The Commonwealth Design Awards were developed by 10,000 Friends as an annual juried program to raise awareness of projects that successfully demonstrate sound land use principles around the commonwealth – from urban and suburban to rural development and redevelopment projects.

 

The awards pay tribute to local visionaries – developers, builders, designers, community leaders, local officials, financiers, and others who have invested time and resources in building a better future for Pennsylvania. These leaders put smart growth and sound land use principles to work on the ground by designing and building cutting edge projects that attract residents, employers, employees, and visitors, and are catalysts for improved community life.

 

A special highlight of the awards ceremony was the presentation of The Friend of Pennsylvania award to Louis J. Appell, Jr. chairman of Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff Co. in York and a founding director of 10,000 Friends.  The Friend of Pennsylvania Award is presented to an individual or organization who has made a major contribution to policies and actions that strengthen Pennsylvania’s communities and reflect the objectives and mission of 10,000 Friends.

 

• Revitalize existing communities and business districts
• Strengthen local, regional, and state land use planning and implementation
• Encourage future development near existing infrastructure
• Reduce traffic congestion and air and water pollution
• Provide housing for people of all ages and incomes
• Protect historic, natural, agricultural, and recreational resources
• Reduce land and resource consumption
• Conserve fiscal resources

 

 

Location: Erie, PA

Submitter:  Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC 

Project Type: Environmental Education Facility, Green Building

 

The former site of a drive-in movie theatre has found a second act in the form of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, and is the new 3-mile multi-purpose gateway to Presque Isle State Park. The 12-acre site in Millcreek Township, Erie County, was chosen to reinforce the park’s connection to the city of Erie, lengthen visitor stay by offering interpretive programs, and develop collaborative relationships with regional research and education organizations.  The Center, comprising 63,000 square feet on two floors, boasts exhibition areas, a 75-foot observation tower affording views of Lake Erie, an orientation theatre, gift shop, café and regional offices for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and laboratories.  The Center has a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver rating pending. 

 

 

 

Bausman Street Independent Living

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Submitter: South Side Local Development Company 

Project Type: Urban infill and Residential 

 

Five years in the making, the Bausman Street Independent Living project is a newly constructed supportive housing development designed to complement an existing urban, residential context.  The project composed of 3 buildings with 4 apartments in each building that provides affordable housing to low-income disabled adults.  The project represents the first new construction in decades in Pittsburgh’s Knoxville neighborhood.  The units, which replaced a vacant lot and an adjoining storage building, were designed to fully integrate into an existing neighborhood and use existing infrastructure. The Bausman Street Independent Living project represents a unique partnership between two Pittsburgh-based nonprofits, three social service providers and Pittsburgh’s U.S. Housing and Urban Development office.  

Buckwalter Building

Location:  Lancaster, PA

Submitter: The Drogaris Companies 

Project Type: Mixed-Use, adaptive use

 

Located in the northwest quadrant of the City of Lancaster, the 45,000-square-foot Buckwalter Building was built in 1905 as the A.K. Mann tobacco warehouse.  It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 but was vacant for several years. Prince Street Associates, a subsidiary of the Drogaris Companies, bought the building in 1998.  It turned over a new leaf as a mixed-use redevelopment project, which is now home to the Brickyard Restaurant and Sports Pub on the first floor; technology companies on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors, and 8 apartments above. The Buckwalter Building is part of the Lancaster city economic development plan and represents Phase II of the 3-phase Prince Street Centre Project.

 

 

Location:  Philadelphia, PA

Submitter: Philadelphia Housing Authority  

Project Type: Infill, Residential Development

 

Martin Luther King Plaza consists of 136 low-income rental and 90 affordable homeownership units that span the once blighted 15-block area east of Broad Street in Philadelphia.  The development is comprised of Victorian styled row and infill houses, two and three stories that match the character of the neighborhood. The Philadelphia Housing Authority installed high-efficiency mechanical equipment in the buildings, reducing energy consumption, promoting cost savings and a cleaner environment.  The Philadelphia Housing Authority worked with the City of Philadelphia to incorporate a new streetscape and water-retention systems, maximize space for housing with off-street parking and back yards that complements the historic character of the neighborhood. 

 

Location: York, PA

Submitter: LSC Design Inc.  

Project Type: Institutional/civic, commercial brownfield  

 

Keeping the public library in its original location – at a major intersection in downtown historic York – was both a pivotal decision and a tremendous challenge.  Funded privately, this project encompassed a renovation of the original library – built in 1935, expansion into a next-door brownstone home built in 1866, and “infill” between the two buildings. The project included restoring important frescoes in the brownstone as well as transforming the library.  The library now boasts a gourmet coffee shop, a Victorian ballroom that is available for public use, and a new Children’s Library that includes an outdoor courtyard.  Since the project’s completion, library visits have increased by 6,000 per month and circulation has increased 25 percent.

 

                                                                               

 

Location:  Mill Run, PA

Submitter: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson on behalf of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

Project Type: Adaptive Reuse and Redevelopment

 

Consistent with its mission statement – “Saving the places we care about by connecting people to the natural world” – the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy converted a 12,000-square-foot bank barn in Steward Township, Fayette County into conference and event space on the Bear Run Nature Reserve.  The barn is located along a business route connecting to tourist and recreation areas and adjacent to Frank Lloyd Wright’s renowned Fallingwater.  The upper level of the original barn, which dates to the 19^th century, is used for exhibits, lectures and other social functions.  New conservation-based education and outreach programs are now housed in the structure.  And providing a special bat habitat for bats displaced from the rafters of the renovated barn was a high priority. 

 

 

Blau-Thompson Residence

Location:  Philadelphia, PA

Submitter: BluPath Design Inc. 

Project Type: Residential, adaptive reuse 

This project is a renovation of a 19^th century urban row home in the Italian market area of Philadelphia.  It had been a luncheonette with two apartments above and was renovated into a high-performance, sustainable single family residence in a traditional, dense urban neighborhood. The home was designed using the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System as a guide and features solar collectors for hot water, radiant floor heating and a rainwater catch system that harvests air conditioning condensation for the garden – and all on just an 830 square foot lot.   

 

Location: York, PA

Submitter: Nutec Design Associates on behalf of Crispus Attucks Association

Project Type:  Commercial brownfield, infill development

The 60,000-square-foot historic former Eisenlohr & Brothers Cigar Factory is part of the non-profit Crispus Attucks Association’s 10-year project to revitalize the Southern Gateway of York.  This 96-year old building has been converted into Class A loft-style office space with fiber optic cable and wireless Internet throughout.  Construction crews used corn blasting to remove white paint from the building’s interior rather than harsh chemicals that could have harmed hardwood and future workers.  An addition, built on an adjacent brownfield site, houses new conduits, plumbing, fire stairs, handicap-accessible entrances and elevator service, and enabled the integrity and details of the older building to be preserved.  The building is a candidate for LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. 

 

Location: York, PA

Submitter: Housing Development Corporation of York 

Project Type: Residential, adaptive reuse 

 

Historic Fairmount is an adaptive reuse of 15 residential properties – each formerly a large, Victorian single family residence – that is now a development of 38 low-income apartment units ranging from studios to 4-bedrooms.

 

For added convenience, the community includes a laundry facility for residents and a community room for the neighborhood association. The project is located in a traditional, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with close proximity to public transportation. Innovative funding packages and public/private partnerships were key to this project’s success. 

International Place

Location: Harrisburg, PA

Submitter:  Harristown Development Corporation 

Project Type: Mixed-Use, residential/commercial

International Place is located in the historic business district of downtown Harrisburg. Five buildings were renovated and two vacant lots used to create the 30,000 square foot project that includes a 20,000 square foot expansion of adjacent International House, a 160-seat restaurant and culinary arts school, a bakery with takeout and outdoor seating and an upscale deli, also with outdoor seating. The new construction was carefully designed to blend in with the surrounding area. The project has made the corridor more lively and created over 50 jobs.  

 

 

Mental Health Consumer Center

Location: Rochester, PA

Submitter:  Hancock Architecture on behalf of the Mental Health Association of Beaver County 

Project Type: Urban Infill, commercial redevelopment

In 2002, the Mental Health Association of Beaver County was given the opportunity to construct a new building and consolidate its programs and services under one roof. The site chosen in the Borough of Rochester’s central business district offers numerous benefits for pedestrian access to public transportation, services and residential neighborhoods, and encourages community integration for the Center’s consumers.  The completed building provides bright, flexible space and convenient access to public transportation.  The project was made possible by private-public partnerships.  The number of consumers coming to the Phoenix Center has increased dramatically due to the comfortable space and central location.

 

 

Location:  Pottstown, PA

Submitter:  RM Hanna Landscape Architects 

Project Type: Downtown revitalization, infill and brownfield development

 

The parcel at High and Hanover streets in downtown Pottstown had sat vacant since 1973.  Adjacent to it, the 19^th-century Security Trust Building had been empty for 20 years. The Borough’s decision to locate its new municipal building and town square in the heart of downtown demonstrated its faith in the community’s potential for regeneration.  The new three-story, 28,000-square-foot Borough Hall houses government offices, council chambers and the police department.  The Borough Hall is credited with sparking economic development, including renovation of the Security Trust Building.  The Town Center was completed in 2002 with the opening of the Smith Family Plaza, which created a place for socializing, festivals and performances.  The Plaza created a pedestrian-friendly environment for transit-oriented development connecting the High Street corridor and the proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro.  

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Submitter:  Hooper Shiles Architects on behalf of Archon Group 

Project Type: Adaptive Reuse

 

Built in 1928 as the Philadelphia Inquirer’s printing facility, this 5-story building had been renovated and adapted for telecom use.  But the tech fall-out in 2002 rendered the property vacant again.  The building was re-adapted for more traditional use with exterior windows added, floor plates resized, entrances reconfigured and a new atrium built in the center, creating a large common area for gatherings, exhibits, presentations and community events. The renovated space enabled the School District to consolidate four administrative and storage sites, and the new location affords easy access to transit as well as educational institutions such as Temple University and Philadelphia Community College. 

 

 

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Submitter:  New Urban Ventures 

Project Type: Mixed use, brownfield

 

The three acre at North 10^th and Green Streets, in what is known as the West Popular neighborhood in Philadelphia, had been vacant since a failed urban renewal effort in the 1960s.  Spring Arts Point is a mixed use, mixed income project with 53 townhomes, 20 condominiums and 5,000-square feet of retail on the ground floor. All units will have dedicated off-street parking and buried utility lines.  Public transit – subway, bus and trolley -- are within a 10-minute walk. The scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood – row homes, apartment buildings and industrial loft buildings – is reflected in the project’s design. The project is seeking a U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification and minimizes impact on indigenous vegetation and natural systems.

 

 

Location: Chester, PA

Submitter:  Hillier Architecture 

Project Type: Commercial brownfield, adaptive reuse

 

In the City of Chester, in Delaware County, an Industrial Age power station gave way to a new world headquarters of a 21^st century technology company.  The Chester Waterside Station, a coal-fired electric power plant along the Delaware River was renovated into an office building with Synygy Inc. as the anchor tenant.  The project transformed a decaying building that was purchased for $1 into a million-dollar investment. Turbine Hall, with its 100-foot vaulted ceiling, now houses two free-standing structures that incorporate a data center, cafeteria and conference center. Offices replaced a boiler room.  An employee fitness center and a residence for visiting executives can be found where coal once was hoisted from barges and dropped into the tops of sifters and boilers. Investment and cooperation by state and local governments, private entities and developers, has transformed the building and revitalized a portion of Chester’s waterfront. 

 

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The Pioneer Award is a special award presented to someone who has pioneered the way for others.  This year, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania honors John Westrum and Westrum Development Company.

 

In the last few years, John has transformed his company – from one which built homes on suburban greenfields -- to one which is focusing exclusively on urban neighborhoods.  John sold more than 3,000 suburban lots that he owned, and shifted the company's focus to urban redevelopment and revitalization. This commitment to previously ignored urban neighborhoods with transit service, infrastructure, and an older retail district has made Westrum a market-driving pioneer in Philadelphia. 

 

10,000 Friends commends Westrum’s commitment to urban revitalization and the significant private investment being made in support of that commitment in Philadelphia, and applauds the pioneering spirit, which has helped open doors for other good development projects in Philadelphia.