Category avenue of the arts

Another project planned for Avenue of the Arts

Carl Dranoff is at it again on AOTA. This one will be his third major project on this southern section of Broad St.

For all of you readers out there who are proponents of green/sustainable development, this project’s main focus will be on Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). If you’re unfamiliar with the term TOD, just know that it’s becoming a popular buzzword in today’s urban focused discussions.

If you’ve never heard of or seen Dranoff’s other projects on Broad St, he built Symphony House and 777 South Broad. In my section of Philadelphia, Dranoff was responsible for Venice Lofts on Main St in Manayunk.

With a reputation for creating and/or rehabbing quality buildings with high-end finishes, this next one should serve as a solid anchor between Center City and South Philadelphia.

Promenade of Lights

Back in 1993, when Ed Rendell was Mayor of Philadelphia, one of his goals was to really expand the Center City brand as much as possible. Since South Broad St has always been known as Philadelphia’s “Theater District,” Rendell decided to capitalize on our existing assets and jump start a new non-profit called “Avenue of the Arts.”

Nowadays when you drive down South Broad St, you would think that South Broad St has always looked this cool. Great architecture, lots of theaters, excellent restaurants, and high-end living accommodations. But the truth is, Avenue of the Arts was really what made that all happen.

To build on that success, there is a new plan brewing for North Broad St; and it starts with the “Promenade of Lights.”