck building something interesting when half the building resembles a garage..

“how about promoting a mix of market rate and affordable housing on the currently City-owned 1300 block of Capitol Street? Or the 1300 block of S. 21st Street? Or the 1300 block of S. Bouvier?”

Seriously. Especially Capitol Street, it’s right off of Point Breeze Ave and god knows that block needs some help. If this kind of development is going to happen, there are plenty of lots already in the City’s inventory to do it on.

If you’re interested in protesting Kenyatta Johnson’s bill: SIGN THIS! http://www.change.org/petitions/no-to-120755-stop-the-land-grab-in-point-breeze

[...] think about purchasing new land. Kenyatta Johnson, Have You Lost Your Mind??? – Philadelinquency In Point Breeze, PRA Attempting Land Grab With No Plan in Place | NakedPhilly I agree with you. The city should be in the business of encouraging private development while [...]

whoa Munson Manor?? You can’t drop that bomb without a Munson Manor post!

You’ve hit the nail on the head. Ori is a businessman engaged in private enterprise. To earn a profit. Let’s run him out of town.
553,000 private sector jobs is enough for a city of 1.5 million.
And Point Breeze is a little country village. It’s not 1 mile from Rittenhouse Square. How are we going to pick peaches any more when he builds on these vacant lots?

Haley:

OCF would build buildings with rear parking in PB if the zoning permitted. It does not. I am building 6 homes on 5 lots (1145-53 S. 20th). 2 are by right and break ground the first week of November. 4 require zoning. I walk everywhere and don’t need parking. The design’s for these homes are awesome and far from cookie cutter.

The squalid, vermin infested and boarded up homes you speak of are usually occupied by squatters. The last thing I need is someone like you claiming I kick people out of their homes. I hear that now and it’s the furthest thing from the truth. I bought a shell at 1623 Manton last month certain it was vacant (the door was padlocked shut and could not be opened. I was wrong, and anyone who lives on that block with attest to how miserable of an experience that was for me. I was distraught. I did not even enter the home until I paid for the guy’s move and found him another place to stay. Even after all that, it still turned into a mess. I just have no interest in dealing with that kind of stuff…..I want to break ground knowing I am not upsetting anyone. That was the first shell I bought in years and likely the last.

You claim you have never met me or had any negative or positive personal interactions with me….but in a previous post claimed to have personally picked up my trash. You’ve posted 10 comments on this site, all negative and libelous. If you don’t like me that’s OK….but you’re just throwing stuff against a wall and hoping it sticks.

Won’t be official til Friday…..but yeah.

Normally I’m not in favor of state or federal interference in local issues, but in this case, nutjob Kenyatta is totally out of control and is probably doing something illegal and immoral, just to protect some crybabies.

I’ve done a few gut rehabs in Gho and U City. You need BOTH new private construction and rehabs (and some public investment) to fix a neighborhood as decrepit as PB (or Gho 15 years ago). It is not either or.
New const and rehabs are much different businesses. Rehabs are smaller scale ventures. But there are a lot more people capable of putting together a couple hundred thousand and running that.
But if you are putting a large amount of investment to work (which is what PB needs), single family rehabs just isn’t feasible. This should probably be obvious if you’ve done one, but it is difficult to scale. Each rehab is very different. You have structural issues. Rehabs require much more experience & skill, both at the GC and trade level, certainly more work, and dirtier. It is more difficult to put the specialized labor required for the sort of weird situations you run into. Very harder to put together a large team with these skills and keep them together.
Since you are dealing with 100+ years of other peoples (often subpar) work, L&I can usually find a reason to shut you down or raise your costs prohibitively. L&I is usually reasonable with small sfh projects, but in a city as corrupt as Philly watch out. If the unions will see you have 20 projects going, they will use L&I to shut you down until you pay them off. That is a simple fact of doing business in Philly and the main business of L&I. Ori would definitely have a problem here I think!
Without new private construction in a neighborhood, I wouldn’t even consider doing a rehab. Certainly not with the city hording blight properties to hand out as political favors. Who’s going to spend $250k rehabbing a place and then have a bunch of slap-dash PHA homes go up across the street?
That is the alternative to the much derided G-Ho special. Take a look at the PHA houses or what some of the subsidized mixed income projects look like.
What happens when Kenyetta’s idiot relative tries learning how to be a developer on the taxpayer dime (exactly where they are going with this)? Really you think that dude will care about architectural critiques? I’d take the ugliest G-Ho special over that anyday, sight unseen.

With AVI and another tax increase coming out, every taxpaying homeowner in the 2nd district needs to know understand how Kenyatta Johson is the reason their taxes go up every year, and why so many of them will be screwed hard by AVI.
He is the poster boy for $500mm in uncollected taxes, on the record now trying to make this absurd problem even worse! His $500 property gifted from the city. Now he is trying to build a political base on blight properties with tax money. He will show up in G-Ho talking about how he is trying to keep their taxes reasonable. What a LIAR!
This guy won by 60 votes! How many suckers thought he was a good-government supporter because he went to Penn? He does talk a good game out of both sides of his mouth. Now showing his true colors, he’s a scumball even by Philly city council’s low standards.
We owe KJ a debt of grattitude for putting this level of craven stupidity on the record here. Otherwise it would be difficult to believe. I actually thought he was a decent guy before seeing him in a action here.

That is completely understandable that you are averse to financial risk. As a business man and someone who needs to support a work staff, I get it. However, is there a possibility you would be interested in taking a risk in design? This is not an attack, you are getting enough of those on here, but your homes are lacking a certain quality that will carry along in the decades with this city. I truly am sad to think that future generations will have your homes to use as a basis for what we call architecture in the 21st century.

This may pop up here twice and with different writing:
I understand that as business man you are averse to financial risk. You have to make a living and support a work staff, I get it. However, would you be interested in taking a risk in design? As I mentioned earlier, your homes are notorious for having a lack of, style. Couldn’t your homes at least reflect the architectural presence that this city is…was known for. It’s sad to think that future generations will have your homes to use as a basis for 21st century architecture in our neighborhoods. This is not an attack on you, you are getting enough of that on here. This is just an honest question from a concerned citizen.

seriosuly? A simple red brick front home. That is what Philadelphia is known for, that is what looks good in this city. I suppose you have moved from the suburbs? drive up the block of 2000 federal street and there are a few homes, recently rehabbed, that look great. You can’t tell that there was ever an “architectural presence” in the neighborhood since most of it has crumbled down.

seriosuly? A simple red brick front home. That is what Philadelphia is known for, that is what looks good in this city. I suppose you have moved from the suburbs? drive up the block of 2000 federal street and there are a few homes, recently rehabbed, that look great. You can’t tell that there was ever an “architectural presence” in the neighborhood since most of it has crumbled down.

My office has built some unique stuff. Hope I’m not being blamed for the cookie-cutter homes in Grad Hospital….not my work. Have we built some boring stuff too? Yes…but like every builder we grow and learn from past projects and try to put forward something better each time.

I’ll post renderings for 20th & Annin in the next day or two and let you judge.

My apologies, I actually thought you were part of the G-Ho trend. That is my mistake. Growth is a good thing and I look forward to seeing your new designs.

Definitely agree. Get the word out to local journalists ASAP.

Ori – I have indeed picked up your trash. If you consider that a personal experience then I guess I misspoke. I was thinking more about an actual interaction – person to person, face to face.

I am sorry to hear about your experience with a rehab project. I would not want anyone to have to deal with a situation like that. It seems like either way you go, there are issues. Why isn’t the zoning permitted for rear parking? Is the plot not big enough?

As for my negative comments, I apologize, I didn’t know this was a place only praise you! Forgive me – horray for Ori! Ori is the best! Is that better?

Sorry buddy not everyone has to agree with you. While I think that you are trying to do what you believe is right, I am challenging you to think about a bigger picture. Whether or not you agree with me, you can’t deny that I have made some valid points and have real concerns.

Others can make fun of my desire for some green space and consciousness of parking issues (among other things), however something tells me they will be the same people complaining when their dog has no place to take a crap, or when they are sitting in the street while dining outside or double parking to carry their groceries in their houses or angry that they have no place to put a community garden. All I’m saying is entertain the fact that PB doesn’t have to be like every other neighborhood; that is can have some unique features and be developed with quality of life in mind.

I am not suggesting you don’t develop the area. I bought my house because I knew of the neighborhoods potential. What I am asking for is balance and thoughtfulness – two things that sometimes compete with making money. Maybe I am naive, but I thought this blog about real estate was a place to talk about those things.

In any case, I will be sure to exercise my rights as a community member
and have my voice heard when the zoning variances are presented.

I don’t know but those PHA houses in Hawthorne are the best public(maybe public/private?) I’ve ever seen. They won an international award.

[...] Redevelop Authority to seize privately owned lots only to resell them back to private developers? To read more… Share this:EmailPrintDiggTwitterFacebookStumbleUponRedditLinkedInTumblrPinterestLike this:LikeBe [...]

[...] Redevelop Authority to seize privately owned lots only to resell them back to private developers? To read more… Share this:FacebookLinkedInRedditTwitterStumbleUponDiggTumblrEmailMorePinterestLike this:LikeBe the [...]

Can’t disagree that what the PHA did with Hawthorne was a class act. Especially stark compared to the monstrosity that was MLK homes. Smaller projects and infill though? Their property management on SFH’s is pretty terrible.
There was a post here some time ago showing a pair of houses on Christian street that the PHA had absolutely destroyed, presumably to make them handicapped accessible, blighting the entire block with strikingly hideous facade. Historically, PHA has little concern about their blighting influence on neighborhoods as long as the right people get contracts.
They are better now than they were in the 70′s or 80′s, but that is little compliment.
Buying/ investing next to vacant land owned by the city that will be kept in blight until an affordable housing development is funded? Good luck with that. I have better things to do with my time & money.
But I guess that is Kenyatta’s goal here to drive out any private investment.

Perhaps it would be helpful to define what you consider a “green space” it assume you mean more than somewhere for residents’ dogs to crap. Do you mean the color green or ecologically friendly? Certainly grass lots, while the color green are not ecologically friendly (which is why, I believe Ori responded with the bird sanctuaries line).

While I think most people would agree with you that a fair (the definition of fair TBD) amount of open/garden/”green” space is a good thing, “green” is an ambiguous term. Additionally, it makes much more sense to lobby the city and not a *builder* for such amenities.

I’ll take this one. Ori’s being too nice. The reality is that most people looking for housing in the City want affordable housing with plenty of space and a garage. That’s what they want. You might not like that but it doesn’t change what they want. Saying it’s ugly doesn’t change what customers want. Builders want to give customers what they want and make money. And the most cost effective way to build a good house with plenty of space and a garage is to do a brick base with a stucco bay. I’ve been tracking real estate in G-Ho and those G-Ho specials seem to be selling just fine.
I’ll be looking very closely at that new development at 24th and Grays Ferry. While it looks awesome in the renderings I guarantee you a ton of that stuff is going to be value engineered out when they float the pricing out and find that people aren’t going to pay $900,000 for a unit on GRAYS FERRY.

[...] off any of its 400 vacant lots in Point Breeze? If you ask us, they could probably benefit from owning a few dozen more… 0 COMMENTS Posted in Point Breeze | Tagged City of Philadelphia, home collapse, [...]

[...] owners and three from the City of Philadelphia. You may recall, these lots were originally on the City’s condemnation list, which was hilariously approved at the same PRA meeting that Feibush’s purchase of the three [...]

[...] week ago, we told you about a plan from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to condemn and seize thirty-one privately owned properties via eminent domain in the Point Breeze neighborhood. Reaction to that story has resulted in 742 signatures (and [...]

[...] land grab in the Point Breeze neighborhood to your attention, detailing the City’s plans to seize thirty-one privately owned lots by eminent domain with the intention of constructing affordable housing units, despite no construction or financing [...]

[...] by eminent domain “for residential, recreational and related reuses.” This bill is what some folks have called the “Point Breeze land grab,” which has led to a 900+ signature petition in [...]

[...] few weeks ago, we told you that the PRA Land Grab (for more info on this, click here) would be coming before the Rules Committee of City Council and encouraged you to go out and make [...]

[...] is divided between a couple of developers, a City agency, a non-profit, and a church. Last year, the PRA attempted to condemn the four northernmost lots, opting to not condemn the two vacant lots owned by a non-profit and a church. Makes sense, [...]