PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread II

[PurpleWhiteOut]

https://issuu.com/centercityphila/docs/ccd_real_estate_development_report_2026

Center City Development Report is out and is a good summary of projects U/C, proposed, and recently completed between Girard and Tasker, as well as sqft breakdowns by use

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by jaysb

I live about 2 blocks from here. That stretch is very shabby. The renderings look very nice. This would be a great addition!

Not to mention an entity proposing the construction of a new school in the core of a central city is a huge endorsement of the city itself vis a vis the willingness of families to stay put when their kids hit school age.

We should be excited about this.

[summersm343]

CDR Submissions for March

-8 floors apartment building with ground floor retail at 4401 Ridge Ave in East Falls
-6 floor Hyatt Studios hotel at 1135-43 S Broad Street replacing the Broad Street Diner

https://www.phila.gov/departments/philadelphia-city-planning-commission/public-meetings/

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by summersm343

CDR Submissions for March

-8 floors apartment building with ground floor retail at 4401 Ridge Ave in East Falls
-6 floor Hyatt Studios hotel at 1135-43 S Broad Street replacing the Broad Street Diner

https://www.phila.gov/departments/philadelphia-city-planning-commission/public-meetings/

Hyatt looks awful.

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/commercial/broad-street-diner-hyatt-studios-20260217.html

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Justin7

Hyatt looks awful.

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/commercial/broad-street-diner-hyatt-studios-20260217.html

Weird. I think it looks very handsome, particularly for a location outside of Center City.

I love that we're starting to see hotels in neighborhoods outside of Center City.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

I love that we're starting to see hotels in neighborhoods outside of Center City.

I had the same thought - really great.

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by Justin7

Hyatt looks awful.

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/commercial/broad-street-diner-hyatt-studios-20260217.html

I can see how it could look good in real life, but I had the same reaction to the render, but the colors seem just kind of washed out compared to real brick. Something about it looks kind of "2000s institution," rayher than hotel, but i cant put my finger on it. To be fair, it has to go through CDR so we'll see if they adjust it to any feedback. Edit: The ground floor interaction looks pretty bad unfortunately. Happy to see a hotel itself either way.

Edit: kind of funny that they're "preserving the mural", even though I lived there for a few years and never noticed this one. I would imagine they want and need windows on all sides, and isnt really about the mural

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by PurpleWhiteOut

I can see how it could look good in real life, but I had the same reaction to the render, but the colors seem just kind of washed out compared to real brick. Something about it looks kind of "2000s institution," rayher than hotel, but i cant put my finger on it. To be fair, it has to go through CDR so we'll see if they adjust it to any feedback. Happy to see a hotel itself either way

Looks sort of suburbanish to me. It's good that it's a hotel. We need 10 more of those. I wish there was ANY new business that advertised "open 24 hours" ever again. That'll always be the one standard we fail on against NYC. It's a shame.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by PHL10

I had the same thought - really great.

As did I. Remains to be seen how it'll look in real life but I don't hate it at all.

[PhilliesPhan]

I just took a walk through my old neighborhood of Francisville. All homes on the 19th and Cameron Street sides of the Francisville Triangle are nearly complete, while foundations have been laid on the Vineyard Street side. I also noticed that excavation is finally occurring on the Shirley Street side, which will house the mixed-use building! The only notably undeveloped/underdeveloped parcels left in the neighborhood are at 15th and Parrish (part of the lot is home to the Francisville Dog Park), 16th and Poplar, and the parking lot at 17th and Girard (which is currently fenced off and looks like it could be developed any day).

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

I just took a walk through my old neighborhood of Francisville. All homes on the 19th and Cameron Street sides of the Francisville Triangle are nearly complete, while foundations have been laid on the Vineyard Street side. I also noticed that excavation is finally occurring on the Shirley Street side, which will house the mixed-use building! The only notably undeveloped/underdeveloped parcels left in the neighborhood are at 15th and Parrish (part of the lot is home to the Francisville Dog Park), 16th and Poplar, and the parking lot at 17th and Girard (which is currently fenced off and looks like it could be developed any day).

Nice! Its crazy, I remember frequenylt taking Ridge Ave in 2012/2013 between Girard and Center City when it was almost entirely vacant. I dont live there anymore, but I LOVE lower/central North Philly. Its such an interesting place visually with lots of architectural gems

[BroadandMarket]

Originally Posted by Redddog

Looks sort of suburbanish to me. It's good that it's a hotel. We need 10 more of those. I wish there was ANY new business that advertised "open 24 hours" ever again. That'll always be the one standard we fail on against NYC. It's a shame.

6 floors is great for right there. There's far too many empty or underutilized lots on Broad from Bainbridge to Oregon. I wish someone would try to reopen South Street diner at Broad and South. The food sucked but a legit diner would do well there.

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Weird. I think it looks very handsome, particularly for a location outside of Center City.

I love that we're starting to see hotels in neighborhoods outside of Center City.

Originally Posted by PHL10

I had the same thought - really great.

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

As did I. Remains to be seen how it'll look in real life but I don't hate it at all.

This seems to happen most times I think something is bad and mention it here and I'm still somehow surprised every time. What I see:

Poor street level interaction all around
Lack of interaction with Broad or even the corner near Broad
Ugly sidewalk overhangs
Vinyl (?) siding mixed in cause why not?
Brick panels that will almost certainly look worse than the render
Incongruous appendage tacked to the south end of the building

Originally Posted by Redddog

Looks sort of suburbanish to me.

This would fit much better on the side of a highway behind a parking lot than a block south of Broad and Washington.

I'm not expecting the Marine Club, but come on, this is budget architecture.

[BroadandMarket]

Canno remains undefeated in this city.

https://jackphillyre.substack.com/p/update-new-renderings-more-units

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by BroadandMarket

Canno remains undefeated in this city.

https://jackphillyre.substack.com/p/update-new-renderings-more-units

Unmatched. That's a stunner.

[bdurk]

Canno really does not miss. Everything they do is great, this is also a great build for this plot of land. Excited to see this one go up!

[blart]

Another Canno project. From a couple days ago.
Former site of the St. Laurentius church in Fishtown-

[jaysb]

Originally Posted by PurpleWhiteOut

https://issuu.com/centercityphila/docs/ccd_real_estate_development_report_2026

Center City Development Report is out and is a good summary of projects U/C, proposed, and recently completed between Girard and Tasker, as well as sqft breakdowns by use

It’s curious that the spring garden Greenway is highlighted in here twice. Has anything moved forward with this? I remember being excited about this in 2012 and essentially nothing has budged since then.

[BroadandMarket]

The city proposed 3 spots for a new intercity bus station. I noticed the 8th and Arch location would take up the space where the African American museum currently is, so that would surely make the city start on the planned African American museum / tower on the parkway? I feel like the developer dropped out right?

https://www.archpaper.com/2023/08/philad...ing-two-sites-benjamin-franklin-parkway/

https://www.phila.gov/documents/long-term-intercity-bus-station-open-house/

[Justin7]

https://www.phila.gov/media/20260220173851/Public-Meeting-Boards_30th-and-Arch-1.pdf

Yes, please.