PHILADELPHIA | 2301 JFK Boulevard | 303 FT | 22 FLOORS

mcgrath618 · #1 Posted **Jan 2, 2020, 5:57 PM**

RIP the Chinese Wall

Title: 2301 JFK Boulevard
Project: Residential & Office
Architect: Gensler
Developer: PMC Property Group
Location: 2300 Block of JFK Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
Neighborhood: Center City West (Market West)
District: Center City
Floors: 22 floors
Height: 303 ft

https://www.phila.gov/media/20200805...5rvki6KSyqYXxs

2301 JFK Boulevard 4

Old Design:

http://2301jfk.com/

Knight Hospitaller · #2 Posted **Jan 2, 2020, 7:36 PM**

Now that I look at the renderings again, they are accurate. Seeing the train tracks in front of the building is what caused the confusion. It’s great to see the possibility of even such odd lots filling in.

mja · #3 Posted **Jan 3, 2020, 12:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

Now that I look at the renderings again, they are accurate. Seeing the train tracks in front of the building is what caused the confusion. It’s great to see the possibility of even such odd lots filling in.

Agreed. The design might be boring or underwhelming on a more prime lot but I think this truthfully exceeds anything we could have hoped to expected to happen at this lot this cycle (or even next cycle, or the one after that).

christof · #4 Posted **Jan 2, 2020, 7:40 PM**

Your Logo Here sign needs to go.

shakman · #5 Posted **Jan 2, 2020, 7:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by christof

Your Logo Here sign needs to go.

It needs to say "Wendy's".

summersm343 · #6 Posted **Jan 3, 2020, 5:58 PM**

Great project. Build it!

mcgrath618 · #7 Posted **Jan 3, 2020, 6:10 PM**

I never thought this parcel was big enough to support a tower. Guess I was wrong in the best of ways.

summersm343 · #8 Posted **Jan 3, 2020, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

I never thought this parcel was big enough to support a tower. Guess I was wrong in the best of ways.

Yep! Towers can be built above the train tracks too along the 2000, 2100 and 2200 blocks of JFK... it's just more costly, so these will be the last 3 parcels developed in the area for sure.

dreadnought · #9 Posted **Jan 3, 2020, 8:03 PM**

not a great design, but more concerning is that the more office buildings they build on the east side of the river, the less likely that Schuylkill Yards will be built in its anticipated form, at least in a reasonable time frame. And less likely still would be the 30th Street District. If there is this anticipated need for office space, why not put it in SY? then when that's built, let the overflow demand spill across the river.
Unless the demand for office space is so great that the market could absorb both, which I wish were true but I don't think it is.

Jayfar · #10 Posted **Feb 2, 2020, 1:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

I never thought this parcel was big enough to support a tower. Guess I was wrong in the best of ways.

Samuel I. Oshiver called from his grave. He still thinks this should be 63 stories (or 60 on the Pennsylvania Boulevard side). In 1961 his name for this project was Golden City.

There was also a 30-some story proposal from a different developer in 1969. See zoning file archive including both: https://s3.amazonaws.com/lni-zoning-pdfs/219-203823.pdf

Discussion in the subthreads of this post at P.I.C.H.: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Phil...0171297938177/

Who the heck was Samuel I. Oshiver you ask? High Priest Of The High Rise: Samuel I. Oshiver | HiddenCityPhila.org

Aaamazarite · #11 Posted **Feb 3, 2020, 6:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jayfar

Samuel I. Oshiver called from his grave. He still thinks this should be 63 stories (or 60 on the Pennsylvania Boulevard side). In 1961 his name for this project was Golden City.

There was also a 30-some story proposal from a different developer in 1969. See zoning file archive including both: https://s3.amazonaws.com/lni-zoning-pdfs/219-203823.pdf

Discussion in the subthreads of this post at P.I.C.H.: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Phil...0171297938177/

Who the heck was Samuel I. Oshiver you ask? High Priest Of The High Rise: Samuel I. Oshiver | HiddenCityPhila.org

Here's a model of that 1968 proposal. The Century 21 Complex

TempleGuy1000 · #12 Posted **Feb 3, 2020, 9:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaamazarite

Here's a model of that 1968 proposal. The Century 21 Complex

Never saw that one before! The monorail is easily my favorite part.

Jayfar · #13 Posted **Feb 3, 2020, 10:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

Never saw that one before! The monorail is easily my favorite part.

A few more details of the Century 21 complex here:
https://digital.library.temple.edu/d...id/38774/rec/4

There's a ton of stuff at at newspapers dot com. Search for Century 21, narrowed to select newspapers Inquirer and Daily News, years 1968-1971. Ultimately City approvals came easily, but the partners couldn't agree on the overall development plan and auctioned off the land in early 1971.

Inquirer Mar 14, 1968
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4356...st_complex_on/

DailY News Dec 19, 1970
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4356...ment_partners/

Inquirer Dec 20, 1970
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4356..._land_auction/

Jayfar · #14 Posted **Feb 4, 2020, 12:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

Never saw that one before! The monorail is easily my favorite part.

The monorail itself appears to have been part of an ambitious and totally unrealized transportation plan for the 1976 Bicentennial.

Transit Network For Fete Planned At $324 Million - Inquirer, Oct 15, 1970

TK2001 · #15 Posted **Jan 4, 2020, 8:41 PM**

hammersklavier · #16 Posted **Jan 4, 2020, 9:11 PM**

Ground floor site plan ripped from the brochure:

So we're looking at a spec office building here? That's surprising in two ways: (1) we know that the Center City office market sits on the lower end of viability for spec construction (when was the last time a spec office building got built in Center City, anyway?) and (2) PMC is better known as an apartment developer than an office one. I guess that, with respect to the second point, PMC's Aramark project was so successful they want to get more broadly into the office game?

jsbrook · #17 Posted **Feb 1, 2020, 4:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

Ground floor site plan ripped from the brochure:

So we're looking at a spec office building here? That's surprising in two ways: (1) we know that the Center City office market sits on the lower end of viability for spec construction (when was the last time a spec office building got built in Center City, anyway?) and (2) PMC is better known as an apartment developer than an office one. I guess that, with respect to the second point, PMC's Aramark project was so successful they want to get more broadly into the office game?

It's not truly spec. They won't break ground until an anchor tenant commits to at least 75,000 sq ft.

TK2001 · #18 Posted **Jan 4, 2020, 9:55 PM**

That better not be another blank wall

mcgrath618 · #19 Posted **Jan 5, 2020, 6:00 AM**

At least if it is a blank wall, River Walk II will (mostly) cover it. Then again, the Ritz 'mostly' covers the W.

However, this parcel is incredibly small. I wouldn't be surprised if a blank wall is a necessity simply from a design standpoint.

Love the height, hate the design. I would love it if this got refined in CDR, a la 523 N Broad.

Also, has anyone else noticed that this building will replace the last remnant of the 'Chinese Wall?' That's Philly history right there!

TK2001 · #20 Posted **Jan 5, 2020, 11:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

At least if it is a blank wall, River Walk II will (mostly) cover it. Then again, the Ritz 'mostly' covers the W.

However, this parcel is incredibly small. I wouldn't be surprised if a blank wall is a necessity simply from a design standpoint.

Love the height, hate the design. I would love it if this got refined in CDR, a la 523 N Broad.

Also, has anyone else noticed that this building will replace the last remnant of the 'Chinese Wall?' That's Philly history right there!

On the floorplan, the blank wall is facing PECO. And yes, I see that the wall is a necessity due to small size.The design for me is meh, but I like the shape. When viewed from Commerce Square this'll look kind of like a modern Flatiron Building