PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[FtGreeneNY]

Originally Posted by mja

Question: What were the state of things where the VSE is now? Was that Chinatown, or more industrial / skid row?

Final Federal approval to complete the VSE didn't happen until 1983, so when I was in middle school at Broad and Vine, Vine was just a giant street (10 lanes I think), and it was definitely a huge barrier b/w Center City and north, and the blocks on the south side of Vine were parking lots...kinda like now. I don't know if that was in part are property was cleared in anticipation of the VSE or not. But the north side of Vine was more filled in - for some reason I've still not figured out because that area was kinda sketchy/Skid Row-ish (70s parenting), I went to Sunday school at the Sunday Breakfast on 12th north of Vine when I was 7 or 8; I think that that building is now condos.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

100%. This is the same thing that happened with the Vietnamese shopping center at 16th and Washington. The owner was Vietnamese, he cashed out but the story was gentrification and big bad developers.

As a side note, will the stitch have any sort of road diet for Vine Street? Both sides have 3 lanes of traffic. 2 lanes of traffic with wider sidewalks and intersection bump outs would go a long way in making the stitch actually feel like a park.

The goal for the stitch should be Sara D. Roosevelt Park in the lower east side of NYC. The similarities are pretty funny, it's a long linear park with roads passing through all while being in Chinatown. The big difference I see is purpose. This is a general NYC park thing but their parks all have purpose. There's basketball courts, chess tables, a playground, benches, small field with a track. Too much of the stitch is open green space. No one is going to set up a picnic blanket with 3 lanes of traffic on 3 sides and highway noise from below.



just look around: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vRz2wFKguC7j8Z4K8

My old neighborhood.
Great old trees. A little too much concrete but I agree.

[mja]

Originally Posted by FtGreeneNY

Final Federal approval to complete the VSE didn't happen until 1983, so when I was in middle school at Broad and Vine, Vine was just a giant street (10 lanes I think), and it was definitely a huge barrier b/w Center City and north, and the blocks on the south side of Vine were parking lots...kinda like now. I don't know if that was in part are property was cleared in anticipation of the VSE or not. But the north side of Vine was more filled in - for some reason I've still not figured out because that area was kinda sketchy/Skid Row-ish (70s parenting), I went to Sunday school at the Sunday Breakfast on 12th north of Vine when I was 7 or 8; I think that that building is now condos.

So, Chinatown never really eroded at all and it's pretty much unchanged? Even the severing of Holy Redeemer, etc. doesn't sound so bad, because what's there now has to be better than a 10 lane street, right? Is it almost like the land that time forgot, with all of the various physical barriers protecting it from outsiders.

[PHL10]

(Credit: https://www.facebook.com/oldimagesofphiladelphia)

[mcgrath618]

Phillies say they’re joining with Comcast Spectacor in $2.5 billion transformation of South Philadelphia Sports Complex

The new spaces, he said, would give Philadelphians even “more opportunities to celebrate the passion and pride we have for our city and our teams.”

The Phillies announcement adds additional civic heft and financial strength to a proposal that drew skepticism for its timing when it was announced last month. Comcast Spectacor, which also owns the Wells Fargo Center, oppose the tenant Sixers’ plan to leave the center and move to its own Center City arena in 2031.

That fed speculation that the South Philadelphia plan was a ploy to weaken the Sixers position and stop them from leaving. Comcast Spectacor executives said that wasn’t so, that the proposal for a big transformation had been in the works for some time.

Comcast Spectacor is the local sports and entertainment arm of communications giant Comcast, its newly renovated Wells Fargo Center the decades-long home of the Flyers and Sixers.

This adds some legitimacy to these plans, although I remain incredibly skeptical.

[SEFTA]

Originally Posted by PHL10

(Credit: https://www.facebook.com/oldimagesofphiladelphia)

What are the plans?
Will there be a wide green median?
How many lanes is enough?

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Phillies say they’re joining with Comcast Spectacor in $2.5 billion transformation of South Philadelphia Sports Complex


This adds some legitimacy to these plans, although I remain incredibly skeptical.

I wish them the best and I hope it happens. With or without these plans the Sixers still belong in Center City. It is my understanding the organization wants to be in the middle of the action on day one. Not in the middle of an incremental construction site that will be built out in 20 years. This article says 10. Which theoretically means it will be all wrapped up say 5 years after the Sixers open their new arena.

I call bullshit.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Phillies say they’re joining with Comcast Spectacor in $2.5 billion transformation of South Philadelphia Sports Complex


This adds some legitimacy to these plans, although I remain incredibly skeptical.

Agreed. They've been sitting on this idea forever. I think the Phils and the Birds would love nothing more than this to happen. I expect the iggles to join the narrative at any moment.

It doesn't change anything. They need to make a formal commitment before anyone should take this seriously. I don't even know what a "formal commitment" looks like.

This is still in the "little too little, little too late" column for me.

[Gatorade_Jim]

If anything this shows how powerful the Sixers moving to CC is. Say it with me everyone: com·pe·ti·tion. Comcast isn't the only game in town for big indoor events anymore. That means they have to compete for events against a centrally located brand new arena. I love it.

Instead of a dead sea of parking lots we might get both a new arena in the heart of CC and a revitalized stadium district. What a win!

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Gatorade_Jim

If anything this shows how powerful the Sixers moving to CC is. Say it with me everyone: com·pe·ti·tion. Comcast isn't the only game in town for big indoor events anymore. That means they have to compete for events against a centrally located brand new arena. I love it.

Instead of a dead sea of parking lots we might get both a new arena in the heart of CC and a revitalized stadium district. What a win!

Agreed. I actually think the Sixers moving to Center City increases the likelihood of this plan happening, rather than the other way around.

[BroadandMarket]

Originally Posted by Gatorade_Jim

If anything this shows how powerful the Sixers moving to CC is. Say it with me everyone: com·pe·ti·tion. Comcast isn't the only game in town for big indoor events anymore. That means they have to compete for events against a centrally located brand new arena. I love it.

Instead of a dead sea of parking lots we might get both a new arena in the heart of CC and a revitalized stadium district. What a win!

Yep it's a win win. I drove down east Market Street last night around 9:00 PM. It was such a depressing ghost town. Trash blowing around in the wind, addicts sleeping at every bus shelter. You see why tourists at Marriott/Notary/Loews get a terrible perception of the city. I hope Iron Hill especially can stick it out for another 5 years, they're in a great location.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

Yep it's a win win. I drove down east Market Street last night around 9:00 PM. It was such a depressing ghost town. Trash blowing around in the wind, addicts sleeping at every bus shelter. You see why tourists at Marriott/Notary/Loews get a terrible perception of the city. I hope Iron Hill especially can stick it out for another 5 years, they're in a great location.

WM Mulherins is opening soon in that same complex. It should be a great addition.

[TK2001]

Battleship New Jersey with the Philadelphia skyline by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

https://youtu.be/_z2BCPx7FpA?si=Jo6m23FiduXBvMDj

https://youtu.be/yM9BfS8B5rk?si=qTjHNuW4Y__BL828

[Gatorade_Jim]

Originally Posted by Redddog

Agreed. They've been sitting on this idea forever. I think the Phils and the Birds would love nothing more than this to happen. I expect the iggles to join the narrative at any moment.

It doesn't change anything. They need to make a formal commitment before anyone should take this seriously. I don't even know what a "formal commitment" looks like.

This is still in the "little too little, little too late" column for me.

Aaaaand there it is. “When the project is completed, he said, the Sports Complex will have about 2,000 more parking spaces than it does now.”

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by TK2001

Battleship New Jersey with the Philadelphia skyline

Great! I was half thinking/hoping you'd get some shots of the battleship move.

[TK2001]

^
There's more on my Flickr

Philadelphia skyline by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

You can slightly see William Penn next to the W

[PHLtoNYC]

Interesting update about the Ryland. Expects 95% occupancy by the end of the summer.
And a nice clapback for the people crying that no one is filling these new apartments.

Penthouses atop new Society Hill apartment tower hit market for up to $12K per month
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Interesting update about the Ryland. Expects 95% occupancy by the end of the summer.
And a nice clapback for the people crying that no one is filling these new apartments.

Interesting piece of info. Thanks for sharing. 95% lease up within about 9 months of substantial completion for 267 high-end units seems to indicate pretty solid demand by any reasonable measure.

It's funny how the Philly critics either refuse to believe that there are enough high-income residents in Philly to support all of the new development, or alternatively they lament that the city is being overrun by gentrification from with well-heeled transplants.

Get your story straight, people.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by UrbanRevival

Interesting piece of info. Thanks for sharing. 95% lease up within about 9 months of substantial completion for 267 high-end units seems to indicate pretty solid demand by any reasonable measure.

It's funny how the Philly critics either refuse to believe that there are enough high-income residents in Philly to support all of the new development, or alternatively they lament that the city is being overrun by gentrification from with well-heeled transplants.

Get your story straight, people.

I know someone in that building. They are being super aggressive with rents and perks to get people in there. As of last week, it's been pretty sparse. We toured the building with our friend and it's pretty amazing. The amenities are sick.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Redddog

I know someone in that building. They are being super aggressive with rents and perks to get people in there. As of last week, it's been pretty sparse. We toured the building with our friend and it's pretty amazing. The amenities are sick.

I also know someone in the building. They're very happy with it.

If I were in the rental market this one would be at the top of my list. It has a really nice feel...seems to hit all the right notes.