Quote:
Originally Posted by wanderer34
What I'm saying is either build the proposed tower, or if you don't have the demand, and you have to greatly reduce the height to the point where the building is insignificant, then don't build AT ALL!!! I'd rather have an empty lot than a puny building where the revenue isn't that great!!! There's more than enough space outside Center City to place a 150 ft building. If anything, place it inside the Navy Yard or place it in Conshohocken or a corporate park. Anywhere outside of CC.
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I am skyscraper enthusiast, more like a geek. However, I have to be realistic and not become too preoccupied with the aesthetics and understand the economics and why buildings are the height that they are, which I am sure is due to rentable space, due to market demands or lack thereof. Yes, I agree, that building looks 'top heavy,' it looks like it may fall over. However, in spite of it's lack of real height in that area, does leave an enthusiast like myself unfulfilled. I mean I wish it was 700+ but this is not NYC. Overall, I am sure it will look better than a blank space with moderately manicured grass.
We will have plenty of space for taller buildings with density in UC/SY, but it has to be economically feasible. Just keep in mind, we are not NYC, and I am happy we are not, because I couldn't afford to live in University City or most other places. Philadelphia's niche is it's affordability of living in a diverse, very large urban area with real history and culture. Very few cities can claim this to the level of Philly. Let's enjoy Philadelphia for it's uniqueness and stop creating the self-imposed shadow, that is NYC. We cannot compete with NYC. After all, NYC has something called billionaires row? We'll be lucky if we have a 'thousandaires row.' Or, take a look at downtown Baltimore or Wilmington and we should feel much better. Philly has a better balance of wealth but a little too much poverty but not the extreme disparity of rich and poor like NYC. I have many friends in NYC....and 'ain't nothing going on but the rent.' They wish they lived here. You should see the wide eyes when they say, 'Philly seems such a nice (and affordable) place to live, you actually live in a whole house?
And Oh, how I miss the the lost opportunity of seeing the ACC built. It would have been spectacular! They had the financing, just no anchor tenant. The Comcast CIT Center in it's place? Well, it looks good from certain angles and distances. I do get a kick out of telling out-of-towners that it is the tallest building in America.................Outside of NYC and Chicago.
If we want more density of taller buildings, the city needs to offer incentives to lure our fortune 500 companies in the metro area, such as Vanguard, Crown Holdings and Amerisource to set up headquarters in CC or UC. I heard we blew it with Unisys of Blue Bell, because of some petty locals didn't want the company to put their name outside the building!
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