Soundgarden Hall is a new music and entertainment venue now operating on the waterfront at Spring Garden Streets and Columbus Boulevard, near Festival Pier.

Members of the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association (NLNA) voted recently to support a proposal for a two-year request for a special assembly license for this music venue for 900 underage music lovers and 500 adults with a BYOB option, making for a total capacity of 1400 at 520 N. Columbus Ave., with provisions. Its restaurant and entertainment zoning was pre-existing, thanks to Club Egypt, which occupied this space for years.

Soundgarden Hall

Those provisions included the likely collection of issues associated with the opening of a large venue: noise, parking, crowds, and security. NLNA requested owners document management and security measures. In two years, owners will have to reappear before the NLNA (and Old City Civic, probably) when the…

Down on the waterfront, there’s a comprehensive Plan for the Central Delaware that envisions short- and long-term development along our urban riverbed. Among its various profferings is a 100-foot height limit on new structures. But nowhere in the current plans for a four-tower 1458-unit mixed use residential and retail development, known as Renaissance Plaza, being presented by developers Waterfront Renaissance Associates is that limit abided.

The project would occupy a 5.29 acre site located at 400 N. Columbus Blvd., at the intersection of Spring Garden and Columbus formerly slated to be the World Trade Plaza, according to PlanPhilly. Plans call for two 426 feet towers and two 227 feet towers.

Current view from the north

But right now developers are only circling among various civic groups and city agencies to present their current plants in order to compile community input, so that they…

A long stalled project may be on the horizon as developers for the vacant lot across from the Ben Franklin Bridge at 205 Race St. are scheduled to appear tomorrow before the Old City Civic Association Zoning Committee to seek support for newly revised plans for a mixed-use apartment building. This project has been discussed on and off for years, and may finally move forward, provided the developer and the community can see eye-to-eye.

Lot and bridge

Brown/Hill Development will seek the community group’s approval for a 16-story 128-unit building, according to the zoning refusal. That would make it perhaps the tallest building in the area, a 197-foot structure, three times that of the current height allowed by zoning. The building, as proposed, will have 34 interior parking spaces, as well as bicycle parking.

These plans are a departure from the…

Last October, we pondered some vacant commercial spaces on a prominent stretch in Old City, on 2nd Street, just south of Market. At the time, Liberty Market had recently opened, leaving a mere three shuttered buildings out of five, though it appeared that the upper floors of all but one of the buildings was in use. Today, we have news that 27 S 2nd St., the northernmost property, could soon see new life as well.

In October

Today

Next week, representatives from Benjamin Franklin Beer Distributors Inc will be presenting to the ZBA to open a business that does exactly what their name says. Our interpretation of the application is that the new establishment will sell both cases of beer as well as take-out beer, and will have offices on the second floor of the…

A new large-scale development is coming to Old City, next door to the nation’s oldest block, Elfreth’s Alley. Developers could break ground at National East, a 123-unit project planned for 109-31 N 2nd St. as early as this spring. The huge and long anticipated development will include a parking area covered by a deck/green area, marking the advent of a new era in Philadelphia parking.

Looking south, down 2nd St.

Closer look at the building

The structure will be a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments (available at market rate) and feature two ground-floor commercial spaces (1200 and 1400 sq. ft.). We wonder who will occupy those spaces? The new building will replace the former National Products building, which closed almost a decade ago. Not to worry, though. The iconic tile wall with deco touches…