Philadelphia Development News

[TritaniumZ3]

I have noticed that Philly has alot of proposed, approved and vision buildings coming up! There is the "tallest" approved One Philly Plaza. Now there is a vision for a 1000 footer i belive. Post a you know about Philly development!!!!!!

[TritaniumZ3]

One Pennsylvania Plaza
Height: 962 ft Status: Proposed
Construction Dates: Finish 2006
Floor Count: 60
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/595/650pa2328_cp.jpg

[streetscapeer]

do you know when One Pennsylvania breaks ground?

[Jasonhouse]

Ahh, I would love to see an active Philly thread!


I'm more interested in knowing if One Pennsylvania will actually get built. Any tenants signed up?

[TritaniumZ3]

Well i think its going to be built but it will not be finished in 2006!

[moth]

Heres most of the high rise projects for Philly. I will try to post the mid and small rise projects latter.The image of 1PP from Trit is outdated.

Market Pavillion East
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/philly/10417/108519961111.jpg


ST. James Condos recently completed
http://www.4wallsinphilly.com/cc/stjames/main.jpg


One Pennsylvania Plaza Tower mainly for Comcast not finalized yet.
http://www.kendall-heaton.com/large%20images/one-penn-02.jpg


Cira Centre Office-- to open in fall of 2005
http://www.ciracentre.com/cira/images/th_video1.jpg



Waterfront Square 5 tower condo on delaware river
http://www.midatlantic.construction.com/images/0411_Waterfront-2.jpg



Symphony House Theatre/Condo to break ground Jan 2005
http://www.avenueofthearts.org/newsletter6/images/symphony.jpg


1441 Chestnut Condos currently held up due to zoning issues
http://www.mahoneyrealty.com/Towers.jpg


Ritz carlton condos held up due to zoning issues
http://www.dfw.com/images/philly/inquirer/9164/83983999348.jpg

http://www.jonseagull.com/images/p_tivoli_3.jpg

Comcast Center Groundbreaking in 2 weeks
http://www.kyw1060.com/images/temp/comcast_hq.jpg

http://images5.fotki.com/v71/photos/7/77334/387771/Philadelphia_skyline-vi.jpg

[josef]

Ah is that what the Ritz-Carlton Residences will look like? I've never actually seen a rendering.. I love it! There was an article in the Inquirer not a week ago about how a judge stopped the Parking Authority from tearing down the old Warwick Apartments (which I hope they now do something with, now that they stopped this, but that's another story), and they said the zoning was overturned a few months ago for those two buildings because of the fact that they'll have large parking garage entrances taking up much of the busy sidewalks on both sides of Chesnut. So.. I wonder what they're doing now. It'd be nice if they just put the parking underground!

[TritaniumZ3]

Great collection!

[Furiine]

Good to see a Philly thread open up! Wow, a lot of projects! Cira Centre is going to be a nice looking building.

[TritaniumZ3]

does anyone have any more info on these building?

17th & Vine
Status: Proposed
Height: 890 ft
Floor Count: 50
http://elliptic.typepad.com/elliptic_blog/images/17_vine.gif

[josef]

I emailed the developers about this building. Here's what they wrote back:

If you're referring to the Philadelphia High-Rise building listed on our website, the design was completed but the project did not continue into construction phases. If you have any questions about the building they may be constructing, Hillier is not responsible for that building's design and cannot offer any direction.
There are often several reasons buildings don't get built, but I am not at liberty to discuss this particular building.



:\ Maybe it would get built if they were able to fill office space they've already got. I'm hoping the new Select Greater Philadelphia (http://www.selectgreaterphiladelphia.com/) group, in charge of attracting new business, does well and there's an increase in the demand for office space. They've already brought some in, I read about a Spanish wind-power company that has its US headquarters here thanks to the group. I hope they do great.

[TritaniumZ3]

Thats darn sad. It would be a great addition to the skyline!

[moth]

Yeah that proposal has been dead for a few years now. glaxo-smith-kline was supposed to be the lead tenant.

As you know this is one city that is very resistant to change.

St.James Apartments completed fall 2004(42 Stories)


These projects are definites

Cira Centre (complete in fall 2005) 32 stories
Waterfront Square(phase 1 underway- 5 Towers-21 to 37 stories)
Symphony House(Groundbreaking next month Jan 2005)31 stories

Projects held up due to zoning issues

1441 Chestnut Condos (50 stories)
Residence at Ritz Carlton(57 stories)
10 Rittenhouse Condos (35 stories)
17th + Rittenhouse Condos (30 stories)

One Pennsylvania Plaza( 62 story + 17 story complex)
Staus should be known within the next month. I got a good feeling this is finally going to happen.

Market East Pavillion(25 story Condo/retail/16 screen movie theater)

[moth]

Heres some smaller projects , part of the condo boom going on around town. Too many to list but here's a few. The biggest of all is 1,000 unit naval square http://www.navalsquare.com.
others include http://www.metroclubcondos.com

Everything on this page is under construction. Other projects off the top of my head that is also under construction:

Edgewater
Belber Building
Walnut 101
and too many townhouse complexes to mention








Lofts at bella Vista

http://www.bvlofts.com/images/v.png


National at Old City

http://www.intechconstruction.com/images/current/pic_18_85.jpg


Beaumont Front Street Old City 14 stories
http://images.ncinfo.net/phototmp/photos_nt/49101/534140775.jpg


York Square 4th + Vine
http://www.newhomesfoxroach.com/resourcefiles/community/333/Rendering1.jpg

23 Condos 23rd + Market

http://www.newhomesfoxroach.com/resourcefiles/community/536/R-23-Street-Condo.jpg

Old City 108

http://www.newhomesfoxroach.com/resourcefiles/community/318/P-108ArchDay.jpg

22 Front Street

http://www.22Front.com/images/gallery/gallery01.jpg

MetroClub condos

http://www.lubertadler.com/uploads/MetroClub1024.jpg

[streetscapeer]

wow...great rundown...I've lived in philly for 1 and half years now and I still never knew philly had so much going on!!:):)

[TritaniumZ3]

Woohoo a sticky. Thats the first thread i created that was made a sticky! These development threads are real good!

[TritaniumZ3]

I realy hope this gets buit!:

World Trade Center
Status: Stale Proposal
Floor Count: 65
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/595/28philadelphia-wtc.jpg

[TritaniumZ3]

I realy hope this gets buit!:

World Trade Center
Status: Stale Proposal
Floor Count: 65
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/595/28philadelphia-wtc.jpg

[moth]

Yea the Cira is going to be very nice, the exterior should be finished by this spring. heres a view from the art museum area

The world trade center needs to find an anchor tenant to get started, the last I heard the 40 story retail/residential tower would be the first phase of this project. I have my doubts about this project.


http://www.ciracentre.com/cira/project_tour/w_render1.jpg

[moth]

I see the skyline taking off in the next decade west of the Schuylkill river all the way up to 40th Street. I know Penn, Drexel,Philadelphia College of Sciences,a nd private developers all have plans to expand in University City and there is only one way to go, UP.

Comcast is an interesting situation. I read a story today where the leading republican from Harrisburg has basically said Comcast could build this tower in the ghettos of Hunting Park and they still aren't getting any tax breaks. Location isn't an issue.Harrisburg isn't giving a cash cow like Comcast anymore breaks, that and they also hate Philadelphia. The $30 million capital grant for Liberty Property is all they are getting. Hope thats enough to get this 970 foot tower built.

Comcast Tower,1441 Chestnut, Ritz Residence Condo,the 35 story and 30 story condos on Rittenhouse square would already be under construction in every other city in the country. Philadelphia is a very tough place to accept progress.

[Iggmasta]

It's great to see philly really booming

[josef]

Hey this is sticky now, cool!

Here's a site about the Philadelphia World Trade Square: http://www.carlmarks.com/re/worldtrade.asp

[josef]

Comcast Tower,1441 Chestnut, Ritz Residence Condo,the 35 story and 30 story condos on Rittenhouse square would already be under construction in every other city in the country. Philadelphia is a very tough place to accept progress.

I know, it's frustrating. But to see the good part of it.. Maybe it's good that developers can't just put anything they want around without realizing what it makes the streetscape like? I.E. all the parking garage entrances, things like that. Now if the developers are flexible and make these happen with a new plan, then some good has been done. But if they don't even do them now because of this... then that's bad. In the end, I wish we could really get some new people who know what progress is all about. But despite that, things seem to be going up for the city.

[TritaniumZ3]

This would definaty be the best building in Phily if it comes up. Unfortunatly its only a vision!

City Center 1
Height: 1,050 ft
Floor Count: 75
Status: Vision
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/595/28philadelphia-centercitytower-10.jpg

[Iggmasta]

damn so no chance of it being built

[TritaniumZ3]

damn so no chance of it being built

Why?

[Iggmasta]

wait it could be built? I thought you ment it wasn't goin up

[TritaniumZ3]

Wait. Acually i don't know! I hope it is but i don't think so!

[moth]

They are planning to put the two high rise condo's(1441 Chestnut + Residence -Ritz Carlton)at the site of where City Center 1 was supposed to be built. Unfortunately CC1 has been dead for awhile.

[streetscapeer]

hey..I don't mind that 1441 chesnut and the ritz tower is in its place!....seeing those rise in the skiline (along with One pennsylvania) is gonna be soo magical!!:):)

[TritaniumZ3]

1441 chesnut is gonna be the major residence in Center City!

[rdm]

great job everyone. let's keep this thread going!

[josef]

Center City One absolutely rocks my socks. This is the best skyscraper i've probably ever seen. Right now we're seeing a boom in residential towers.. and hopefully some day we can see a rise in office towers, as the people who move into the residential towers enrich the area and more businesses use up space. I could deffinitely see that happening.

[moth]

I agree with you Josef but even with the increased residents populating center city, somehow the city is going to have to be proactive in changing the business tax laws. Philadelphias business taxes are twice as much as Charlotte and Baltimore's and much much higher than business magnets NYC and Boston.

That's why Philadelphia has lost 250,000 white collar jobs in the last 25 years, yet the Philadelphia suburbs have gained 1,000,000 white collar jobs in the same time frame. If Philadelphia's insane business taxes weren't so high , Center City would already have 6 more skyscrapes the size of Liberty One filled to capacity.

I do agree that as Center City continues its booming residential pace and University City is quickly becoming a bio/pharmacuetical stronghold, that business will come back to center City. But only if the city gets serious about lowering taxes.

[Iggmasta]

damn they should reduce bussiness taxes in the city and raise em in the Suburbs

[streetscapeer]

^^true



also...I don't think the amount increased residents will be enough to trigger an office boom (i wish that weren't the case) since the office market is already oversaturated with office space...the critical amount of population influx needed to create an office boom won't occur during this residential boom, imo...but hey, if we get one or two cool office towers out of this boom (which is not unlikely), I'd be ecstatic:):)


here's a question, in your opinion...where are the new center city residents Mainly coming from (The Pa burbs, Jersey burbs, NY, other cities, international)??

[TritaniumZ3]

^^true



also...I don't think the amount increased residents will be enough to trigger an office boom (i wish that weren't the case) since the office market is already oversaturated with office space...the critical amount of population influx needed to create an office boom won't occur during this residential boom, imo...but hey, if we get one or two cool office towers out of this boom (which is not unlikely), I'd be ecstatic:):)


here's a question, in your opinion...where are the new center city residents Mainly coming from (The Pa burbs, Jersey burbs, NY, other cities, international)??

Ive heardthat lot ofguys come from Delaware suburbs.

Also lots of International guys move there to. For people outside America (besides Europe and China) either go to Texas cause they here its so cheap. Or they go to Philly cause they here of only a few big cities in the US so the go there!

[Iggmasta]

actually a lot of Chinese may come because their now allowed to leave the country

[moth]

I think the incoming migration into Philadelphia is coming from a combination of young suburbanites, wealthy suburban empty-nesters, and business types from NYC and DC who see Center City as a cheaper, mini-Manhattan.

There was an article I read about how white collar workers from Manhattan are buying up these condos and commuting to NYC.. A 50 minute train ride from Philly to NYC in many cases is faster than suburban NorthJerseyites driving through that insane traffic up in metro NYC.

What we need to do is stop the outgoing migration, the people fleeing Philly to Washington ,NYC, Boston and the suburbs.

[moth]

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Lodge/1534/phibpk01.jpg

This was a Keating development Inc. proposed Phillies stadium location at 30th + Walnut. In another thread in the forum, we were discussing the pros and cons of what a downtown stadium could have meant for the city. What are your views? This proposal dates all the way back to 1998, when Ed Rendell was mayor and pushed hard for a downtown stadium. Once mayor Street took office the downtown stadium didn't stand much of a chance, the man is not very bright and has absolutely no vision at all.

This stadium would have put Center City on a whole new level with packed restaurants, hotels and bars, 6 months out of the year. The proposal also called for 3 thirty-story condo towers to built near it.

[josef]

What we need to do is stop the outgoing migration, the people fleeing Philly to Washington ,NYC, Boston and the suburbs.

I do agree that as Center City continues its booming residential pace and University City is quickly becoming a bio/pharmacuetical stronghold, that business will come back to center City. But only if the city gets serious about lowering taxes.

Both are quite true. The last thing I heard about business taxes was the meeting they had at the Naval Yard a few months ago. I'm pretty sure they attacked business taxes there. And about the outward migration, there was an article recently about a meeting thing they had at I think the new World Cafe about how to retain people. It seems like they're trying to figure out how to fix things. And there seem to be no shortage of people telling them exactly what to do. Papers, politicians, just about anyone who lives there, but like you said, this mayor isn't really bright. I really really hope they can change things. There seems to be some hope, as council voted last budget to begin a reduction of the city wage tax. So as slowly as things go in city governments, things may be looking up.

[moth]

Yea for the first I can remember there is this enormous groundswell of civic pride regarding Philadlephia. I'm hoping Street doesn't mess things up to much because there are some really progressive politicians waiting in the wings. I hope Michael Nutter can manage to become our next mayor.

Heres an incredible site telling you all you will ever need to know about attempting to fix the business and wage taxes in Philadelphia.

http://www.philadelphiaforward.org


This was in the Inquirer today. 33 story Condo oon Rittenhouse square to break ground this April.http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/classifieds/real_estate/10523331.htm

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/657rittenhouse_2a.jpg

[Dale]

And Comcast is breaking ground this month !

Good for Philly, one of my favorite places.

[Jasonhouse]

Those groundbreakings are great news.

[moth]

Comcast Center Groundbreaking in Two Weeks- 975'

http://www.kyw1060.com/images/temp/comcast_hq.jpg

http://www.kyw1060.com/news_story_detail.cfm?newsitemid=43033

:)

[streetscapeer]

OMFG...OMFG....in two freakin weeks...I'm literaly jumping in my seat right now...for god's sakes...this is such huge news for the entire country


:eek2: :dance: :dance: :pepper:

[moth]

Been a great week so far, yesterday came word that 10 Rittenhouse Condo's would begin in April and today the Comcast bombshell. Symphony House is another project starting this month and Cira Centre is winding down.

How do you like the design of Comcast Center?

[streetscapeer]

Work to start on Comcast skyscraper this month

By Henry J. Holcomb

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER


Construction is to begin this month on a 57-story headquarters for Comcast Corp.

The formal announcement will come this morning from Brian L. Roberts, chief executive of the Philadelphia cable television giant, and William Hankowsky, chairman of Liberty Property Trust, the Malvern real estate firm that will construct and own the building.

The skyscraper, to be called Comcast Center, will be built on a site, already cleared, across 17th Street from Suburban Station on John F. Kennedy Boulevard. The project, to cost more than $400 million, includes a new entrance to the commuter railroad station that extends below a planned public plaza in front of the building.

The announcement comes after extended and bitter controversy over proposed tax breaks for the tower, which were rejected late last year by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and a subsequent $30 million grant provided by Gov. Rendell.

Owners of rival buildings turned off decorative lighting for a time last summer to protest the building, which they said would create a glut of office space in an already weak real estate market.

When finished late in 2007, the building will be, at 975 feet, the city's tallest. Comcast has signed a 151/2 year lease 534,000 square feet on 24 floors, or 44 percent of the 1.2 million square foot tower.

It has options to expand into virtually all of the space.

[streetscapeer]

http://prn.newscom.com/cgi-bin/members/thumb/wmark?doc=PRN/prnphotos/docs/042/837&size=512&logo=logo




:)there's a video rendering at kyw.com

[jackbird]

You've posted a lot of renderings up there without attribution.

Some of them (Tivoli Condos) are my copyrighted images, and what's more, you're leeching them off my bandwidth.

I don't mind when people do this on discussion sites like this one, provided that they add a credit line, and provide a link to my site; which seems to be the norm.

[moth]

Tivioli renderings have been deleted, are there any other specific renderings you have a problem with, I will delete tham as well.

[Jasonhouse]

People, you should always at least offer credit for pics, and preferably a link.

[streetscapeer]

You've posted a lot of renderings up there without attribution.

Some of them (Tivoli Condos) are my copyrighted images, and what's more, you're leeching them off my bandwidth.

I don't mind when people do this on discussion sites like this one, provided that they add a credit line, and provide a link to my site; which seems to be the norm.


this can't be in reference to the last picture (the only I have posted in this thread)...that thing has newcom.com postered all over it!

[moth]

People, you should always at least offer credit for pics, and preferably a link.

I certainly was not trying to take credit for those 20 or so renderings, I and probably everyone else could care less about where the renderings originated. Get over yourselves.

The renderings were meant as an information topic only. I wasn't aware of the copyright infringements on a friggin skyscraper forum. Be thankful someone saw the renderings worth re-posting.

I spent an hour putting that list together and I wasn't about to make it an hour and half by crediting every rendering.

If you want me to delete the renderings I will, just say the word.

[Iggmasta]

I can't freakin believe Comcast Center is going up thts Awesome!

[streetscapeer]

I certainly was not trying to take for those 20 or so renderings, I and probably everyone else could care less about where the renderings originated. Get over yourselves.

The renderings were meant as an information topic only. I wasn't aware of the copyright infringements on a friggin skyscraper forum. Be thankful someone saw the renderings worth re-posting.

I spent an hour putting that list together and I wasn't about to make it an hour and half by crediting every rendering.

If you want me to delete the renderings I will, just say the word.


ditto...people take this crediting stuff a little too seriously...if you want credit for all your pics, simply put your name on them (just like you do for any peice of work you do), cause in all actuallity, some one Will save pics from this here thread and post em' somewhere else on the internet, and the same will happen at That website, and so on and so on, the credit will be lost somwhere along the chain!

Either way, I try to credit the photographer or website whenever I can, but it's just cynical when someone get's all hot and bothered about a rendering on a skyscraper enthusiast website! Should we Also credit the person who made the rendering of the Comcast building that was eventually photoshopped into that skyline pic? Pleez!!

[philadweller]

Moth, Philadelphia is definitely starting to change its tune. Remember the "gentlemens agreement" where no building could be taller than City Hall? That rule existed until the early 1980's. The St. James was a sheer miracle as plans for that building were noodled back and forth for years. I remember the project was canned for a time.

[Roxbury Ranger]

One Pennsylvania Plaza is really stunning. I hope it gets built as is. It's really hard to create new, daring skyscrapers that are still elegant (not cartoonish). That building really fits the bill.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

[moth]

Yea philladweller, theres such a positive vibe going on especially downtown. I've been living in this area my whole life and its the first time I've seen such positivity.

The projects that will move this city forward is just amazing.

1. The massive amount of neighborhood renovations. Everywhere you go you see private contractors fixing up houses.

2. The dozens of smaller condo projects like Edgewater-old city 108-National at old city etc etc..too many to name.

3. The larger projects Symphony House-Naval Square-1441 etc etc.

4. Comcast + Cira Centre- The Comcast HQ is absolutely huge , the benefits of what happened Monday will be felt 50 years from now.

5. University City- Penn just invested $2 billion and has plans for another $3 billion in the next decade. Drexel , University of the Sciences and Amtrak all are planning major investment in University City.

6. The Ben Franklin Parkway- Barnes Museum-Calder Museum-Free Library expansion. The waterworks restaurant/patio.

The futeure is definitely looking good. Cant say enough how big that Comcast announcement was, you will begin to see new projects come out of the woodwork now.

[ReddAlert]

wow what an amazing city and skyline!! I never knew Philadelphia looked so nice and hospitable....
Philadelphia is high on the running for when I leave Milwaukee to pursue my career.

[moth]

Reddalert that picture is of the skyline with the new 975' Comcast Center which is about to break ground in two weeks. It will be completed in 2007. Here is a curent picture from the same general area. The Schuylkill River is world renown for its rowing and is part of the largest landscaped park in the world (Fairmount Park 10 times the size of central Park in Ny) Parts of Philly aren't so nice, but other parts will absolutely blow you away.

Heres a couple pictures of the current Philly skyline. Hope that new 975' tower does not throw things out of whack.

http://images5.fotki.com/v71/photos/7/77334/387771/Philadelphia_skyline-vi.jpg

http://images1.fotki.com/v4/photos/7/77334/387771/SchuylkillRiverView-vi.jpg

[ReddAlert]

great pictures! Definely one of the top skylines in North America. I see Milwaukee and Philly have something in common--a huge skyscraperish smokestack in the downtown. Plus both cities have great city halls. Its intresting that at the turn of the century..Milwaukees city hall was the 3rd tallest building in the U.S...behind Phillys city hall.
Anyway, I know the city has had its problems--but looks like its in an upswing. It would be a cool city to live in.

[josef]

Ahh I'm in Kansas right now and this happened while I was wandering around this state.. And then I heard about this, this is great! I'm so glad it's happening, plus without any tax breaks for them. Things are looking great indeed =)

[Da Bomb]

Hey Guys,

I am from the U.K and I had the privilege of visiting Philly nearly a year ago.

I landed in JFK during the night so unfortunately I didn't get the opportunity to see the Manhattan skyline. Next stop was Philly and as I was heading towards the city, I caught my very first glimpse of what can only be best described as a truly 'stunning' skyline. What an awesome sight.

During my stay I grew to love the city and its people.

I have been on these forums for a while now and I couldn't believe it when Philly (5th largest city in the US) didn't have its own thread!!!!!

My how things change.

It’s great to see all the new developments in the pipeline and the Comcast Building and the Cira Centre look fantastic.

I will be keeping a close eye on all the future developments of this great City.


Here's to Brotherly Love.

[moth]

Thats great that you enjoyed Philly Da Bomb. This city grows in huge spurts, looks like we are beginning to see the next spurt. The Comcast Center and Cira Centre look to add nicely to the office market. There are two huge residential complexes in the works 50 and 57 stories and a half dozen around 30 stories.

If you don't make it back for another 10 or 15 years I don't think you will recognize Philadelphia 2004.

[Iggmasta]

Philly should look great with the new towers the skyline needs more height

[Philadelphia2u]

:) It's a go for Comcast's tower

By Henry J. Holcomb

Inquirer Staff Writer
(Article from Tuesday 1/4)


After four years of bitter controversy, work is scheduled to begin in two weeks on a Center City headquarters skyscraper for Comcast Corp.

The nation's largest cable-TV provider said yesterday that it had signed a 151/2-year lease with Liberty Property Trust, the Malvern real estate company founded by Willard Rouse III, who died in 2003 while the building was being planned.

With Comcast officials still at the table, Liberty then signed a construction contract with L.F. Driscoll Co.

The $465 million Comcast Center, to be finished in late 2007, would rise 975 feet and be the city's tallest. That would be 230 feet higher than what Liberty first announced, in 2001.

The initial plan was for earth-toned stone, like the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The building as planned now would be a European-style tower of nonreflective glass that would be "spectacularly lit at night," architect Robert A.M. Stern of New York said.

The building would offer high ceilings - 13 feet on some floors - and clear windows that let in light, reducing electricity requirements. High-tech glass would block heat and cold.

The building will make a bold statement that Philadelphia is the headquarters of Comcast, and draw jobs to the city, said Bill Hankowsky, chief executive officer of Liberty Property Trust.

Brian L. Roberts, Comcast's chief executive, said the building would help attract top talent and energize them to create the technology and ideas to continue his company's rapid growth.

If all goes well, Comcast would move its headquarters in the fall of 2007 from Centre Square, 1500 Market St., to the new tower across 17th Street from Suburban Station on JFK Boulevard.

Between now and then, Comcast's Center City headquarters staff would swell from 1,300 to 1,900, Roberts said. Noting the company's revenue growth - from $39 million in 1981 to $20 billion last year - Roberts said Comcast's headquarters could employ 4,000 within a decade.

Owners of Center City's major office buildings are still trying to block construction, hinting that a lawsuit might soon attack public subsidies given the project. "We're exploring every option," said Dave Campoli, Comcast's current landlord and president of the Center City Owners Association.

After intense lobbying by Campoli and other building owners, the Pennsylvania General Assembly refused to approve tax breaks sought by Comcast and backed by Gov. Rendell. The building owners protested last summer by turning off lights on their buildings, saying the dark office towers symbolized vacancies that would be created by adding a building at a time of rising office vacancy rates.

Rendell then came up with $43 million in other aid.

Hankowsky, Liberty's CEO, said Comcast would initially lease 534,000 square feet, the upper 44 percent of the 1.24-million-square-foot tower.

Comcast has options for additional space, including a 16-story second building on the site.

The lower floors would include what Stern, the architect, calls stacked atria. A cluster of three floors would open onto its own atrium, filled with greenery.

The building would face a half-acre public plaza, with a glassed-in winter garden. Its 110-foot-high ceiling would be 10 feet higher than the main hall of 30th Street Station.

The glassed-in garden would be the entrance to the building as well as a new gateway to the Suburban Station commuter rail terminal below.

Liberty has no other tenants signed, Hankowsky said, "but many have said: 'Call us back if you sign Comcast.' "

Liberty's "normal practice" is to have a building fully leased within a year of completion, and Hankowsky said he expected to meet that schedule on this project. Center City leases totaling 5.5 million square feet will expire between 2006 and 2009.

He would not quote Comcast Center rental rates.

Christopher Haley, a Wachovia Corp. analyst, estimated that the transaction announced yesterday increased Liberty's value by $1.24 a share. The market was more conservative. Liberty shares fell 11 cents yesterday, to $43.09.

Building Comcast Center would require about 4,500 construction workers and have a $1.4 billion economic impact on the region, Hankowsky said.

It also would be a boon to several local firms. For example, John Binswanger, long Comcast's primary real estate adviser, said it was the biggest deal his company had handled in more than a decade. He and his son, David, donned long-tailed tuxedos and served champagne at the lease signing, which took place Sunday, Binswanger said.

Daroff Design Inc., headed by Karen Daroff, which has helped Comcast plan office space for 17 years, will design the interior of the new headquarters.

The project was first proposed in 2000 and initially was planned to have been completed late last year. It was delayed by a sagging economy and the successful fight against the proposed tax breaks.

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, prompted a reengineering of the planned building. Among additions were wider escape stairways shielded by four-foot-thick walls and robust fire-suppression systems.

Liberty won the Comcast deal in competition with five finalists, all in Center City.

Roberts, the Comcast CEO, said a turning point was a letter he received from Rouse, long the region's go-to civic leader and Liberty's founder. "It was one of the last letters, if not the last letter," before Rouse died in the spring of 2003, and it urged him to let Liberty build Comcast a new headquarters.

From that point on, he said, Comcast and Liberty collaborated on designing the building and assembling the resources to make it happen.

[Da Bomb]

Great News!

[ike]

I was about to say that the Cira Center resembles the Rockefeller buildings in Manhattan, but then, there's that other building to the right of City Hall that resembles the Rockefeller style, too.

As for the "gentlemen's agreement" regarding buildings in relation to City Hall, I thought that the agreement was that there would be no 'scrapers in William Penn's "field of view" (from atop the clock tower)?

Oh, and one more thing, not too important: looking at the wide view of our skyline, you can almost trace out guidelines for isometric drawings (at least from what I remember of my calligraphy/technical drawing classes), with Liberty Two(? I"m sorry, I don't have the buildings names memorized) at the apex.

[Iggmasta]

Whats happerning with the world trade center project

[rdm]

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=170381

show support! :)

[Iggmasta]

hey ne one have news of development outside of Philly

[josef]

Here's a few things going on:

Convention Center gets $50 million to expand

By Tom Belden
Inquirer Staff Writer

Gov. Rendell yesterday released the first $50 million in state funds needed to begin a long-awaited $632 million expansion of the Convention Center.

At the same time, Rendell indicated he would not give the center's board more money for the project unless it addressed questions related to the center's management and financing of the expansion.

Rendell's action, allowing the use of revenue the state anticipates from slot-machine parlors, broke a deadlock that had existed since shortly after the General Assembly passed gambling legislation last summer.

While Philadelphia officials pleaded with him to give them money to start acquiring land for the expansion, Rendell held up the funds, complaining about the building's management and marketing plans.

The expansion plan, which was unveiled more than six years ago, calls for adding almost 300,000 square feet of exhibit space to the 440,000 square feet in the building now, extending it to cover the area bounded by Broad, Arch, Race and 13th Streets. The building now spans the area from 11th to 13th and Race to Arch.

Dozens of buildings, most of them occupied by offices and apartments, will have to be acquired and demolished to make way for construction. The Convention Center Authority has said it can complete the building by the end of 2008 if it can start land acquisition this spring.

Philadelphia political leaders and hospitality officials are convinced that a larger building can attract dozens of groups that now cannot fit their conventions in the center. Although some studies indicate an overabundance of convention centers nationwide, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau contends that a larger building will help the city draw more shows and meetings than it has now, especially in the health-care industry. About one-third of the conventions and trade shows in Philadelphia are related to that industry.

Rendell said in a letter to Convention Center Authority Chairman Michael A. Nutter and Vice Chairman Thomas A. Riley that he was now satisfied that the center's management was "doing a capable job" in the building's day-to-day operations. The governor's office released the letter yesterday.

The governor had criticized the managers for almost two years - since appointments to the Convention Center board were taken from Philadelphia officials and given to the Republican majority in the legislature.

Rendell said specifically that he was "authorizing the release of up to $50 million in capital funds for expansion-planning and property-acquisition projects."

Rendell also said the Convention Center Authority needed to provide a budget that identified where local political leaders would find up to $158 million as their share of the project's cost. And he called for the board to perform a "cash flow analysis" to show how the project will be paid for over the next two years or so, before the state expects revenue from slot parlors to start flowing in.

Nutter said that the board would address Rendell's concerns, but that the governor's letter showed "his long-standing support for the Pennsylvania Convention Center in particular and the hospitality industry in general... . This is a great day for hospitality in Philadelphia, and sends a great message to customers" of the center, he said.

Although Mayor Street has said the city cannot afford to use its general-fund revenue for the $158 million local share, Nutter said local funding was a problem "we will work through. That is not something that strikes me as a serious issue."

Rendell's letter was written, coincidentally, at the same time that the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, released a study by Heywood Sanders, a University of Texas at San Antonio public-policy professor, that said attendance at large conventions and trade shows had dropped sharply since 2001. Despite that, dozens of cities are expanding their convention centers or plan to, the study said.

But Tom Muldoon, president of the Philadelphia convention bureau, said the study dealt primarily with attendance at the nation's 200 largest trade shows, only one of which would fit into the building here after expansion anyway. Of the 27 major conventions in the city in 2002, the best year ever for the center, only one was a trade show, he said.

------

Caesars buys riverfront land, envisioning slots

The casino operator paid $64.7 million for a site on the Delaware, gambling on winning one of two licenses.

By Nathan Gorenstein
Inquirer Staff Writer


Caesars Entertainment Inc. has put its money where its mouth is.

The operator of casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas has paid $64.7 million for a site along the Delaware River that it hopes to turn into a slots parlor, the company confirmed yesterday. The land fronts South Columbus Boulevard between Reed and Dickinson Streets, across from the Riverview Stadium 17 theater complex.

Caesars purchased the property - 18 acres of buildable land, and an additional 12 acres of water and marsh - even though it does not know whether it will obtain a slots license.

Indeed, the state board that will award licenses to two slot parlor operators in Philadelphia, and 12 others around the state, is not yet even accepting applications from firms.

But real estate developers and others closely following the intense, behind-the-scenes jockeying for slots licenses said the purchase was a bet Caesars had to take, both to position itself for the expansion of gambling into Pennsylvania and to protect its extensive gambling operations in Atlantic City.

Also, if Caesars had not proceeded with the purchase, it would have had to renegotiate the option that gave it the right to buy the property, according to two sources familiar with deal.

A spokesman for the firm said Caesars had no qualms about the purchase.

"It's a very prime piece of property, and we are confident that whatever happens, we'll be able to get a good return on our investment," said Robert Stewart, a senior vice president.

Caesars, which has $4.5 billion in annual net revenue, operates gambling sites on four continents.

The firm's interest in the site was well known, and in recent weeks Caesars had shown various officials plans for a slots, entertainment and retail complex worth $350 million.

"It's a great strategic move. You wrap up the best riverfront site," said Robert Fahey, executive vice president of CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate firm.

But Fahey said the price was high, unless Caesars does indeed get its license.

"That's an exceptional amount of money... for a parcel of land that is not located in the core of the city," said Fahey, "but land values are derived from how much money you can make from it."

Paul Levy, executive director of the Center City Development Corp., which has been closely following slots development, said the Caesars purchase was not a surprise.

"There are going to be two slot sites, and most public discussion has said there may be one in Center City, and one or two on the waterfront. That makes your odds pretty good."

But Levy offered a caution: "We don't know who else is out there, and what else is out there," that will be proposed to the state gaming board.

Until the closing last Tuesday, the property was owned by Sugar Mill Associates, which was controlled by Bart Blatstein, a Philadelphia developer.

Sugar Mill Associates purchased the property in 1993 for $8.5 million.

Blatstein declined to comment on the sale but said he would continue with other development projects in Philadelphia and the area.

Meanwhile, a New Orleans business executive yesterday said that a slot machine parlor in Center City doesn't necessarily mean streets full of chartered buses spewing diesel fumes.

Warren L. Reuther Jr., president of that city's convention and visitors bureau, said no chartered buses are used by the six million people who visit that city's one casino each year. Instead, people use cars and walk.

Reuther spoke at a forum on gambling sponsored by the Central Philadelphia Development Corp., the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and CoreNet Global, which provides services to the real estate industry.

[Iggmasta]

awesome so gambling might come to philly?

[josef]

There's been talk of slot parlors in some places since the gambling bill passed, but I kind of doubt you'll see any in Center City.. I'd think there'd be too much opposition. The Caesars plan seems like it might actually be a nice place to visit. The positioning is better anyway, traffic-wise. I'd much rather see this happen then some random slot parlors. Caesars doesn't do bad stuff.

[TritaniumZ3]

COME ON GUYS LETS KEEP THIS THREAD GOING! wITH ALL THE GREAT PROJECTS IN PHILLY THIS SHOULD BE BUSTLING! THE COMCAST CENTER DESERVES ITS OWN THREAD BUT LETS KEEP IT HERE SO THIS THREAD CAN PROGRESS!

[Iggmasta]

well ne one go more pics of projects cause I can't find any

[TritaniumZ3]

Here is the Comcast Center:
http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050104ap_ho_comcast_ctrPJ_450.jpg

[josef]

That sound be breaking ground pretty soon. Emporis says it's "under construction" now.

[Vlad the Great]

About time for Comcast to start! :) It'll be fun to watch that rise.

What is the status on 17th and Vine? Is it a go? Is it cancelled? Or is it something in between?

I'd sure like to see another 890 ft. tower in Philadelphia! :)

[moth]

17th + Vine is most likely dead for sure. Speculation was that it would be the new north american HQ for Glaxo-Smith-Kline but for the past two years we haven't heard a peep about it. GSK is actually downsizing so it would appear far fetched if this building goes up anytime soon.

[TritaniumZ3]

About time for Comcast to start! :) It'll be fun to watch that rise.

What is the status on 17th and Vine? Is it a go? Is it cancelled? Or is it something in between?

I'd sure like to see another 890 ft. tower in Philadelphia! :)

Yes I can't wait to see the Comcast in construction! What will this building do to Philly's future in skyline and economy?

[rdm]

anyone have any pictures of the towers being built along the delaware river, i think around spring garden area? also, there is a condo project going up near my neighborhood, like 11th and spruce. then there is something going up along the schuylkill river, near the park? pics anyone?

[Vlad the Great]

17th + Vine is most likely dead for sure. Speculation was that it would be the new north american HQ for Glaxo-Smith-Kline but for the past two years we haven't heard a peep about it. GSK is actually downsizing so it would appear far fetched if this building goes up anytime soon.

Damn, that building looked good. Too bad. Would have made a nice addition to the skyline, that's for sure...... in any skyline actually... :(


Looking at the Comcast center again, it doesn't look like it's to have the pyramidal roof that it was planned to have before. I think if it were readded to it's current height it could break 1000ft.. Any chance for an observation deck? THAT would be even sweeter! :)

[streetscapeer]

Posted by SJPhillyboy over @SSP


http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/657condo_towers_2.jpg




Caught in the middle

By Henry J. Holcomb

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER


The only thing rising these days on the prime land across from City Hall are lawyers' fees.

After 14 years, the scene of the city's worst high-rise fire has still not been redeveloped.

Rival developers are still fighting - in court and before city agencies - to block each other's plans to build luxury condominium skyscrapers on their adjacent 22,000-square-foot sites.

The delay leaves a hole in the heart of the business district and comes as business leaders are launching a multimillion-dollar effort to present Philadelphia as a place where deals can get done - without big hassles and legal wrangling.

Those who want new places for prosperous people to live in Center City fear the hot real estate market will cool before the feud ends.

There was a brief truce last summer that quickly fizzled. Both sides said they would work to get the two projects approved and built. But now the developers, Craig A. Spencer of the Arden Group, Philadelphia, and Tim Mahoney of the Mahoney Realty Group, Ardmore, are fighting harder than ever in what Mahoney calls "a war of attrition."

And there is no end in sight.

In Spencer's corner is Michael Sklaroff of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll L.L.P. Carl S. Primavera of Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg & Ellers L.L.P. is leading the charge for Mahoney.

The most recent hearing before the City Zoning Board of Adjustment, earlier this month, dragged on longer than expected as each lawyer built a written record for future lawsuits.

David L. Auspitz, chairman of the zoning board and owner of the Famous Fourth Street Deli in South Philadelphia, apologized to those waiting for the next case.

"At least you're getting to watch the Super Bowl of zoning battles," he said. He called the two lawyers the superstars of zoning wars.

Spencer is the lead investor on the former One Meridian Plaza site across from City Hall, the site of the 1991 fire that killed three city firefighters and led to the demolition of the 38-story building. Mahoney's adjacent site is at the northeast corner of 15th and Chestnut Streets.

From the air, it looks like a single vacant plot.

During the brief truce, Mahoney said, the architects who designed the two skyscrapers worked out "a good compromise. We agreed to shape the top of our building differently to give his penthouses a better view."

As initially proposed, 21 lower-floor condos in Mahoney's tower would have faced Spencer's big parking garage. The lower section of Spencer's building - the podium in architectural parlance - was reduced. Mahoney enlarged his podium to allow more parking.

The plans now have parking garages facing parking garages and condos with views.

Mahoney calls what is going on now "a war of attrition. Craig either doesn't have what he needs to start his project and he's trying to delay ours, or he's trying to devalue our site, hoping we'll get sick and tired and say 'you win,' " Mahoney said.

Spencer's only comment, by voice-mail, has been, "We're working very hard and will have an exciting announcement very soon."

Mahoney is skeptical. "This could wind its way through courts for another two years," he grumbled.

Spencer also owns the Philadelphia Soul arena football team, in partnership with the musician Jon Bon Jovi. He hired Gary Edward Handel & Associates, of New York, and John Thrower of Bower Lewis Thrower Architects, of Philadelphia, to design his 57-story skyscraper, which would be among the city's tallest. It would have 220 to 258 luxury units, Spencer said last spring.

Mahoney hired David F. Ertz of Cope Linder Architects, of Philadelphia, for his 50-story, 296-condo skyscraper.

Spencer wants to link his tower to the adjacent Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which he also owns. The tower would include a new grand ballroom for the hotel, a health club for condo residents and hotel guests, and other shared amenities.

The city Zoning Board of Adjustment is required to look at each project separately and take action. It has no authority to order the developers to cooperate.

"But I would be remiss, as a Philadelphian and student of architecture, if I didn't say that this site should be developed as one large project," zoning board chairman Auspitz said at the opening of the hearing this month.

He would at least like to see a shared lower portion. This would add parking and reduce traffic snarls caused by moving vans and delivery trucks.

"There's a solution, but the developers can't figure out how to get there," said City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, whose district includes the site.

"I would really like to see these towers built," Clarke said. "They would be wonderful additions to the skyline . . . quality projects."

Clarke said he was frustrated by the fighting that he said could destroy the projects' feasibility. "There is," he said, "a window of opportunity that at some point is going to close."
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/...ss/10758973.htm

[moth]

Could this happen in any other city in america. A combined 107 stories 1500 feet of skyscrapers in the heart of downtown, 550 condo units mired in lawsuits. :bash:

[josef]

Yes I can't wait to see the Comcast in construction! What will this building do to Philly's future in skyline and economy?

They're saying that even though it might cause more vacancy in other buildings in the begining, it will show that the city is moving in the right direction, and that will help attract business. I read an article a while ago that said there were more businesses seeking office space for 2005. Hopefully the Comcast tower shows the city is indeed moving forward.

anyone have any pictures of the towers being built along the delaware river, i think around spring garden area? also, there is a condo project going up near my neighborhood, like 11th and spruce. then there is something going up along the schuylkill river, near the park? pics anyone?

On the Delaware, that'd be this: http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/cx/?id=107828 , Waterfront Square.

Posted by SJPhillyboy over @SSP

SSP?

[streetscapeer]

^^Skyscraperpage!

[josef]

aha!

speaking of skyscraperpage, here's a thread with some pictures of stuff going on at the Comcast Center site http://www.skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=65276

[rdm]

This is the kind of good stuff you miss when you are on call at the hospital! Hooray for Philadelphia! Now, who's got the renderings? :)

Posted on Sun, Feb. 06, 2005










Changing Skyline | Designs on the high life

Philadelphia goes vertical again with condos catering to the monied classes. That means taller, fatter skyscrapers, some stylish, others insipid.

By Inga Saffron

Inquirer Architecture Critic




Clearing the Record


This story, about plans for new high-rise apartment buildings, as well as a caption with the story, misidentified an existing building. The name of the riverfront apartment house at 24th and Chestnut Streets is 2400 Chestnut Street. This story has been corrected.



Something is happening to the low-rise city. Philadelphia, the preserve of the rowhouse, is going vertical at its core.


Hardly a month goes by that a developer isn't floating a plan to squeeze a 30- or 40-story residential tower into the tight blocks of Center City. Many of these proposals are pie in the sky, but at least eight projects are in serious motion, and they promise to remake more than the skyline.


Because the skyscraper is the most modern of buildings, the sprinkling of new towers is sure to add a potent dash of modernity to a city that holds dear its sober red-brick traditions. The new skyscrapers are taller and bulkier than the earlier generations of Philadelphia high-rises: Blame buyers' demands for soaring ceilings and on-site parking. No doubt, some Center City residents will view these colossi as big-footed intruders.


Philadelphia is hardly the only city marked by skyscraper cranes. For a host of demographic reasons, condo towers are rising in cities that have rarely seen tall apartment houses, from Nashville to San Diego. While Philadelphia is on track to gain a respectable 2,000 units, San Francisco may add as many as 7,400. Yet even Philadelphia's numbers are likely to accelerate a process that urban expert Alan Ehrenhalt calls inversion, where downtowns are populated predominantly by the rich and the poor are forced to the fringes.


The good news in Philadelphia is that the new skyscrapers are a largely stylish and urbane group - especially compared with designs in other downtowns. Despite some clumsy assemblages of historical parts, most have the virtue of clean, sleek lines. A few even aspire to artful design.


One reason for the improved designs is that today's tall buildings cater to monied buyers with cosmopolitan tastes, unlike the utilitarian towers built during Philadelphia's second wave of high-rise construction, from the late 1960s through the '80s. Those were seen as residences for people who ultimately would move to the 'burbs.


There is no doubt that the 45-story St. James, which opened last year overlooking Washington Square, set a high baseline for Philadelphia. An unabashedly modern skyscraper, the St. James' interiors have a loftlike feeling because of their high ceilings and big windows, which have become standard in today's condos.


The most exciting new design comes from the office of Richard Meier & Partners, of New York, which elevated the residential high-rise to a high art with its crisp glass towers on Perry Street in Manhattan. The firm, best known for the Getty Center in Los Angeles, was hired by a young developer, Charles X. Block, to design a Philadelphia version at 24th and Walnut Streets, on the parking lot of the former Rosenbluth Travel.


Block inherited that clumsily renovated midrise - and a chunk of money - after his family sold the company to American Express in 2003. It is a large site, with breathtaking views. Meier's design architect, Michael Palladino, who oversaw the Getty, took one look at the property and knew that a Perry Street clone wouldn't do.


Palladino is now at work on a thin slab, a vertical mille-feuille of concrete and glass that will hover like a spire over the Schuylkill River Park. Palladino is still tweaking models of the 41-story building, but even in its unfinished state it looks like Philadelphia's best high-rise. You can detect a bit of the PSFS tower in its ancestry, but there is nothing literal in those references - a sign of true creativity.


Unlike its neighbor, the generic 2400 Chestnut St., which turns a fat face to the river, Palladino's design would present its slim side to the water. In doing so, the luxury tower, which is to have full-floor units, would preserve public views of the river from Sansom Street. As proposed, the project makes other generous public gestures: Block says he plans to renovate the ugly exterior of the adjacent Rosenbluth building, install retail stores along Walnut Street, and open a Laurie Olin-landscaped rooftop restaurant. All the parking will go underground, Block says.


One big issue the designers must resolve is how the building will integrate with the river path. The other high-rise going up along the ribbon park, a 12-story building by Bower Lewis Thrower at 23d and Race Streets, foolishly ignores its water link.


BLT is responsible for the worst of the new skyscraper designs, Symphony House, which is already taking deposits for condos at Broad and Pine Streets. Set on a wide garage base, the 31-story tower has a nautical profile similar to BLT's Dockside on Columbus Boulevard, and portholes around the garage cornice. But the confused tower is clownishly crowned by the roof of a French chateau, while the entrance is marked by vaguely classical arches. The only redeeming feature is that the base will provide space for the Philadelphia Theatre Company.


A new Rittenhouse Square tower by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, due to break ground at 18th and Sansom Streets in April, also is based on historical precedents, but at least the parts are gracefully composed. The 33-story brick high-rise uses the same deferential neo-Georgian style as many proper towers that went up in Philadelphia in the 1920s. They have a modesty that seems deeply Philadelphian. When you look at the first wave of residential towers - built before the 1929 stock market crash - it's hard to find more than a handful that dazzle. But none are awful, either.


Still, it's unfortunate that the Stern high-rise doesn't have a more contemporary appearance. One of the nice things about Rittenhouse Square is that its apartment towers are an encyclopedia of styles, one from every decade of the 20th century. This decade deserves an entry of its own time, too.


The proposal for a slim 31-story tower at 17th Street at Rittenhouse Square shows that there is a market for the urbanely modern. Designed by David Ertz of Cope Linder, it has a white geometric composition like the St. James, but with a more formal limestone base. It's a singleton version of the double tower Ertz designed at 15th and Chestnut, but benefits from having underground parking. Unfortunately, a blank vertical strip ruins its north facade.


Along with Ertz's two quiet designs, the problematic Residences at the Ritz-Carlton also has embraced a contemporary language. It's a bit too glassy and anonymous for condos - and its garage is an ugly monster. But, together with Palladino's waterfront building, it's a sign that Philadelphia's condo fever also has design ambitions.

[*Sweetkisses*]

:banana: Wooohoooo! lol

[Killadelphia]

BTW, if you guys didn't hear, the R&B Hall of Fame is moving South from NYC to Philly. Really great news: it'll bring a lot of attention to the city and will also bring an award show. We deserve it too: NYC stole the U.N. last minute from us (damn Rockefeller) and Cleveland stole the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame from us last minute too (eh...). It's just really great news!!!

[jmancuso]

i cannot wait til i move to philly. hopefully by august, i'll be in center city...

[*Sweetkisses*]

^^great! youll love it.

[omp835]

Does any one have any renderings of Michael Palladino's Condo Tower proposal @ 24th and Walnut? Thats the one rendering Inga Saffron didn't show in her article.

[josef]

BTW, if you guys didn't hear, the R&B Hall of Fame is moving South from NYC to Philly. Really great news: it'll bring a lot of attention to the city and will also bring an award show. We deserve it too: NYC stole the U.N. last minute from us (damn Rockefeller) and Cleveland stole the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame from us last minute too (eh...). It's just really great news!!!

Yep, I was really glad to hear this! Here's the article: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/10859989.htm !

[TritaniumZ3]

Has the Chestnut broken grond yet? If not when will it and any pics????

[josef]

1441 Chestnut? Not yet... the guys who own the lots right next to eachother have been holding things up in court forever. :(

[Killadelphia]

^ Maybe. The article about it recently said that the guy who's doign Residences at the Ritz (teh other building) has a big announcement comign up soon, adn I'm guessing it's a downsizing becaus eI have heard that from other sources. In other words, I think 1441 Chestnut and a significantly smaller Residences at teh Ritz will being construction relatively soon.

[josef]

oo.. that'd be great then

[Killadelphia]

Yeah.. I always thought having a 750 footer crammed next to a 615 footer on a skyscraperless block would look hideous.

[streetscapeer]

^^I just can't wait till both of them go vertical.....I think we can sacrifice a few feet...lol

[Killadelphia]

Yeah, LOL... They'll definately even out the skyline where Meredian's absence has left it uneven.

[*Sweetkisses*]

Huh? what are you guys talking about??

[Killadelphia]

1441 Chestnut and Residences at the Ritz, I think...

[omp835]

Does anyone know if Venturi's Condo building on Washington Square is going to be built?

[Killadelphia]

^Venturis condo building on Washington Square??? I never heard about that... do you know anything else about it?

[josef]

Here are some developments from the Art Museum realm; the Please Touch Musem is moving to Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, the Zoo and the Mann Music Center are expanding, and this is all included in a new "Centennial District".

Here's a map of the area:
http://pdn.philly.com/2005/02/14/parkmap.jpg

Or if you have a Philly.com account (free), check out the interactive map with a little bit of text on each area, there are a few: http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/special_packages/phillycom_front_dn/10893178.htm

From February 14th Daily News:

EARNI YOUNG | A NEW DAY IN THE PARK

New Centennial District hopes to be city's star attraction

By Earni Young

younge@phillynews.com


IN 1980, Robert Cousar finished his second year at Temple University, looked around his impoverished East Parkside neighborhood and decided there was no future there.

Blight and abandonment had ravaged the sliver of West Philly along the edge of Fairmount Park, near the Philadelphia Zoo. So Cousar kissed his mom goodbye and headed for California, which promised a better opportunity to build a career in real estate development.

"I was one of those who fled," admits Cousar. "I didn't see anything here for me."

That's no longer true.

Parkside will soon be adjacent to a new family-friendly entertainment district, with members that include the Zoo, a children's museum in Memorial Hall, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, the Parkside Historic Preservation District and Fairmount Park.

The Centennial District's job will be to brand itself as Philly's playground, a draw like the Avenue of the Arts or the Independence Mall historic district but with a younger audience.

Its members also will work collectively to add new attractions, clean up the streets and park areas - and raise money to pay for it all, as do similar districts in Center City and University City.

And Robert Cousar has returned to his old neighborhood, wife and four sons in tow, to participate in Parkside's rebirth. Cousar became the executive director for the East Parkside Residents Association, an organization his mother, Calla, ran for six years.

"I'm very excited. What we're trying to do as an association is to make sure that the rising tide floats all boats," Cousar said.

There's certainly plenty of money flowing into the district, which is named after the 1876 Centennial Exhibition held in that part of Fairmount Park.

Today, the Please Touch Museum plans to sign a deal allowing it to rent Memorial Hall. After $50 million in renovations, the hall will become the new home of the historic children's museum.

There's also the planned construction of a $50 million high-tech high school at Girard and Parkside Avenues. And a $80 million zoo expansion. There are plans for a shopping center, anchored by Lowe's, on the periphery of the proposed district at 52nd Street and Lancaster Avenue.

Most of the credit for that activity goes to the efforts of dedicated community residents like Calla Cousar; Lucinda Hudson, president of the Parkside Association of Philadelphia; and James L. Brown IV, president of the Parkside Historic Preservation Development Corp.

These longtime Parkside residents never gave up hope that the area would regain the prosperity it enjoyed in the first half of the 20th century, when the neighborhood was known as home to strong families of middle-class strivers.

Then, four years ago, the Daily News joined their effort, bringing in a group of Urban Land Institute planners to brainstorm economic redevelopment ideas for East Parkside.

Shortly after the ULI report was completed, Zoo CEO Pete Hoskins and the Fairmount Park Conservancy obtained a grant from the William Penn Foundation to develop a master plan that would stitch the institutional stakeholders - old and new - and the bordering neighborhoods into an exciting new destination.

Now, these neighbors say the new district doesn't do the whole job.

The Cousars say they are disappointed by the exclusion of Parkside's residential areas. So they plan to expand the residents association's mission to include community development.

The community group is opening an office at 41st Street and Girard Avenue to provide information on housing assistance programs, as well as after-school computer classes.

"We're still looking for funding, but its not my nature to sit around and wait for stuff to happen," says Robert Cousar.

Still, having the structure of a specific district is a great start. Alan Greenberger, who did the master plan by MGA Partners, estimates the four institutions - the Zoo, Please Touch Museum, the High School of the Future, and the Mann - will draw between 1 and 2 million visitors a year to the Parkside area.

"That's an enormous amount of economic activity and a bigger draw than Independence Mall," Greenberger says. "If you are a tourist, there's going to be enough venues here that you could pick any two and make it an entire day."

For local residents and their children, the area could become a recurring draw for visits to the zoo, the Please Touch, picnics and softball games in the park, concerts at the Mann, and, of course, school.

Greenberger compares the vision of the Centennial District to Seattle Center or Forrest Park, in St. Louis.

Seattle Center is a 74-acre campus crammed with museums, concert halls, recreational spaces, amusement rides, and restaurants centered around the Space Needle, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair.

Forrest Park, more than 1,300 acres, was dedicated in 1876, the same year as the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Originally located 10 miles outside of St. Louis, it is now in the heart of the city. Its museums, skating rinks, tennis courts, golf courses, restaurants, and municipal theater attract more than 10 million visitors a year.

"That's what we're trying to do here," Greenberger says. "The success ultimately relies on people in the region believing in this place, because they're the ones who tell their friends who come to visit what to do."

[omp835]

Actually Venturi's condo building was in today's Inquirer. Page 2 of Local and Regional, I think, with a real blurry rendering. Fumo is dead set against it. DiCicco says he's willing to make a deal. Personally I think the Dilworth house is expendible, especially for better architecture. Its a bad copy, the only value it has is nostalgic.

[Killadelphia]

Is there any chance you could post the article(unless it was an ad) and maybe scan the pic... My parents stupidly prefer teh Times, and I only get the Inky thurseday-sunday. I really wanna see this...

[josef]

Read this and remembered someone asked about it here. Why does it have to be *this* site they want to build on? Kind of weird.

Controversy builds on Dilworth House

A plan to raze the house in Society Hill to make way for condos has met with heated opposition.

By Stephan Salisbury

Inquirer Staff Writer


The neo-Colonial brick house on the east side of Washington Square seems almost self-effacing.

But the quiet and long-empty onetime residence of former Mayor Richardson Dilworth appears to be quickly emerging as the locus of a major preservation dustup.

Developer John Turchi Jr. wants to demolish the mayor's house, whose 1957 construction is widely viewed as a turning point in the transformation of Society Hill.

In its place, Turchi last week told the Society Hill Civic Association, he would erect a 14-story, $25 million condo tower - dubbed "Dilworth House" - designed by renowned Philadelphia architect Robert Venturi.

The civic association has responded by delivering anti-demolition petitions said to contain more than 1,100 names, largely collected from neighborhood residents, to Mayor Street, State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, Councilman Frank DiCicco and the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

Fumo did not mince words on his position.

"I'm never going to let them tear down the Dilworth House to build condos," he said yesterday. "That house has importance for all of Society Hill."

DiCicco, whose district encompasses the house location at 223-25 S. Sixth St., said he would "support the position of the community to preserve" the house.

But he also said he would look for "common ground" between developer and neighborhood. Fumo said he would also be willing to discuss the situation with the developer.

Dan Fee, spokesman for the mayor, said Turchi has not submitted an "actual proposal" to any city agency, notably the Philadelphia Historical Commission.

The Dilworth House is deemed a "significant" building within the Society Hill Historic District, rendering any plans to alter or demolish it subject to historical commission review.

Turchi said yesterday that the Venturi design, which would feature a brownstone facade with limestone trim, "looks stunning."

There would be a small courtyard, he said, a portion of which would be dedicated to Dilworth and his support for Society Hill redevelopment.

Not only did Dilworth, who was mayor from 1956 to 1962 and died in 1974, push for broad urban renewal in the district, but his personal commitment - as evidenced by his house - led many well-to-do Philadelphians to seek residences in the area.

"Our historic district was designated historic in large part because of the urban renewal themes that permeate the neighborhood," said Paul Boni, who heads the civic association zoning committee. "This building is an important part of that. It's too important to lose."

In other words, the merits of the Venturi design are, from the perspective of the civic association, beside the point.

Turchi, however, argued that the house is not historic and resembles the suburban manses that its architect, George Edwin Brumbaugh, was known for.

"It's in the wrong place and it represents the wrong time," Turchi said. "It should be in Chester County somewhere."

Is his project possible without demolition?

"No," Turchi said. Demolition "is the key to the project."

The project is not yet scheduled for historical commission review, Turchi said.

[Killadelphia]

Since this is a Philly developement thread, I might as well mention this. Everyday on the way to school, I pass through Oaklane. I am not sure exactly which neighborhood this is in (I'm guessing West Oaklane), but there is a HUGE community center church thing place, that is going up. It si not highrise, but teh crane is at least 75-100 feet up. They have teh steel up for the first two floors so far. It is an enormous plot of land and from teh rendering it looks like this building is going to be massive, especailly next to the neighboring rowhouses. I think it is pretty kool that this kinda consturction is happening right now as far out as Oaklane. Maybe this will lead to construction in other parts of teh city far out from Center City too, besides Manyunk that is.

[*Sweetkisses*]

Water front square is up and coming. Went around that area today and it looks pretty cool

[Killadelphia]

Yeah, I have seen some pics of it and it looks like the shorter tower is already 4 stories up and the taller tower is 2 stories up.

[*Sweetkisses*]

:banana:

[*Sweetkisses*]

Hey I found a new site. go to www.phillyskyline.com and then go to photo reviews.Ther are a lot of aerial photos of the city there. Thats if youre interested

[Killadelphia]

^Yeah, that is R. Bradley Maul's (or w.e his real name is) site. He's a forumer on skyscraperpage.com forum named giovanni sasso. He's an exceptional photographer.

Sweetkisses, if you don't already, you should check out skyscraperpage.com/forum. They have a shitload of Philly stuff (a 150 page long Philly thread). It has a huge Philly community too. Really check it out.

[Jayayess1190]

Since this is a Philly developement thread, I might as well mention this. Everyday on the way to school, I pass through Oaklane. I am not sure exactly which neighborhood this is in (I'm guessing West Oaklane), but there is a HUGE community center church thing place, that is going up. It si not highrise, but teh crane is at least 75-100 feet up. They have teh steel up for the first two floors so far. It is an enormous plot of land and from teh rendering it looks like this building is going to be massive, especailly next to the neighboring rowhouses. I think it is pretty kool that this kinda consturction is happening right now as far out as Oaklane. Maybe this will lead to construction in other parts of teh city far out from Center City too, besides Manyunk that is.
I live soooooo close to there. Also very close is Cedarbrook Plaza where they are adding a Country Buffet, Cold Stone Creamery, and some other stores.

[yournewmayor]

I live soooooo close to there. Also very close is Cedarbrook Plaza where they are adding a Country Buffet, Cold Stone Creamery, and some other stores.

Country Buffet at Cedarbrook? They must really want to make people sick out there... The best food out there is the Garden of Bilals on Wadsworth off of Cheltenham... :cheers:

[Killadelphia]

Jayayess, that's is awsome that you live near there. It's a shame I'm leaving my school after this year because I'm graduating and I will probably never go through that route again. If eventually possible, I think posting pictures of it (since you live so close) would very much qualify as a progress as a progress update for Philly.

Also, for anyone that lvies in Center City, aroudn Center City, or commutes there on a regular basis, I think it would be nice if it were possible for you to sometimes post pictures of certain buildings underconstruction during their construction "cough" Cira Centre "cough".

[jackbird]

ditto...people take this crediting stuff a little too seriously...if you want credit for all your pics, simply put your name on them (just like you do for any peice of work you do)

I do that, as i have had others take credit for my work in the past in more direct ways, such as applying for jobs using my portfolio.


some one Will save pics from this here thread and post em' somewhere else on the internet, and the same will happen at That website, and so on and so on, the credit will be lost somwhere along the chain!

I can't help that, but in this case, the image is posted using an IMG tag that pulls the image off MY site, using the bandwidth that I pay for. And that I have a little more say in, given that I can add .htaccess filters to exclude any domain I want. Because, as you said, this is an enthusiast website, I am extremely reluctant to do something like that, however.

All I ask is that you post a credit when you deep-link an image. It's perfectly reasonable.

If any admins are reading this, I imagine a firm like Pottle/ESTO would be a lot less reasonable when addressing a similar issue. Lord knows enough of their stuff makes its way onto here and Wired New York, too.

Either way, I try to credit the photographer or website whenever I can, but it's just cynical when someone get's all hot and bothered about a rendering on a skyscraper enthusiast website! Should we Also credit the person who made the rendering of the Comcast building that was eventually photoshopped into that skyline pic? Pleez!!

I don't see how it's cynical. I'm a full-time architectural renderer. Making pretty pictures of nonexistant buildings feeds my family. Name credit is one of the very few effective ways of making the availability of my services known to potential clients.

And that goes double when you pull the image from my server.

And by the way, yes, both the original photographer and the renderer should be credited for the comcast building photomontage. That's the way it works.

[Killadelphia]

^I think it's pretty damn kool that you're the guy who drew/painted/created those images and pictures.

[yournewmayor]

http://www.pbase.com/phillytrax/image/40198949.jpg

Hot off SSP presses...
(source: Philadelphia Business Journal)
Latest Condo proposal for Center City

Location: 24th & Walnut
Project: Mandeville Place
Floors: 41
Height: I've seen 400', 606', 674' - not exactly sure which is correct
Other: "A rooftop restaraunt is planned for the building" - Volguus

ECD of March 2008. Not sure when it'll be breaking ground...

[*Sweetkisses*]

Yay so it is gonna be built. Im so excited. :cucumber:

[josef]

ooo That's really cool!

[josef]

Hey I found a new site. go to www.phillyskyline.com and then go to photo reviews.Ther are a lot of aerial photos of the city there. Thats if youre interested

Phillyskyline is cool! I *love* the blizzard essays.



Sweetkisses, if you don't already, you should check out skyscraperpage.com/forum. They have a shitload of Philly stuff (a 150 page long Philly thread). It has a huge Philly community too. Really check it out.

That site's pretty cool.. I wish it were faster though somtimes :(

[Killadelphia]

Mandeville Place is gonna be sooo hot. Ever since it was mentioned in an Inky article a couple weeks ago I've been very excited about it. Nice to see a rendering. I say around 610 feet to roof and around 650 feet to the top of that glass wall thing rising off the right side... Soooooo exciting....

[*Sweetkisses*]

^^ Omg, I cant wait until that and the comcast center is done!

[moth]

Mandeville is only 41 stories. A generous 12 foot ceiling would put this building at 492 feet. 600 feet is too high unless the plan on adding another 10 stories.

[Killadelphia]

Not necesarrily.... Comcast Center is going to be aroudn 860 feet with 56 stoires. The crown will add alot more. 2 Liberty is 854 with only 58 or so stories. 1 Liberty Place is around 860-870 feet to the roof with 61 stoires. Mellon Bank is 790 counting the pyramid and is 54 stories. I think my figures are a little off but still. And yeah, these are office buildings btu they could be generous to the residents... I say at the very, veyr least, it will be 510 feet to the roof and 550 feet to the top of the glass thing.

[shakman]

Just from my experience and knowledge of construction, residential and hotel buildings have a lower slab to slab height as compared to office construction.

I guess we will find out when the specs are released on this project.

[dreadnought]

Not necesarrily.... Comcast Center is going to be aroudn 860 feet with 56 stoires. The crown will add alot more. 2 Liberty is 854 with only 58 or so stories. 1 Liberty Place is around 860-870 feet to the roof with 61 stoires. Mellon Bank is 790 counting the pyramid and is 54 stories. I think my figures are a little off but still. And yeah, these are office buildings btu they could be generous to the residents... I say at the very, veyr least, it will be 510 feet to the roof and 550 feet to the top of the glass thing.

Point of information: Comcast Center will be 975 feet high with 57 stories. They are including super-high 14-foot floor to floor heights, and even more in the winter garden stories. That is what accounts for the height, not the crown. I think those floor-floor heights will be in keeping with the rest of the building.
The rest of your figures are close enough to call correct.

[Killadelphia]

^Only 56 stories will be inhabited and they are all in a similar height range. The crown (57th story) is going to be a mechanical floor and is much taller than any fo the other stories. I have seen many diagrams that support this statement.
Anyway, do the math: 15 (which I believe is actually the floor hiehgt) mutiplied by 56 equals 840. Even if you mulitply it by 57, it is 855. Those figures come nowehere near matching up with your statement.

[dreadnought]

^Only 56 stories will be inhabited and they are all in a similar height range. The crown (57th story) is going to be a mechanical floor and is much taller than any fo the other stories. I have seen many diagrams that support this statement.
Anyway, do the math: 15 (which I believe is actually the floor hiehgt) mutiplied by 56 equals 840. Even if you mulitply it by 57, it is 855. Those figures come nowehere near matching up with your statement.

The other thing I said was that there are going to be winter garden levels, and I don't know the height of those. Typically, though, they are very high.
The announced height is 975 feet. That is a fact, it is not an arguable point. See emporis, see the Inquirer, see the Comcast site, they all say the same thing.

[Killadelphia]

LOL, I'm not illiterate, I know that it is going to be 975 feet and have known since its approval announcement on January 3rd, I am saying that the crown is very tall and is a mechanical story. Maybe the winter garden levels will add to teh height but the top inhabited floor will be under 900 feet high. Like with the Chrysler Building: the entire crown on that building is mechanical, the highest inhabited floor is around 850 feet high.

[volguus zildrohar]

Wow.

I had no idea there was a Philly group on SSC. Guess I'll be checking in here more often now.

yournewmayor, people love their Old Country Buffets. You need a reservation to eat at the 69th Street location on a Sunday afternoon.

Also, thanks for the name drop. jackbird, I know all about finding your images, scanned or photographed, in locations you didn't put them.

As for Mandeville Place, the current debate at SSP is its height. The estimates there are in the low 600-foot range, which I kinda disagree with but I seem to recall reading somewhere that the building would be "twice as high as 2400 Chestnut".

2400 Chestnut is 337 feet.

So, who's right and who's wrong? We'll see when the thing gets built.

dreadnought, Killadelphia's point (and I noticed you joined SSP the other day as well;)) is correct.

A lot of newer office buildings have high floor-to-ceiling ratios. Even granting the 14-foot high ceilings, mechanical level always occupy the top floors of the building and the last rentable floor (which is usually the only count you see in building stats) will be somewher in the low 900's not all the way to the top.

One Liberty Place has 63 actual floors but only 61 rentable floors.

[Killadelphia]

^Didn't know that about Liberty Place... Very Interesting.

Volguus, just wanna take this oppurtunity to say: I love your photos. You and gio are some crazy-ass photographers :).
I tried to join SSP.com a while ago as philastyle but I coudn't confirm my registration because I have a Yahoo! email address and it won't allow me to join with. I tried to use my friend's email address when I signed up as Killadelphia69, but it still didn't work, so I'm stuck just reading SSP.com.
But yeah, the Philly community here, like on SSP.com, has grown ALOT since Comcast Center's approval.

[giovanni sasso]

holy smokes, it's a regular love-fest over here. i'm with volguus, i rarely (if ever) check SSC, always tuned in to SSP (which is right now getting an overhaul that should quell its slowness).

first thing first: thanks to everyone who's checked out my site. i've been slowly building it for months and months, and i'll eventually have an easy-ish menu keeping track of all the things discussed in this thread and the big philly IV one on SSP.

good stuff, y'all. AND, to chime in on mandeville's height, my guess is just over 500'. the st james is 489' to the top at 45 floors, so i can't see mandeville being that much higher unless it's got ridiculously tall floors. being residential, i can't see that. i hope i'm wrong, but if everyone's official guess is over 600' i'll say one dollar, bob.

[Killadelphia]

Whoa.... Since SSP.com isn't up right now (liek gio said) its like an all Philly party here!!!

[yournewmayor]

^Didn't know that about Liberty Place... Very Interesting.

Volguus, just wanna take this oppurtunity to say: I love your photos. You and gio are some crazy-ass photographers :).


Co sign on that one --- Big ups to both of yall :cheers:

[yournewmayor]

yournewmayor, people love their Old Country Buffets. You need a reservation to eat at the 69th Street location on a Sunday afternoon.

.

I used to get down with it, I guess it hasn't been the same since :puke: came along...

[josef]

^Didn't know that about Liberty Place... Very Interesting.

Volguus, just wanna take this oppurtunity to say: I love your photos. You and gio are some crazy-ass photographers :).

I agree, you guys rock sox.

[dreadnought]

Wow.


dreadnought, Killadelphia's point (and I noticed you joined SSP the other day as well;)) is correct.

A lot of newer office buildings have high floor-to-ceiling ratios. Even granting the 14-foot high ceilings, mechanical level always occupy the top floors of the building and the last rentable floor (which is usually the only count you see in building stats) will be somewher in the low 900's not all the way to the top.

One Liberty Place has 63 actual floors but only 61 rentable floors.
I suppose this would be a good place to mention that I am an architect and have designed 2 skyscrapers in my life (which have not been built but nevertheless...)
Mechanical floors are not always at the top, although they are more often than not. When buildings such as this are described as having however many floors for whatever its height, they usually include the mechanical floors. For example, the Sears Tower in Chicago is listed at 110 floors. It has 4 mechanical levels, each of which spans 2-3 floors. The last occupiable floor is 108, and the last mechanical level is 109-110. But the overall height is 1474 feet, which is the height to the top of the 110th floor. That does not even count the antennas, (which I think should not be included in record heights, etc., but that is another topic). Although the mechanical levels are not rentable, they contribute to the overall height of the building.
I am not sure where you got the info that Lib PL has 63 stories instead of 61, maybe you could post a link to where it says that because I have never heard that. I researched it in a structural engineering book that included a case history of its construction, and it lists the building as 61 stories.

[volguus zildrohar]

I suppose this would be a good place to mention that I am an architect and have designed 2 skyscrapers in my life (which have not been built but nevertheless...)
Mechanical floors are not always at the top, although they are more often than not. When buildings such as this are described as having however many floors for whatever its height, they usually include the mechanical floors. For example, the Sears Tower in Chicago is listed at 110 floors. It has 4 mechanical levels, each of which spans 2-3 floors. The last occupiable floor is 108, and the last mechanical level is 109-110. But the overall height is 1474 feet, which is the height to the top of the 110th floor. That does not even count the antennas, (which I think should not be included in record heights, etc., but that is another topic). Although the mechanical levels are not rentable, they contribute to the overall height of the building.
I am not sure where you got the info that Lib PL has 63 stories instead of 61, maybe you could post a link to where it says that because I have never heard that. I researched it in a structural engineering book that included a case history of its construction, and it lists the building as 61 stories.

63 stories is according to, of all things, a security guard and that number is from a fact-finding mission of sorts I did long ago.

Not the best place to glean information.

[dreadnought]

63 stories is according to, of all things, a security guard and that number is from a fact-finding mission of sorts I did long ago.

Not the best place to glean information.

The security guard might have included the 2 underground levels, which of course do not count toward the building's height above street level.

[Killadelphia]

Dreadnought, that is pretty damn kool that you designed 2 skyscrapers... It's a shame they werent built. Where were they and what did they look like? Any renderings?

[rdm]

can we see the designs dreadnaught.

[omp835]

Viacom and Pulver plan new city office tower
Natalie Kostelni
Staff Writer

Plans to build Center City's third new office building are coming to a head as Viacom International zeros in on a proposed tower at 15th and Arch streets to house its local television broadcasting operations.

Viacom is in negotiations with developer Don Pulver to occupy about 100,000 square feet of the building, which would be between 250,000 square feet and 440,000 square feet. It could be as tall as 17 stories.

Viacom currently occupies an 80,000-square-foot building at 5th and Market streets and has its lease coming due. Its radio units, KYW and WYSP, as well as its television units CBS and UPN, have resided at the 101 S. Independence Mall building for the last 32 years.

Called Parkway Plaza, the new building would be designed to showcase the CBS and UPN television units.

"It would be a high-profile interactive studio, much like in New York," said Craig Scheuerle, senior vice president with Grubb & Ellis, who is representing Viacom. Scheuerle is referring to a popular windowed street-level studio used by major television networks that allows live views of the city in the background, as well as some pedestrian interaction. It will also likely have exterior Jumbotrons so that those passing by could watch what is on the air.

If it gets the green light, Parkway Plaza would be the third major office tower to break ground in Philadelphia after a nearly 15-year drought of new office construction. Brandywine Realty Trust of Plymouth Meeting was the first to get a new building underway in 2003 with Cira Centre, a 728,000-square-foot building adjacent to Amtrak's 30th Street Station. It is 28 stories high. Liberty Property Trust of Malvern began construction in January on Comcast Center, a 1.2 million-square-foot building with 57 floors at 17th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.

Viacom hasn't decided what to do with its local radio units though relocating them to Bala Cynwyd, where several other local radio stations are clustered, is an option.

Viacom's current building on Independence Mall was constructed for its local media outlets. With its lease expiring, it decided to seek more high-profile space in which it can install state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment. The option of retrofitting its existing space was deemed too costly.

While Pulver's building is its first choice, Centre Square is a "strong second," Scheuerle said. That building at 15th and Market streets would offer Viacom visibility and would be redesigned with street-level studios.

Viacom will determine the feasibility of 15th and Arch based on city approvals and decide what to do within the next 30 days. The property is commonly referred to as the old Acme site, where the supermarket chain once maintained its headquarters. It would require zoning approvals for signage and transmission towers.

"Without those approvals, we'll have to go to other alternatives," Scheuerle said. Those include reconsidering Centre Square and 10 Penn Center at 18th and Market streets, as well as buildings in Camden and Conshohocken.

The company is not seeking any state or local financial incentives. The developer would receive a 10-year abatement on real estate taxes given to any new construction project in the city. It's unknown whether the developer would seek additional funds from the state or city. Pulver declined comment.

Pulver has tried to line up a tenant for Parkway Plaza for the last two years amid a rash of major downtown leases that were expiring this year and next. Towers Perrin seriously considered the building but decided last year to remain in Centre Square, where it will ultimately occupy between 250,000 and 300,000 square feet. When other big tenants in the market struck deals in Center City buildings, Pulver continued to market the space.

If Pulver's site does work out, Viacom would move in around March 2007.


.......I hate to say it but I think a street level studio is more appropriate at the Centre Square site; more visibility more activity. But it's still an exciting proposal, none the less. So....who's got the renderings?

[omp835]

:cheers:

[yournewmayor]

Viacom and Pulver plan new city office tower
Natalie Kostelni
Staff Writer

Plans to build Center City's third new office building are coming to a head as Viacom International zeros in on a proposed tower at 15th and Arch streets to house its local television broadcasting operations.

Viacom is in negotiations with developer Don Pulver to occupy about 100,000 square feet of the building, which would be between 250,000 square feet and 440,000 square feet. It could be as tall as 17 stories.

Viacom currently occupies an 80,000-square-foot building at 5th and Market streets and has its lease coming due. Its radio units, KYW and WYSP, as well as its television units CBS and UPN, have resided at the 101 S. Independence Mall building for the last 32 years.

Called Parkway Plaza, the new building would be designed to showcase the CBS and UPN television units.

"It would be a high-profile interactive studio, much like in New York," said Craig Scheuerle, senior vice president with Grubb & Ellis, who is representing Viacom. Scheuerle is referring to a popular windowed street-level studio used by major television networks that allows live views of the city in the background, as well as some pedestrian interaction. It will also likely have exterior Jumbotrons so that those passing by could watch what is on the air.

If it gets the green light, Parkway Plaza would be the third major office tower to break ground in Philadelphia after a nearly 15-year drought of new office construction. Brandywine Realty Trust of Plymouth Meeting was the first to get a new building underway in 2003 with Cira Centre, a 728,000-square-foot building adjacent to Amtrak's 30th Street Station. It is 28 stories high. Liberty Property Trust of Malvern began construction in January on Comcast Center, a 1.2 million-square-foot building with 57 floors at 17th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard.

Viacom hasn't decided what to do with its local radio units though relocating them to Bala Cynwyd, where several other local radio stations are clustered, is an option.

Viacom's current building on Independence Mall was constructed for its local media outlets. With its lease expiring, it decided to seek more high-profile space in which it can install state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment. The option of retrofitting its existing space was deemed too costly.

While Pulver's building is its first choice, Centre Square is a "strong second," Scheuerle said. That building at 15th and Market streets would offer Viacom visibility and would be redesigned with street-level studios.

Viacom will determine the feasibility of 15th and Arch based on city approvals and decide what to do within the next 30 days. The property is commonly referred to as the old Acme site, where the supermarket chain once maintained its headquarters. It would require zoning approvals for signage and transmission towers.

"Without those approvals, we'll have to go to other alternatives," Scheuerle said. Those include reconsidering Centre Square and 10 Penn Center at 18th and Market streets, as well as buildings in Camden and Conshohocken.

The company is not seeking any state or local financial incentives. The developer would receive a 10-year abatement on real estate taxes given to any new construction project in the city. It's unknown whether the developer would seek additional funds from the state or city. Pulver declined comment.

Pulver has tried to line up a tenant for Parkway Plaza for the last two years amid a rash of maj