PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX - Page 12

FlyersFan · #**221** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 3:38 PM**

Any news on the W Hotel?

ILovePhilly · #**222** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 3:42 PM**

I was going to post my own picture of the notice of demolition on 2017-21 Chestnut Street (former YMCA) but this link to the Naked Philly post is probably just as good. The notice says that demolition may begin "on or after December 10, 2013".

Yay! I think the original plan called for something like 114 units in two main structures, one on Chestnut and the other on Ranstead, connected through a first floor lobby and possibly a second floor common area. I've tried to look up zoning meeting minutes but I haven't succeeded.

Naked Philly post

dab · #**223** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 3:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salonica city

Philadelphia used to be one of those cities you guys speak about. Center of the world type.And they say history repeats it's self so I think we took a turn for the better recently. I can't understand why we have this feeling of being underdogs and so forth because,from my travels in the states we are doing very well,its my personal opinion.

I think anyone that has spent time in the city agrees with you, but the problem is general perception from outside of the area is still very negative. Philly is simply not seen by outsiders as a destination or a great place to go. The general population has this warped perception that we are a cess-pool/hell hole type of a city, and that is the disappointing a frustrating thing. The ignorance about Philadelphia is simply through the roof, and the national media doesn't do much to educate the public about the truth.

McBane · #**224** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:14 PM**

I agree with Pennsgrant and the general sentiment. Most of the modern buildings going up today and even over the past 20-30 years ranges from meh to downright ugly.

Summer, we all love your updates, "leaks" and enthusiasm but sometimes you remind me of those Eagles announcers during the preseason games. Just b/c a building isn't horrific (like Homes2Suites), doesn't make it an architectural gem.

Now some of the buildings you cited are very nice, including the Cira Centre and the new Chop building. A few more are above average and interesting, such as the Barnes, RATR, Murano, and the Jewish Museum. But if you're going to use the St. James, PECO Building, 1706 Rittenhouse, One Penn Center West, 1600 Vine, the Kimmel Center, and "every new building in the Navy Yard" as examples of great works of architecture, then you must be looking at those through rose tinted glasses. Some of those are straight up awful (Kimmel Center!!!).

If Philly is truly a world class city, then it's architecture must stand up to international standards. As another poster said, look at what's being constructed in London, NY, and Hong Kong. Compared to the buildings going up there, even the Cira Centre is tame.

I know a lot of Philly boosters have this inferiority complex and I don't think that being critical of a particular building makes Philly any less of a city. And just because a building is a boring box, is it the end all, be all? No way! 1706 is meh but it houses 40-some multi-millionaires! The PNC Building is so-so but the jobs and taxes it generates is much more important than it's architectural merits. Gotta keep things in perspective!

Jelly Roll · #**225** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salonica city

Compared to cities that we are compared to.Our skyline is definitely in the top five nationally

The view of the skyline from the Walt Whitman Bridge is truly awesome. You get all of Center City and University City in one view. Probably the best vantage point to capture just how much all the new construction has added. Once Cira South and the apartment buildings in University City are finished the skyline is going to be huge.

summersm343 · #**226** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILovePhilly

I was going to post my own picture of the notice of demolition on 2017-21 Chestnut Street (former YMCA) but this link to the Naked Philly post is probably just as good. The notice says that demolition may begin "on or after December 10, 2013".

Yay! I think the original plan called for something like 114 units in two main structures, one on Chestnut and the other on Ranstead, connected through a first floor lobby and possibly a second floor common area. I've tried to look up zoning meeting minutes but I haven't succeeded.

Naked Philly post

Very nice. Would like to see more of these size projects throughout the city.

summersm343 · #**227** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane

Now some of the buildings you cited are very nice, including the Cira Centre and the new Chop building. A few more are above average and interesting, such as the Barnes, RATR, Murano, and the Jewish Museum. But if you're going to use the St. James, PECO Building, 1706 Rittenhouse, One Penn Center West, 1600 Vine, the Kimmel Center, and "every new building in the Navy Yard" as examples of great works of architecture, then you must be looking at those through rose tinted glasses. Some of those are straight up awful (Kimmel Center!!!).

If Philly is truly a world class city, then it's architecture must stand up to international standards. As another poster said, look at what's being constructed in London, NY, and Hong Kong. Compared to the buildings going up there, even the Cira Centre is tame.

LOL. That's my point. You're comparing Philly to the TOP THREE CITIES IN THE WORLD. Philly just simply doesn't have the same demand and attraction that the top three financial centers in the world have.

If you think the buildings I listed are ugly than your standards are just TOO DAMN HIGH. You guys are too funny sometimes.

If you think every building in Hong Kong is good looking then that is just hilarious and I have to laugh at you again.

summersm343 · #**228** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:37 PM**

Sriracha Hot Sauce moving to Philadelphia growing more likely?

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2013/12/02/sriracha-plant-to-philadelphia-gaining.html

Insoluble · #**229** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:37 PM**

Wow a lot of classic Negadelphia vibes on here today. I find it had to believe that a lot of these posts are even serious. I'm definitely with summersm on this one. This incessant whining about "low quality" projects does get tiresome. If you don't like the quality of a small scale infill project that's fine, but don't act like it somehow is a black eye for the whole city or somehow makes us different from every other city in the world.

Like just about every other healthy city Philly has a lot of bland infill development interspersed between a small number of more striking projects. There's crappy looking new development in NYC too. You just don't see or hear about it much if you don't live there. The same way no one outside of Philly (other than a few fellow development geeks) will even notice Southstar lofts (which may be ugly and bland looking, but is well designed in terms of urbanity).

I suppose it's natural to complain about bland looking buildings. I for one am seriously pissed about the facade choice for Southstar lofts. But come on, you can't seriously think that a few bland buildings holds the city back. summersm already listed a bunch of great looking developments from the past decade or so (although I disagree with some of them, 1706 Rittenhouse for instance, is ugly as sin). But you have to admit we've seen some great buildings go up over the past decade and have a few more stunners coming down the pipeline.

MikeNigh · #**230** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 4:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane

If Philly is truly a world class city, then it's architecture must stand up to international standards. As another poster said, look at what's being constructed in London, NY, and Hong Kong. Compared to the buildings going up there, even the Cira Centre is tame.

I know a lot of Philly boosters have this inferiority complex and I don't think that being critical of a particular building makes Philly any less of a city. And just because a building is a boring box, is it the end all, be all? No way! 1706 is meh but it houses 40-some multi-millionaires! The PNC Building is so-so but the jobs and taxes it generates is much more important than it's architectural merits. Gotta keep things in perspective!

Philly is world class but by the merits of philadelphians. So despite being on a world stage, philadelphia does not have the rest of the world building it up like london, hong kong, and NYC do. Things are in perspective.

jn00 · #**231** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 5:32 PM**

The Qdoba closed over the weekend. Perhaps for the new Pearl Properties project?

Pennsgrant · #**232** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 5:53 PM**

http://nakedphilly.com/rittenhouse/former-ywca-annex-should-finally-disappear/

summersm343 · #**233** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 6:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jn00

The Qdoba closed over the weekend. Perhaps for the new Pearl Properties project?

Likely! Can't wait!

The building will be 20-25 floors

relnahe · #**234** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 6:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

Your hyper-sensitivity is getting scary worrisome. Look around. When I say modern I mean today not 20-30 years ago. The only 2 office towers worth noting in the past 25 years have been Comcast Center and Cira Centre. 2 fabulous buildings but thats it.

The residential stuff for the most part, ? Pedestrian.Take a look at what is going on out there- Hong kong,Kuala Lumpur,Shanghai,London,Vancouver,Toronto,Chicago,NYC.These cities,skylines,settings are works of art.

Comparatively speaking for the most part Philadelphia is stuck in this rut of sprawling ground huggers and uninspiring mid/high rises.

I'm in Toronto often and have been to Vancouver, Chicago, NYC over the last couple years and those cities are churning out a lot of mediocre mid/high rises. Its kind of funny you would call Toronto a "work of art" but not Philadelphia.

relnahe · #**235** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyscraper.Phanatic

I also think too many people on here are hyper-sensitive or they are on a power trip; because they can delete your posting if you disagree with them.

It has nothing to do with hyper-sensitivity. You started a versus post and I rightfully reported it. Its that simple.

relnahe · #**236** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 7:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by summersm343

You need to look at everything from both ways. These are only three buildings and they can always get a recladding some years down the road.

That is my issue with Pennsgrant. I don't mind him saying the contemporary mid/high rises in the city need to be better. What gets me is him criticising you for being a homer but he is being a reverse homer by assuming all these other cities are just pumping out great building after great building. Its a total farce and he knows it. Yes there are some projects being built in NYC and Toronto that I totally wish were being built in Philly but there is also a LOT of mediocre stuff as well he is turning his head away from. Which is even more head scratching when you factor real estate values are currently higher in those cities.

relnahe · #**237** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 7:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by dab

Philly is simply not seen by outsiders as a destination or a great place to go.

Then why is it a top 10-15 visited city for the last number of years? I hear plenty of great things from outsiders, the problem is the Negalephians.

Chicago gets raked by the media yet that doesn't affect its boosters in the way the city is promoted.

PhiLaw · #**238** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 7:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jelly Roll

The view of the skyline from the Walt Whitman Bridge is truly awesome. You get all of Center City and University City in one view. Probably the best vantage point to capture just how much all the new construction has added. Once Cira South and the apartment buildings in University City are finished the skyline is going to be huge.

Agreed. But imo the view from the South St. Bridge is unmatched.

relnahe · #**239** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insoluble

Like just about every other healthy city Philly has a lot of bland infill development interspersed between a small number of more striking projects. There's crappy looking new development in NYC too. You just don't see or hear about it much if you don't live there. The same way no one outside of Philly (other than a few fellow development geeks) will even notice Southstar lofts (which may be ugly and bland looking, but is well designed in terms of urbanity).

Shhhhhh! Common sense will not be tolerated!

summersm343 · #**240** Posted **Dec 2, 2013, 7:31 PM**

The 25 floor highrise at 38th and Chestnut officially titled 38Chestnut will break ground Thursday

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...ong-in-planning-110m-development-at.html