It's a new year, folks! 2016 was a roller coaster, with some amazing ups, some enormous downs, and more celebrity deaths than we'd like to think about. With the calendar turning to a new page, let's look toward the future and try to come up with some predictions for the year to come.
– The renovation of the Divine Lorraine will be a huge hit, with every apartment rented by March and a restaurant from one of the big chefs in town opening by the end of the year.
– Perhaps spurred by the Divine Lorraine and in spite of those ridiculous light columns, North Broad Street will take a major step forward in 2017, with development trickling into surrounding neighborhoods. The corridor will take its next logical step, as renovation efforts actively move forward at the Metropolitan Opera House.
– I95 and I676 still won't be capped, though plans will advance for capping the rail yards in West Philadelphia.
– The City will convince Toll Brothers to save the facades of the buildings on Jewelers Row, though the building will grow from 29 stories to 40 stories as a result of this negotiation.
– Joel Embiid will win Rookie of the Year and Ben Simmons will be a revelation, but the Sixers will still be one of the worst teams in the NBA.
– So much more student housing.
– With three projects under now construction on Washington Avenue west of 12th Street, we will see at least one other project break ground on Washington Avenue in 2017. Perhaps it'll be at 16th Street, or maybe 24th Street, or perhaps on the northeast corner of Broad & Washington.
– Despite the development, Washington Avenue still won't get remapped or even restriped.
– 1911 Walnut Street will break ground, filling in one of the most embarrassing vacant lots in town.
– Many more three story homes will spring up on two-story blocks, and City Council will finally amend the zoning code to eliminate the eight-foot setback requirement, instead requiring developers to maintain cornice lines and use a mansard to reduce the impact of the taller home on the block.
– Property taxes will still not reflect actual property value for most properties in town.
– Villanova will make a run to the Final Four, but will fall just short of repeating as national champions.
– A group of people will start an RCO called Neighbors Increasingly Menaced By You, NIMBY for short, with borders that include all of greater Center City. They will write letters of opposition for every single project.
– City Council will make the RCO application process somewhat more stringent.
– After much hand wringing and some contentious community meetings, Center City will open its first protected bike lanes. Cyclists will rejoice, and people who opposed the idea will realize it wasn't such a big deal after all.
– Someone will be really upset to see an old building get demolished. Someone else will be very happy about it.
– The Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers will all take positive steps, but won't emerge as legitimate contenders until 2018. We hope.
How do you think we did? Did we cover all our bases, or did we miss a biggie?
What do you think will happen in Philadelphia in 2017?