Rivage community meeting put on hold

The city Redevelopment Authority is looking over proposals from developers interested in remaking the empty Rivage site in East Falls.

Four proposals, each for a mixed-use complex of retail and rental apartments, came in before the Oct. 3 deadline, and RDA staff is now doing a “first cut” of the submissions, said RDA spokesman Paul Chrystie. Once that happens, the community will be brought into the process, along with a team of design, real estate and finance professionals, to further evaluate submissions.The East Falls Community Council had scheduled a meeting for early next week to give the public its first look at the various plans, but it’s been postponed. Chrystie said the RDA may need additional information from some developers before bringing the public into the process.“We’re not there yet, and we are hoping it won’t be long,” Chrystie said. He declined to identify any of the would-be developers or give more specifics about the plans. The RDA hopes to have a signed agreement with a developer by early 2012, and construction timetables beyond that will depend on which of the plans is selected.This isn’t the first attempt at redeveloping 4324 Ridge Ave., the long-empty 1.6 acre parcel which the city has owned since 2000. It’s a key site in ongoing efforts in East Falls to revitalize the retail and residential mix in the area near Ridge and Midvale Avenues, and it’s likely a winning project would encourage pedestrian activity between the Schuylkill riverfront and the neighborhood.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story misstated the developer selection process. NewsWorks regrets the error.

 

—

Contact Amy Z. Quinn at azquinn@planphilly.com