Just two months ago, builders were inundating Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections with plans, eager to construct and renovate apartments, rowhouses, and office buildings that would transform some neighborhoods and add density to others. Then suddenly, the coronavirus upended the industry, which had capitalized on Philadelphia’s growing appeal and a demand for newer higher-end construction. Neighborhood changes — welcome and not — spurred growing civic participation in public meetings involving project proposals.
|