Quote:
Originally Posted by McBane
I'm late to the party here but when I look at this, I'm torn.
On one hand, the design is beautiful. I love the height and the design of the buildings. I also appreciate how the plan "loads up" the density in high rise buildings, allowing for open space.
However, this flies in the face of the Delaware Ave Master Plan. That plan is premised on the idea that there is a finite number of people who will live along the river and best to spread them out in low rise buildings that can populate and rejuvenate the length of the Delaware Ave (at least within Center City) rather then cannibalizing everyone in a couple of high rises surrounded by empty, vacant, and underutilized lots. I believe that plan also included a model to extend the grid over 95/Delaware Ave.
To me, the Delaware Ave Master Plan seems much more realistic - although I recognize it's far less sexy. The Durst plan is a return to the failed logic of the past, i.e., that the riverfront can be fixed by one developer and some fancy drawings.
The best case scenario is that the plan is built in its entirety, which in turns spurs further development along the river. The more plausible scenario is the status quo and if we're lucky, perhaps 1-2 towers get built (definitely shorter ones and valued engineered to death) over the course of the next 5-10 years. Sorry but history has conditioned me be negative when it comes to grand schemes along the riverfront.
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I don't think this goes against the Delaware River Master plan in any significant way.
The master plan wasn't simply against height. More than anything it was against the types of density bomb projects like waterfront square that swallow up all the demand and leave the surrounding area fallow. But as you mention yourself, despite the height of some aspects of this project, because there is so much open space included, the density in any one location is still not overwhelming.
And besides, there is a huge difference between a developer wanting to load up on density on some random plot of land they own at like Tasker Street, to maximize the profitability of their own development to the detriment of the rest of the waterfront and what is happening here. Where the tallest buildings are proposed is directly next to one of the biggest public works projects in philadelphia's history and the soon to be, epicenter of the waterfront.
I get spreading density around, but if you're going tall anywhere, it's next to this park.
Besides, most of this project is not very tall, and forgetting height for a moment, this project really seems to tick off all of the major aspects of the master plan. Open public space, pedestrian friendly streets, the inclusion of retail, access to the water, etc.
You can be pessimistic it won't all happen or it will cutback and value engineered, that's fair. But if it does happen, it's hard to imagine a project more in tune with the waterfront master plan.