PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by Dan1

I've been trying to follow that food hall construction, but unfortunately don't have too much of an update.

In the last couple of weeks, an application for a liquor license was filed for 3025 Food Hall LLC. Additionally, they recently installed a brand new front entrance for the space. Urbanspace sold all their food halls a year or two ago, with the NYC locations all going to the same new owner. I'm not sure if the operator of the Schuylkill Yards food hall is the NYC food hall operator or someone else. Unfortunately, you can clearly see inside the space, and despite being under construction for a few years now they still have a long way to go before they open. The signage on the outside was changed from "Fall 2023" to "2024" so hopefully it will open before the end of the year.

It seems Brandywine has been doing a very poor job leasing retail lately. I understand retail has been a challenge everywhere since the pandemic, but I would think the empty spaces they have directly outside the train station would remain quite lucrative. 3000 Market St seems to have been abandoned for the last couple of years and no retail has opened in the West Tower on JFK yet.

Thanks for the update!

Originally Posted by bdurk

Comcast is currently looking into replacing the lights on the spire so uh, hate to be the bearer of bad news but we will probably see a rainbow CITC in a few years

What's wrong with that?

[R5Ryder]

I'm cool with color-changing lights, as long as they're BRIGHT. While I really like the '90s-era 3000k-ish neon, I would welcome the Asiafication of the Center City towers. It too often looks dead and sleepy at night, so give me color going up and down CTC's spine. Give me color up the whole inner-pyramid and crown of CC. Turn the Mickey Mouse ears on the Commerce twins into giant spotlights. I don't care. Just make it bright. I want photos of it from the ISS.

(of course I love in South Philly so the brightness wouldn't interfere with my sleep, so it's easy for me to say.)

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by William Van Alen

I know it's an unpopular opinion on this forum, but I liked the skyline better before every building adopted colored LEDs. Classic incandescent white was just better IMO. Gave things a more classic Art Deco era New York vibe.

I hope the CITC never lights the mast with colored LEDs

I agree. I think the bright light skylines with tons of neon and animation are tacky.

Originally Posted by R5Ryder

I would welcome the Asiafication of the Center City towers.

Oh hell no.

[TK2001]

LED's appear very powerful in long exposure photography. But to the naked eye, I get it, it CAN be lackluster. But earlier this year I was shocked how bright IBX's restored and new lighting looks from specifically Market Street. I need good close ups of Mellon Bank with the restored corner lighting, I'm gonna presume it's NOT LED's, but we shall see

[TK2001]

How about the best speakers on the outside of the CTC for this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdI1bG1l...pscGN4dXU4MWs3

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by William Van Alen

I know it's an unpopular opinion on this forum, but I liked the skyline better before every building adopted colored LEDs. Classic incandescent white was just better IMO. Gave things a more classic Art Deco era New York vibe.

I hope the CITC never lights the mast with colored LEDs

Also prefer white lights on most nights, but LEDs are fully capable of the same white (visual) warmth as incandescents. I do like the color change a handful of times each year for special occasions.

[JohnIII]

Originally Posted by Raja

Walked from HUP back into Center City on Walnut this morning, and the Standard, Sparks building, 32nd & Market, and JFK towers have collectively (and dramatically) altered the feel on Upper Walnut from 33rd to 30th. Penn Park and Schuylkill River Park feel more and more like they should be one connected central park. I wonder if, someday, we'll see the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks by the Schuylkill River Park dog park extended to connect directly to Penn Park.

This thought did come to mind a while back. If the two parks were joined the best idea I feel would be to connect an extension from the walkway bridge on Spruce Street in the Schuylkill Park that overlooks the Dog Park; and connect a new bridge from the observation position overlooking the river to go west into Penn Park. Such a bridge would have to be high enough to clean the I-76 onramp from 30th and Walnut and the Amtrak Lines but it could be done without drastic elevation from the Spruce Street Pedestrian Bridge probably and it could connect to Penn Park just north of the Ace Adams Field by either crossing over the 30th Street Pedestrian Bridge or swinging sharply north to connect to it without much alteration to what's already built.

[bdurk]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Thanks for the update!



What's wrong with that?

Nothing!! I was just replying to the above commenter who said they didn't like the LEDs. I personally love them and wish we had more. I was really disappointed when CITC lit up and couldn't change colors.

I actually wrote a letter to Mayor Parker about being more serious with the night lighting. Chicago and other cities seem to all coordinate meanwhile Philly is a mess. She definitely won't care about it but it's something that bothers me a lot. Even if the lights are white, all the buildings should match. We look like such an unserious city when all the buildings are mismatched 90% of the nights (I know they match sometimes but it should be every night)

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Here's a throwback to when they 'cheated' a green spire for the Eagles. I think it looked great, and would great all the way up to the lantern

[Knight Hospitaller]

Someone wondered how One Liberty Place looked back in the day. It was pretty impressive when it was first lit. The very bright chevroned Christmas tree was visible at great distances. I remember seeing it from 322 in South Jersey across the (then more plentiful) farm fields.

[Skintreesnail]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

We were in Philly this past weekend. It was our first time in Philly since 2021. When we there in 2021, the city was still dealing with the issues with the COVID pandemic. Now, however, it seems like the city is booming. City Center and South Street were full of tourists, including a lot of international tourists.

Glad to hear you came away with that impression. Definitely feels like we've been largely back to where we were. There have been center city district reports that show that with the exception of workers and transit usage. I think workers are up to around 75% of pre covid though, which is pretty good. I think i heard other cities are experiencing similar patterns, but don't have any comparison personally. I've been to Baltimore a few times, which feels quiet but maybe it always was.

Originally Posted by Raja

Walked from HUP back into Center City on Walnut this morning, and the Standard, Sparks building, 32nd & Market, and JFK towers have collectively (and dramatically) altered the feel on Upper Walnut from 33rd to 30th. Penn Park and Schuylkill River Park feel more and more like they should be one connected central park. I wonder if, someday, we'll see the pedestrian bridge over the train tracks by the Schuylkill River Park dog park extended to connect directly to Penn Park.

That definitely was part of the original penn park plan. I hope they do add a pedestrian bridge eventually. It would make the two seem connected, especially with the trail and boardwalk between. I'd also love for csx to abandon the tracks along the trail and focus on maintaining the high line. That would allow for a seemless connection between center city and the river. I doubt that would ever happen though.

[Arch+Eng]

Originally Posted by JohnIII

This thought did come to mind a while back. If the two parks were joined the best idea I feel would be to connect an extension from the walkway bridge on Spruce Street in the Schuylkill Park that overlooks the Dog Park; and connect a new bridge from the observation position overlooking the river to go west into Penn Park. Such a bridge would have to be high enough to clean the I-76 onramp from 30th and Walnut and the Amtrak Lines but it could be done without drastic elevation from the Spruce Street Pedestrian Bridge probably and it could connect to Penn Park just north of the Ace Adams Field by either crossing over the 30th Street Pedestrian Bridge or swinging sharply north to connect to it without much alteration to what's already built.

This isnt going to happen anytime soon. There was as project not long ago to modernize just the paley bridge, and that project was far into the millions because it involved removing the bridge (from over the tracks), sitting it down and putting it back. Penn said it was Waaaaayy over budget and canceled it.

[Skintreesnail]

Are you sure they cancelled it, or was it just changed? The bridge definitely was removed and is laying behind the squash center.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

Are you sure they cancelled it, or was it just changed? The bridge definitely was removed and is laying behind the squash center.

From an August 7, 2024 posting on the Penn website:

The SEPTA train tracks east of the Palestra are home to the Goldie Paley Memorial Bridge that connects the north side of Franklin Field with Penn Park. The arched pedestrian bridge was removed in July for maintenance and restoration—replacement of decking, plexiglass, repainting, and steel restoration—and will be re-installed later this month. The Weave Bridge, located further to the east in Penn Park over the Amtrak Northeast Corridor lines, will receive a similar restoration next summer.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/sum...l-swing-campus

[William Van Alen]

Originally Posted by R5Ryder

While I really like the '90s-era 3000k-ish neon, I would welcome the Asiafication of the Center City towers. It too often looks dead and sleepy at night, so give me color going up and down CTC's spine. Give me color up the whole inner-pyramid and crown of CC. Turn the Mickey Mouse ears on the Commerce twins into giant spotlights. I don't care. Just make it bright.

I welcome the asiafication of American cities in terms of density, in that I would love to see scattered clusters of skyscrapers across the city, but not in terms of skyscraper design/lighting. America invented skyscrapers and I really wish we would use our own design language for our architecture. I do feel, as somebody else said, that the excessive colored lights are tacky (at least in our context - they seem to work better in Asian cities). Bright white lights and art deco massing scream American skyscraper to me.

Bummer to hear about the CITC.

[TK2001]

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by William Van Alen

I welcome the asiafication of American cities in terms of density, in that I would love to see scattered clusters of skyscrapers across the city, but not in terms of skyscraper design/lighting. America invented skyscrapers and I really wish we would use our own design language for our architecture. I do feel, as somebody else said, that the excessive colored lights are tacky (at least in our context - they seem to work better in Asian cities). Bright white lights and art deco massing scream American skyscraper to me.

Bummer to hear about the CITC.

There are a limited amount of glass skyscrapers I believe accomplish this same feeling. Two are in Philadelphia: Liberty Place and FMC Tower. CTC tries but unfortunately misses the mark (boy do I wish that they'd gone back to RAMSA for CTC...). Comcast I is nice but isn't very "American" as you've described.

It's nice to see the renaissance that New York is having with Art Deco. The entire UES is being dotted with new builds that look like they're prewar. IMO what makes American cities feel alive and vibrant compared to places like Singapore is the use of traditional materials and massings.

[BroadandMarket]

I think the lights are awesome and would love more of it. When it gets dark at 4:00 PM in winter, it's a nice way to still see the skyline.





I think every bridge that crosses the Schuylkill should have matching lights with changeable colors. Right now it's just Market and Septa's bridge I believe. It should be every damn bridge. Gray's Ferry, 76, South Street, Walnut, Chestnut, JFK, 676, Columbia train bridge, Strawberry Mansion and Falls bridge.

[TK2001]

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

[TK2001]

One Liberty Place lighting by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place lighting by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place lighting diagram by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

One Liberty Place by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr
Based on the lighting and surroundings here, I believe this shot was also taken in December 1987