Parking Authority-backed ordinance clears committee to replace Jefferson auto park and front-load community benefits

The Committee on Rules on May 21 heard extensive testimony on Bill 250436, which revises use regulations and development standards in the Washington Square West neighborhood to enable demolition and replacement of an aging above-grade parking garage at Ludlow/Tenth/Chestnut/Eleventh Streets (the Jefferson/parking facility) and to create an opportunity for an overbuild that could yield housing and mixed uses.

Paula Brumbelow Burns, director of legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, said the ordinance would revise sections of Title 14 to exempt above-grade replacement garages from special-exception review, modify the Center City/University City floor-area-ratio map to permit a base FAR of 1600% for the property, and create a public-enhancement density bonus within Chapter 14-700 to apply to the project. The Planning Commission recommended the bill for approval with amendments drafted by the Law Department.

Louise Giordano, senior vice president of PMC Property Group (an owner of properties adjacent to the subject site), testified that PMC learned of the bill only that morning, expressed “significant concerns” about the proposal and requested the bill be held and relisted for June 4 to allow additional dialogue.

Rich (Richard) Lazar, executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA), testified in support of the bill and described the project as a public-agency-led modernization that includes front-loaded community benefits. “This proposed project and the ordinance that supports it reflects our mission to serve the public interest,” Lazar said. He said the authority has committed to installing a shared commercial trash compactor for neighboring retailers, removing dumpsters from Ludlow, and delivering streetscape improvements along Ludlow Street subject to Streets Department and community review and that those improvements must be approved before zoning permits are issued under Section 2 of the ordinance.

Lazar and Darwin Bovee (counsel) said the garage is one of the authority’s oldest structures and is in poor physical condition. “It’s one of our oldest garages. It’s in very bad condition... its shelf life is over at this point,” Lazar said. They said the ordinance would enable an overbuild with up to 1,900 FAR in exchange for the public enhancements, with a base FAR set at 1600% in the revised map language, and that the authority intends to front-load benefits rather than rely on later phases.

Council discussion noted prior community meetings and the use of an ordinance rather than a variance process to codify and enforce community benefits. The committee then reported Bill 250436 with a favorable recommendation and moved to suspend rules for first reading.

Why it matters: the ordinance would authorize a city public agency (PPA) to replace an aging garage, front-load community benefits in the ordinance, and create an overbuild opportunity intended to deliver housing consistent with the mayor’s housing goals. Nearby property owners requested additional time for consultation.

Next steps: the committee reported the bill favorably; Council will consider the ordinance at first reading in the next session.