PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Castle

As has already been stated by a few members before me, this potential hiccup in the Comcast acquisition of TWC will have ZERO affect on the construction of the CITC. That building will go up regardless of the TWC deal.

Now, I will say this has potential to derail the THIRD Comcast tower being constructed. What third Comcast tower, you say? Well, I do have a few sources in the know and there are some plans on the table for constructing a third tower, with potential announcement this Fall. I have zero detail on height or location (however, I suspect the NW corner of 19th and Arch). My understanding is a great deal of the office space COULD be for positions created/moved from the TWC acquisition. This seems more plausible now, considering that Cuomo is trying to slow up the merger and potentially prevent any jobs from leaving his state.

I know someone from Liberty Property Trust. There are two options for a third Comcast Tower. The one option is to replace the garden at the plaza at 18th and JFK right on the corner (which currently has foundations in place to hold a tower up to 350 feet), and the second option would be to build a new tower on the parking lot at the NW corner of 19th and Arch that could reach up to 500 feet.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by summersm343

and the second option would be to build a new tower on the parking lot at the NW corner of 19th and Arch that could reach up to 500 feet.

That gets my vote (which I know counts for A LOT ).

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

That gets my vote (which I know counts for A LOT ).

you and me both - but will second the notion

the garden can become a tv studio

Glad we have this settled

now am going to go solve for the Gallery...

[josef]

Speaking of ICON, Curbed Philly's got some interior shots today.

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2014/03/20/here-now-first-photos-inside-icon-at-1616-walnut.php

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Kidphilly

you and me both - but will second the notion

the garden can become a tv studio

Glad we have this settled

now am going to go solve for the Gallery...

As usual, you have my proxy vote for that.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by josef

Speaking of ICON, Curbed Philly's got some interior shots today.

http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2014/03/20/here-now-first-photos-inside-icon-at-1616-walnut.php

I actually worked in that building in the early '90s. Always appreciated the Deco details in the lobby. Glad to see that they're being preserved.

[SSBMEXPERT]

Just waiting for some news to come in on FMC or Comcast 2, or anything over 300' or higher for all that matter. Seems like a lot of the Philly threads have slowed down. I hope some shovels hit the dirt on many of these soon, I'm starting to get bored.

I'm not even thinking about a third Comcast center, right now I just want to see this one get built ASAP.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by SSBMEXPERT

Just waiting for some news to come in on FMC or Comcast 2, or anything over 300' or higher for all that matter. Seems like a lot of the Philly threads have slowed down. I hope some shovels hit the dirt on many of these soon, I'm starting to get bored.

I'm not even thinking about a third Comcast center, right now I just want to see this one get built ASAP.

Work is starting to get going on FMC Tower:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=6504034&postcount=1105

It looks like they're putting up a tower crane to erect another floor or two of steel on top of the garage. Then once that is complete, they'll start FMC in May. Comcast isn't set to begin until June.

Patience young Jedi, these things take time.

[Plokoon11]

Yeah I feel like thats my problem I'm too impatient with this projects and realize they take awhile to get built.

[PhiLaw]

Originally Posted by SSBMEXPERT

Just waiting for some news to come in on FMC or Comcast 2, or anything over 300' or higher for all that matter. Seems like a lot of the Philly threads have slowed down. I hope some shovels hit the dirt on many of these soon, I'm starting to get bored.

I'm not even thinking about a third Comcast center, right now I just want to see this one get built ASAP.

How are you possibly bored on this thread right now, with all of the exciting development going on? Just think, we're at 102 pages since the end of November!

I would recommend heading over to centercityphila.org and read the new report they posted re the resurgent construction industry. They have a lot of juicy stuff in their, and ultimately come to the conclusion that the market is not over-saturated, and will not be until at least 2017.

In sum, there is a lot of stuff to think about, see and read.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Plokoon11

Yeah I feel like thats my problem I'm too impatient with this projects and realize they take awhile to get built.

They have to design the entire building. Get approvals. Get financing. Hire contractors for excavation, construction, etc. Prep the site. There is so so so much that goes into these developments.

[relnahe]

Originally Posted by ILovePhilly

What kind of memorial park will it be when it is full of homeless people sleeping in it and buying food at the 7-11?? It will be actually detrimental to the development and image of West Market Street to have such a park on it. It will be like Love Park or Louis Kahn Park at night. And it will be a shame to the memories of the victims to have it be a trashy, scary park people avoid.

This memorial park is such a stupid and short-sighted idea. What if someone dies in the park? Can they then build a memorial skyscraper in the place of the park???

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by PhiLaw

How are you possibly bored on this thread right now, with all of the exciting development going on? Just think, we're at 102 pages since the end of November!

I would recommend heading over to centercityphila.org and read the new report they posted re the resurgent construction industry. They have a lot of juicy stuff in their, and ultimately come to the conclusion that the market is not over-saturated, and will not be until at least 2017.

In sum, there is a lot of stuff to think about, see and read.

That report spells out nicely what we have been saying on this thread for a long time. Yes, there is a lot of construction going on but there is demand for all the new units.

I read through the "affordable housing" plan and they really should rename it "The $300 million dollar jobs plan". The 500 owner occupant units that will be sold are for people making 80 to 120 percent of the median income. That is around 70k for a family of four. It is a plan to subsidize new housing for middle class families. I have mixed feelings about it since according to the report $200 million will come from the state of PA and the Feds and once wage taxes are factored in the $100 million from the city really is more like $65 million. They allocate $200,000 per unit which does not seem like it is that out of line with private development costs. On the other hand $100 million here and $100 million there does start to add up to real money and it is the tax payers that have to come up with the money.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by relnahe

This memorial park is such a stupid and short-sighted idea. What if someone dies in the park? Can they then build a memorial skyscraper in the place of the park???

The irony is that this park is supposed to memorialize those who were killed by the greed of a notorious slumlord property speculator.

The best way to respect those who were killed is for the City to crush speculators and those who neglect properties. You do this by jacking up taxes and fees on neglected properties to force forclosure or sale.

But of course the City will not do this, these people will have died in vain, and this park will become a joke once the next blighted building collapses on someone or burns down and kills more firemen.

[Cro Burnham]

On an unrelated note, the vacated 7-11 at 38 & Chestnut has been fenced off. I'm assuming demo is coming next. Anyone have any idea what's next?

[Plokoon11]

^ Maybe this? http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&...LdHKM_U1uMqdrXrbsw&bvm=bv.62922401,d.dmQ

EDIT: Maybe you knew about that one, you must be talking about another lot on the street.

[Philly Fan]

^ No, he's talking about the west side of 38th Street between Chestnut and Sansom. Penn is planning a major streetscape overhaul (with landscaping, etc.) all along 38th Street from Spruce up to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center:

http://www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/renew_the_vision/PennConnects-theme-4-campus-and-community.pdf (see the upper right box on the fourth page)

Don't know if this is related to that.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Plokoon11

^ Maybe this? http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&...LdHKM_U1uMqdrXrbsw&bvm=bv.62922401,d.dmQ

EDIT: Maybe you knew about that one, you must be talking about another lot on the street.

Southwest corner of 38 & Chestnut.

[DIESELPOLO]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

The irony is that this park is supposed to memorialize those who were killed by the greed of a notorious slumlord property speculator.

The best way to respect those who were killed is for the City to crush speculators and those who neglect properties. You do this by jacking up taxes and fees on neglected properties to force forclosure or sale.

But of course the City will not do this, these people will have died in vain, and this park will become a joke once the next blighted building collapses on someone or burns down and kills more firemen.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Southwest corner of 38 & Chestnut.

I went by the other day and I noticed that. I didn't happen to see if it was a zoning notice, or a notice of demolition posted on the building.