PHILADELPHIA | The Development Thread VIII

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

true, people are free to be dopes and waste their earnings on completely idiotic activities like slots to make aholes like sheldon adelson even richer. i wish there were no casinos anywhere near philly, but the powers that be make these calls. if they have to be there, put them some place where we don't have to see them.

it's funny, though, gambling is sanctioned, but not drugs and prostution. of the three, i suspect that gambling is almost as bad or worse for people as many drugs, and more harmful than prostitution. all of them are industries that are heavily patronized by losers and run by sleazeballs and destructive to urban life. so stickem in a hidden corner that we can easily ignore .

While I am not sure I disagree with all of your premis my biggest issue is suggesting that its ONLY suburban low life etc. I am not a fan of casinos everywhere (and I like to play blackjack once or twice a year but to me its entertainment and I like a destination like either LV or AC etc.) but if your issue is with elements not pleasant for a core or historic district I can understand. But these people come from everywhere including the city. Last I checked the current Sugarhouse has quite a few and best I can tell a majority at this facility may even be of the urban form...

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Kidphilly

my biggest issue is suggesting that its ONLY suburban low life etc. I am not a fan of casinos everywhere (and I like to play blackjack once or twice a year but to me its entertainment and I like a destination like either LV or AC etc.) but if your issue is with elements not pleasant for a core or historic district I can understand. But these people come from everywhere including the city.

Believe me - I realize there are plenty of city losers too who go to the casinos, particularly for the slots. I'd love to shunt them as far away as possible from Center City or any other decent neighborhood in town too.

My point is, the whole casino benefit for the city only makes sense if the casinos exploit outsiders. exploiting inside losers is a net loss to the city, because for every dollar the city makes off of an inside-the-city loser, it'll have to pay, say, $2 in increased policing, social services, welfare, foodstamps, WIC, etc. So it's a net loss to the city. With outsiders, the city gets $1 and pays zero: it externalizes all the the social costs back to the suburban towns.

Obviously there are losers everywhere, and there are millions of great suburban people we should welcome to the city. In general, though, these are not the people who come to the city for casinos. You don't really want to see most of these people, because, in general, they are a depressing herd of low lives.

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Believe me - I realize there are plenty of city losers too who go to the casinos, particularly for the slots. I'd love to shunt them as far away as possible from Center City or any other decent neighborhood in town too.

My point is, the whole casino benefit for the city only makes sense if the casinos exploit outsiders. exploiting inside losers is a net loss to the city, because for every dollar the city makes off of an inside-the-city loser, it'll have to pay, say, $2 in increased policing, social services, welfare, foodstamps, WIC, etc. So it's a net loss to the city. With outsiders, the city gets $1 and pays zero: it externalizes all the the social costs back to the suburban towns.

Obviously there are losers everywhere, and there are millions of great suburban people we should welcome to the city. In general, though, these are not the people who come to the city for casinos. You don't really want to see most of these people, because, in general, they are a depressing herd of low lives.

I worked at Parx for 8 months as a card dealer and I have to say that you are being overly harsh in criticizing the people who go to the casinos. I would say many of the people that gamble everyday do have a problem but they also go because they are all friends and will often play with the same people. It is not all that productive but why the hate?

[summersm343]

Some interesting news from the Center City district today. One, Center City's office market is 84.9% full. While that is slightly lower than the suburbs, it is noted that it is more than Boston and NYC. Another 150,000 sqft will be absorbed in 2013 bringing the office market to 86.25% fill. Also, asking prices for class A rents for office space is currently at $28.60 a sqft, up from $22 last time I saw! That's great news, since Liberty Property Trust has specifically stated that the asking price for class office space needs to rise to $32 dollars a sqft in order for a new office building to be profitable on a non-KOZ designated site (aka the American Commerce Center Site). This could be a great step towards the construction of the American Commerce Center (or a similar building) and other new office buildings in Center City

http://www.centercityphila.org/pressroom/developments010713.php

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Some interesting news from the Center City district today. One, Center City's office market is 84.9% full. While that is slightly lower than the suburbs, it is noted that it is more than Boston and NYC. Another 150,000 sqft will be absorbed in 2013 bringing the office market to 86.25% fill. Also, asking prices for class A rents for office space is currently at $28.60 a sqft, up from $22 last time I saw! That's great news, since Liberty Property Trust has specifically stated that the asking price for class office space needs to rise to $32 dollars a sqft in order for a new office building to be profitable on a non-KOZ designated site (aka the American Commerce Center Site). This could be a great step towards the construction of the American Commerce Center (or a similar building) and other new office buildings in Center City

http://www.centercityphila.org/pressroom/developments010713.php

Class A rents have been in the $28 a sqft range for a while now. Also the vacancy rate in Philadelphia is higher then Boston and NYC and lower then the suburbs. You got that part switched up.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Jelly Roll

I worked at Parx for 8 months as a card dealer and I have to say that you are being overly harsh in criticizing the people who go to the casinos. I would say many of the people that gamble everyday do have a problem but they also go because they are all friends and will often play with the same people. It is not all that productive but why the hate?

I did not say all the people at casinos were losers. But many - particularly at the slots - are a pretty sad bunch. If we had a table-games only casino in Center City, the impact wouldn't be nearly as negative, because table games players are, by and large, more sophisticated, intelligent, and socially adept. Please people, try not to be PC about slots players. These are not exciting or clever folks by and large. Slots is like the lottery. Imagine having a giant lottery line snaking through Center City and Northern Liberties. Wouldn't liven up the streetscape I imagine, just as the folks stepping out of the Purple Orchid don't really either.

It's not hate: I'm sure many many slots players are kind and nice, so I don't hate them at all. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have pity - and frequently disdain - for them. People are free to do as they choose, and I am free to find them unappealing. I think it's better not to have them in parts of town in which we'd like to maintain and improve the street life.

[summersm343]

First Phase of Penn Treaty Village
Core Realty, Inc. will begin construction early this year on the first phase of a $600 million mixed-use development, Penn Treaty Village, on North Delaware Avenue near SugarHouse Casino, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported.

Core Realty will convert the former 160,000-square-foot Ajax Metal building and another 14,000-square-foot structure, which will be expanded by 6,000 square feet, to an entertainment destination with a distillery, 18-lane bowling alley, Live Nation concert venue, country-western bar, sports theater and an Italian restaurant, the article noted. This phase is expected to be completed in spring 2014.

The approval process for the next phase will begin in February. That portion of the project will include an Imax movie theater, retail, and a 126-unit apartment complex.

CCD/CPDC Release: Developments: Center City News Update | 01.07.13

[ScreamShatter]

Not sure if this has been posted yet -- it's Temple's boathouse proposal.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/113029885/Temple-University-Boat-house-proposal

[asies1981]

Post on the arts in Philly

http://www.urbanphilia.com/2013/01/finalists-for-arts-challenge-announced.html

[tech_bonus]

Pardon the topic interruption and apologize if this has been pointed out before.

Thought this was interesting and wanted to share it with you guys real quick.

I really dig this dead WTC proposal for Indianapolis, for some reason.

[omp835]

And the connection to Philly is that their proposed WTC resembles liberty place? I'm guessing our buddy, Jahn, desiged that proposal, too.

[rricci]

From Today's Business Journal:

It's no surprise but still a milestone: Pennsylvania has passed Atlantic City in terms of gaming revenues, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Last year, Pennsylvania beat the Shore for the first time, by a tally of $3.16 billion to $3.05 billion. That puts the Pennsylvania market at No. 2 behind only Las Vegas in the United States, the Inquirer said. Pennsylvania's first casino opened in 2006.

Said one gaming analyst, "The difference between Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, when it comes to gaming, is that Pennsylvania policymakers made a conscious decision to put gaming where the population is, and New Jersey policymakers made a conscious decision to put gaming away from the population centers."


Read More at
Philadelphia Inquirer

[tech_bonus]

Originally Posted by omp835

And the connection to Philly is that their proposed WTC resembles liberty place? I'm guessing our buddy, Jahn, desiged that proposal, too.

More than likely, couldn't find too much info on who proposed it. Seems too have been circulating SSP and SSC the last 4 years.

He did propose, what would have basically been, a 1404 ft. tall 2 Liberty Place for Houston. The never-happened Bank of the SouthWest Tower.

[Pennsgrant]

Does anyone know what is going on with the addition to the Roberts Proton Center. You can see the steel is up to 6 or 7 stories as are riding down the SchuykillExp.


What is the last lot going to be in the hospital complex, down near the parking garage. Heavy work underway here, as well as that entire area. That ambulatory building is starting to make it above ground.

[stormkingfan]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Casino at 8th and Market? BADDDDDDD IDEAAAAAA.

No casinos in Center City!!!

[EastSideHBG]

Roxborough: Familiar but getting newer

Al Heavens, Inquirer Real Estate Columnist
Posted: Sunday, January 20, 2013, 12:00 PM

One in a continuing series spotlighting the real estate market in this region's communities.

An overcast winter's day was a perfect time for a "flatlander" to revisit Roxborough.

Flatlanders are those not born and bred here.

My last official visit with intent to write was in May 1993, when this slice of Northwest Philadelphia along Wissahickon Creek had 13,000 people and houses sold for $85,000.

Today, there are more than twice as many people, and the median price for a single-family house is $222,000. At the 2006 peak of the real estate boom, the median price was $226,000, according to the University of Pennsylvania's Neighborhood Information System.

Prices "only declined because houses sold more slowly," says Louise Fischer, of Prudential Fox & Roach, who moved to Roxborough in 1997 and became a Realtor in 2002.

Even in 2009's down days, developer Andy Thomas was able to build nine houses, sell eight for $600,000 each, and rent the last.

"It was slow, but we did it," says Thomas, who is involved in a number of residential projects in Roxborough and Manayunk.

That developers are drawn to Roxborough is nothing new. Before World War II, this was a neighborhood of large single-family homes, many of which pop into view between short stretches of rowhouses along the side streets.

http://www.philly.com/philly/classifieds...borough__Familiar_but_getting_newer.html

[GarCastle]

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

Does anyone know what is going on with the addition to the Roberts Proton Center. You can see the steel is up to 6 or 7 stories as are riding down the SchuykillExp.

What is the last lot going to be in the hospital complex, down near the parking garage. Heavy work underway here, as well as that entire area. That ambulatory building is starting to make it above ground.

I had a really long post a few pages ago about most of that. Though I think I called the Smilow Research building the Colket building (Smilow is the newly named Penn/white building attached to the Perelman horseshoe while Colket is the CHoP building on the opposite end of all construction in the hole).

If you are driving southbound on 76, you would pass:
1) Penn Tower (and it's parking garage) which will eventually be replaced by a massive hospital tower to replace most of the aging Hosp. of the Univ. Penn.
2) Perelman complex (~500,000 sf) which has its "South Pavilion" being built currently (another 200,000 sf plus a few more floors on top of it).
3) Smilow Research building (531,000 sf, Penn, contains the Roberts proton stuff ~75,000 sf) which is attached to Perelman horseshoe.
4) CHoP's ambulatory crayola building which is under construction and will join up with Colket apparently at some point.
5) CHoP's Colket research building.
6) Penn, to be 1,000 parking spot garage with office space on top of it someday (~500,000 sf) - not sure if they even finalized the garage design.
7) Existing parking garage (owned by Penn).

This is probably the best visualization so far especially since it shows the potential height of the Inpatient tower attached to the existing Perelman building (aka HUP v2.0):
http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v59/n01/images_n01/pennconnects2.jpg

Cheers,
G.

Edit: replaced the image with a link since the image became full-sized on here (pages).

[Skyscraper.Phanatic]

I noticed a very large crane and fencing at the former parking lot at juniper and spruce streets. Does anyone have information on this?

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Skyscraper.Phanatic

I noticed a very large crane and fencing at the former parking lot at juniper and spruce streets. Does anyone have information on this?

Is it the new LGBT Senior housing on 13th? What parking lot?

[hammersklavier]

William Way is between Camac and 13th, closer to Spruce.

Is the Locust Street lot the one across from the Ridgway Library? That lot is definitely deserving of some infill.