Community Design Collaborative partners with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation to focus on the reuse of neighborhood-based industrial sites  in third phase of design initiative

Contacts: Carryn Golden, Community Design Collaborative  215.587.9290 x 113  carryn@cdesignc.org

Philadelphia, PA – September 2, 2009 – In the most recent real estate boom many former industrial buildings were converted to loft housing or demolished to make way for big box retail projects, but our shifting economy and the current administration’s focus on green industry is encouraging the reuse of our industrial landmarks for new manufacturing opportunities.  The Community Design Collaborative will partner with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation on the next phase of Infill Philadelphia, an initiative created by the Collaborative to promote workable solutions for revitalizing urban neighborhoods through innovative design.

Infill Philadelphia, Industrial Sites will focus on design strategies and prototypes for the reuse of neighborhood-based industrial sites. The initiative will confront the dual challenges of improving job opportunities for neighborhood residents and restoring the competitive market standing of underutilized industrial buildings and land. This third phase of Infill Philadelphia will build on the Industrial Market and Land Use Strategy undertaken by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. The study encompasses a variety of revitalization, employment and development opportunities related to market-driven industrial activity and is set for release in the fall of 2009.

“We’re excited to be a partner in Infill Philadelphia: Industrial Sites. The initiative will add thoughtful, creative options to the menu of Philadelphia’s industrial land development strategies and complement the city’s sustainability, green jobs, and economic initiatives,” says John Grady, senior vice president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation.

Previously, the Collaborative focused on neighborhood commercial corridors in partnership with Philadelphia LISC and food access in partnership with the Fresh Food Financing Initiative, The Reinvestment Fund, and The Food Trust. The first two phases of Infill Philadelphia resulted in public dialogue between more than 3,000 design practitioners, neighborhood leaders, community development experts, policymakers, funders, and the media; more than 1,000 donated hours of predevelopment design services; and scores of innovative design strategies and prototypes for the redevelopment of urban infill sites.

The Community Design Collaborative has received a grant from The William Penn Foundation for the third phase of Infill Philadelphia, an initiative to help urban communities re-envision neighborhoods, leverage existing assets, rethink the use of older spaces, and address the practical concerns of specific sites and the communities around them. The design initiative kicks off in October 2009 with a series of public programs and events, starting with a design charrette that focuses on interim uses for industrial sites.

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Community Design Collaborative is a community design center that provides pro bono predevelopment design services to nonprofit organizations, offers unique volunteer opportunities for design professionals, and raises awareness about the importance of design in community revitalization. Founded in 1991 as a program of AIA Philadelphia, the Collaborative is an independent 501(c)(3) with a network of more than 600 volunteers.

Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation is a private, not-for-profit Pennsylvania corporation, founded in 1958 by the City of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to promote economic development throughout the city. PIDC’s central strategy is to leverage financing and real estate resources to retain and to grow employment in Philadelphia. PIDC also coordinates tax incentive and work force development programs offered by the City and the Commonwealth.  Clients range from the traditional base of commercial and industrial businesses to the developers of large, public purpose facilities to non-profits, in all neighborhoods of Philadelphia.