Penn, Temple growth plans

At its Feb. 17 monthly meeting (typically 1 pm, upstairs at 1515 Arch St.) the Philadelphia City Planning Commission expects to review these 12 scheduled items. Highlights: 

- The University of Pennsylvania: 1) plans to demolish the former Penn Tower hotel building between its museum, med school and parking garage, with a complex to be designed by British architect Norman Foster (who's also planned the second Comcast tower); as an early step, Penn wants to replace the current enclosed second-story footbridge linking the Tower to the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, with a "temporary" five-year span. 2) In other Perelman upgrades, Penn plans to add two 7-story, 52,000 square foot expansions to what's now the "Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics" (the former Mellon Bank building) at 133 S. 36th St.

- Temple spreads: The university plans to add the former William Penn High School property to its master plan for the neighborhood. Current plans call for athletic facilities on the school site as Temple continues to grow south along Broad St. toward Center City. Temple also seeks planners' blessing on its new library at the college center (instead of an earlier Broad St. plan), and additions to the Engineering school and Weiss Hall.

- South Philly: Developer Phat Mot plans 113 housing units plus stores at 2401 Washington St., as the old industrial and construction-services neighborhood makes way for residential expansion from Center City. The Civic Design Review board has given a favorable review but it still needs rezoning, industrial to residential.

- A proposal by Councilman Squilla would exempt foot carts from zoning permit requirements "when operating on private property." 

Plus neighborhood plans and rights-of-way rulings; see the agenda linked above.