SkyscraperPage Forum - PHILADELPHIA | Sugarhouse Casino Phase 3 | 300 FT x2

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- - PHILADELPHIA | Sugarhouse Casino Phase 3 | 300 FT x2 | 25 FLOORS x2 (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=167260)

Not a ferry but a party boat belonging to Joey Merlino. Actually a pretty cool relic at this point as you can still make out the various decks and their bars with one having a hot tub and what looks like a pool.

Clearly no longer belongs to Merlino but rather whoever owns the property...

http://planphilly.com/sites/planphil...mages/logo.gif
Last piece of SugarHouse's skeleton in place
http://planphilly.com/last-piece-sug...eleton-place-0

Quote:

After Mayor Michael Nutter, State Sen. Larry Farnese and City Councilman Darrell Clarke added their names to the other Sharpie signatures on the white steel beam, a crane hosted it up above the crowd, and two iron workers guided it into place, atop SugarHouse Casino.

The last piece of the steel structure had been placed.

About 500 construction workers have been toiling at the site in two, eight-hour shifts per day, said Pete Frazier, construction superintendent for Keating Building Corporation, the company building the casino. The plan is to open the doors at the end of summer, and the hoisted beam marked the end of a significant construction phase. Another milestone comes next Wednesday, when the Gaming Control Board will hold a public hearing at the Convention Center regarding whether to allow SugarHouse to have table games. The other casinos that have asked for that consideration have been approved, and SugarHouse expects to be, too. There’s already room for the games on what will in a few months be the gaming floor.

Quote:

In fact, both Nutter and Farnese – who spoke during the ceremony – were once on the side of the neighborhood activists who oppose the casino. For some of the community activists, notably Casino-Free Philadelphia, any casino on any site is a bad idea. For others, it’s the site on the Delaware River waterfront or the design of the big building that’s objectionable.

Nutter used to be among the latter group. But Friday, he said he changed his position because SugarHouse officials were willing to change their design. “It’s because of the flexibility they displayed by adjusting the design to the concerns of the neighborhood and city government,” he said. “There is more access to the water, and the shops and restaurants are oriented to get a view of the river. It’s clear they want to be good neighbors, and part of the waterfront redevelopment.”

CEO Greg Carlin acknowledged the difficulties in getting the casino open. Any big project, any casino, is going to face opposition, so some of that was expected, he said. This project might have faced a few more roadblocks than anticipated, he said, but he never doubted the casino would move forward. “We always knew this was a great site,” he said of the Fishtown location.

Carlin said that in response to the concerns about the design, he personally saw that the windows facing the water were enlarged.
Frazier and Dan Keating, CEO of Keating Building Corporation took PlanPhilly on an impromptu tour of the inside. There aren’t many windows facing north, south or west. But most of the east wall will be glass. And the view is visible from everywhere in the building. It will remain that way, Carlin said.

The changes have pleased the mayor, but critics, including Northern Liberties Neighbors Association President Matt Ruben and PennPraxis Executive Director Harris Steinberg, believe it remains mostly a big, auto-centric box that is not appropriate for the waterfront.

http://planphilly.com/sites/planphil...ugarHouse1.jpg

the casino tower looks good but that parking block looks way, ugly i also think that it should have park on the roof, and some nice cladding on the walls

It's funny how as I watch this go up, I'm dreaming about the day PA's tax base is strong enough to demolish this embarrassment. 20 years? Not soon enough.

This is good for Philadelphia, but I hope Atlantic City doesn't get screwed over because of this project.

AC is already taking a big hit with the slots parlors that are now open. Table games will hurt it even more later this summer

Superb casino. Wat a nice look, clear picture. Should be a very high profile casino it will. I love to visit to this casino once.

:previous: this picture convinces me to like the design of Sugarhouse. ( I've been on the fence for a while) The view from the bridge is an important view and they def. jazzed the exterior enough to draw and engage the eye. And thats important if you want to draw customers.

Ferry Connection?

This may seem out of nowhere, but I'm wondering if there will be any interest in developing a ferry between Sugar House and Pennsauken/Camden on the Jersey side? I'm guessing it's not too, too needed, considering the Sugar House's proximity to the Betsy Ross and BFB. Also, all the work being down on 95 and Girard to support a direct connection to Del Ave and funnel people to the site. I think it could be a cool idea though?

I definitely like the idea of a ferry/water taxi not only as a way of creating synergy within the waterfront entertainment district but also to alleviate traffic on Delaware Avenue. This could be a win-win for venues on both sides of the Delaware River.

I's only been a week, but it has changed a bit.

http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/x...g?t=1281456295

Does anyone care that this casino will be open within a month? It's not the greatest design but at least it will get people to the river. Whether or not they set foot outside is another story. This should spur some non-residental development in the vicinity. Does anyone know what type of restaurant and bar offerings the casino will have?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightman (Post 4952655)

Apparently there will be a burger joint of some type. PS. Coming over the BFG last night, SugarHouse looked fairly good with its lights on. Adds a little life to an otherwise dead part of the waterfront.

I'm still optimistic that the "grand scheme" plans will eventually be realized.

Despite the economy, Parx is expanding already.
http://kyw.cbslocal.com/2010/08/24/b...t-parx-casino/

I can't believe they are expanding already.

Is the hotel going to be built as a phase 2? I think if they built that it would add a bit of density to the water front.

I think time will tell... it would add a mini-skyline on Del Ave!

Trends will have to tell as far as the hotel portion. This past Friday's Inky article on Sugar House talks about various issues facing it as the opener approaches. Novelty will be huge at first but there has to be some compelling reasons to keep the casino ahead of others in the region.