Opinion Eyes on the Street

Developer feud: Blumenfeld v. Caplan | 30th Street reno work | Toll bridge traffic down | ‘More park, less way’

PlanPhilly staff

July 26, 2012

(Traffic on DRPA toll bridges is down 13% since 2007.)

It is a beautiful morning, Streeters, but we’re heading for 96º today (feeling more like 105º). It’s back to the territory of excessive heat, so do your best to stay cool. Here’s this morning’s buzz:

Eric Blumenfeld (EB Realty) is suing fellow developer Ronald Caplan (Philadelphia Management) over deals he says went sour, reports the Inquirer. In exchange for helping back Blumenfeld’s work on North Broad, Caplan received equity stakes and the ability to control two Blumenfeld projects – the Marine Club and 600 North Broad. Blumenfeld believed he would be a partner in Caplan’s development at 1900 Arch, but apparently isn’t. Blumenfeld is accusing Caplan of “siphoning money from his two projects while freezing him out of the 1900 Arch project.”

Amtrak is planning renovations to 30th Street Station’s West Plaza and parking deck, reports the Business Journal. Shoemaker Construction was selected as the contractor to perform waterproofing and structural repairs.

Since 2007 traffic on the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry, and Betsy Ross Bridges has decreased 13% while PATCO ridership continues to rise, reports the Inquirer. Traffic on the four toll bridges, operated by the Delaware River Port Authority, this year could be the lightest in 17 years. The traffic is dropping, DRPA says, due to ongoing bridge construction, toll increases, and the high price of gas.

PlanPhilly’s Kellie Patrick Gates listened in on the second community meeting about making the Benjamin Franklin Parkway a more lively, engaging place and heard this gem: “More park, less way.” Participants want the Parkway Action Plan to recommend traffic calming measures and pedestrian amenities, more refreshments for kids and adults, places to play and relax, and temporary events and attractions of varying scales. Monday and Tuesday the public meetings continue.

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest. Have a tip? Send it along.

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