PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[PhiLaw]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Heard some pretty interesting news today! Vangaurd looking to open a satellite office in Center City??

This is a trustworthy source, since this is the source who original told me about the new Comcast Center. Vangaurd has been in talks to open a satellite office in Center City to house several hundred employees. This office space would not only be for easier access to NYC and DC clients, but also for the increasing amount of young employees working for Vangaurd who want to live in the city.

Let's hope this is true! This would be HUGE for the city! Vanguard is one of the largest financial firms in the country.

I can find this out definitively tomorrow. I will let everyone know

[Plokoon11]

How much would several hundred fill in a office building?

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by Plokoon11

How much would several hundred fill in a office building?

Anywhere from 150-250 sf per employee depending on office layout and job type. 150 is typically used to estimate needed space unless the firm has a large number of partners or higher level managers who require private offices and secretaries which take up more space.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Plokoon11

How much would several hundred fill in a office building?

Depends. 300ish employees? 250,000-300,000 sq feet. A space that large would warrant new construction and could warrant a new tower the size of FMC depending on how bullish the developer is. FMC is 575,000 sq feet. FMC is taking about 270,000 sq feet of the building.

Vangaurd Center or Vangaurd Tower has a nice ring to it

God I hope that happens.

[Pennsgrant]

It looks like the Mormon Apt Tower may have very quietly gotten off to a start. Originally I thought this might be a mock-up or something to do with the Temple. But this certainly looks like the windows that I recall on one of the Tower renderings. Backside of lot towards Callowhill.If I recall the perimeter goes nearly all way around(4stories maybe) with the tower going up in the middle of the lot.

Anyone?

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

It looks like the Mormon Apt Tower may have very quietly gotten off to a start. Originally I thought this might be a mock-up or something to do with the Temple. But this certainly looks like the windows that I recall on one of the Tower renderings. Backside of lot towards Callowhill.If I recall the perimeter goes nearly all way around(4stories maybe) with the tower going up in the middle of the lot.

Anyone?

I see what you mean:



(Robert A.M. Stern Architects)

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=209700

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/201402..._tower_in_Center_City.html?viewGallery=y

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Depends. 300ish employees? 250,000-300,000 sq feet. A space that large would warrant new construction and could warrant a new tower the size of FMC depending on how bullish the developer is. FMC is 575,000 sq feet. FMC is taking about 270,000 sq feet of the building.

Vangaurd Center or Vangaurd Tower has a nice ring to it

God I hope that happens.

I think it is much more likely Vanguard would just move into the space FMC is vacating. Mellon Bank Center is already mainly financial firms.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

It looks like the Mormon Apt Tower may have very quietly gotten off to a start. Originally I thought this might be a mock-up or something to do with the Temple. But this certainly looks like the windows that I recall on one of the Tower renderings. Backside of lot towards Callowhill.If I recall the perimeter goes nearly all way around(4stories maybe) with the tower going up in the middle of the lot.

Anyone?

Cinderblock construction...where's the foundation and steel structure?

[Pennsgrant]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Cinderblock construction...where's the foundation and steel structure?

The Temple itself had excavation but the first things that rose above ground were the cinder block columns, then they started connected the steel.

Perhaps the low-rise nature of the perimeter will be cement with the tower/steel to come later in the construction phase. Or who knows it might be just a mock-up

[bucks native]

This afternoon, Liberty Property Trust and Synterra Partners will ceremonially break ground on a 75,000-square-foot building at the Navy Yard, which is already 100% leased by three international firms: China’s WuXi AppTec., Australia’s EcoSave, and the UK’s Clinigen. According to a press release, the building is scheduled for a December 2014 delivery date.

http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/04/promising-developments-for-center-city-retail/

[Pennsgrant]

Originally Posted by bucks native

This afternoon, Liberty Property Trust and Synterra Partners will ceremonially break ground on a 75,000-square-foot building at the Navy Yard, which is already 100% leased by three international firms:

The Navy Yard has been quite the successful little isolated fortress hasnt it?

With all that ails this city those tens of thousands of jobs,Billion$ in investment could have helped turn around a neighborhood or two. But to build up and invest billions in a remote nook on the river that no one in the city can really experience? Wasted potential for a city in need of attention.

[CypressClinton]

if the subway went down to the navy yard it would be completely different type of development for the city. Last heard it would be two new stations for 150 million. well worth it imo.

[Mappy]

Delaware River Waterfront corp released the Hargraeves feasibility report today.
(Should have figured Summers beat me to it)
http://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/planning/penn-s-landing-feasibility-study

Im not sure if they let it out on Friday evening purposefully or not. It seems like something that they would want some fanfare behind.
Anyway, there are some decent renders of an acceptable park in the report. The buildings are somewhat like Radiant City crap, but those are obviously massing placeholders since actual designs would be up to whatever developers pay for it.
Its an improvement from where they started from, but still not as good of a design as the original Waterfront Master Plan somehow.

Mixed feeling on it i guess. You probably have seen my thoughts on how i hoped they would improve it.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1...DKTg7AeY2xcRqcCA94/edit?usp=docslist_api

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Depends. 300ish employees? 250,000-300,000 sq feet. A space that large would warrant new construction and could warrant a new tower the size of FMC depending on how bullish the developer is. FMC is 575,000 sq feet. FMC is taking about 270,000 sq feet of the building.

Vangaurd Center or Vangaurd Tower has a nice ring to it

God I hope that happens.

me too - this would really be changing and would love to see more finance in the city - hmm maybe ME as you heard rumor as well

Also wonder if SEI would follow suit

Also why we are at it how about SAP as well

I literally has a dream - maybe after some of this stuff that Apple built an Apple eat on Market East with a new giant apple store with light on the street at the gallery and a tower with an illuminated apple on top

heck why not google east too - tech development related to media distribution - maybe a new electronic media hub - ha it's fun to dream

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Kidphilly

I literally has a dream - maybe after some of this stuff that Apple built an Apple eat on Market East with a new giant apple store with light on the street at the gallery and a tower with an illuminated apple on top

heck why not google east too - tech development related to media distribution - maybe a new electronic media hub - ha it's fun to dream

Folks are doing a lot more than just dreaming about it. Comcast is really pushing CITC as a new kind of urban, East Coast, high-rise version of a Silicon Valley tech-innovation campus (and it's not a coincidence that Norman Foster is designing both CITC and Apple's new "spaceship" headquarters campus), the new "N3rd" Street, plans for Penn's South Bank and Drexel's Innovation Neighborhood, residential (who'd a thunk it?) and other development at the University City Science Center, a nationally prominent tech VC firm like First Round Capital moving into the city, progress towards perhaps finally taking advantage of and leveraging our unique location within an hour or two of both the political and the financial capitals of the US (and world?), . . . .

It truly IS the stuff of dreams, my friend, and just may be approaching a critical mass that even incompetent, short-sighted, and/or self-absorbed civic leaders can't f*ck up.

[R5Ryder]

Originally Posted by PhiLaw

I can find this out definitively tomorrow. I will let everyone know

I highly doubt this. As someone who lives in South Philly and has a horrendous commute to Malvern every day to work for an unnamed mutual company, this would absolutely make my day... but it goes against everything I've ever heard.

In fact, they flat out denied this in the Inquirer a couple of months ago - and they aren't the type who denies for the sake of denying.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by R5Ryder

I highly doubt this. As someone who lives in South Philly and has a horrendous commute to Malvern every day to work for an unnamed mutual company, this would absolutely make my day... but it goes against everything I've ever heard.

In fact, they flat out denied this in the Inquirer a couple of months ago - and they aren't the type who denies for the sake of denying.

I was told they initially weren't considering the city. Now, however, employment has slowed because young professionals are taking jobs in urban environments over Vangaurd. They want to capture some of that young talent while simultaneously having an office situated more centrally for easy access for NYC and DC clientele.

Idk if it's 100% but I trust my source and find this to be very believable. Even if Vangaurd is not ready to commit I think it still speaks volumes on how far philly has come that they are even considering it.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by miesian

summers.....you always make my day

I try!

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by PhiLaw

I can find this out definitively tomorrow. I will let everyone know

Please let us know!!! I will literally s**t in my pants if this is the truth! Please god be true!

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by summersm343

I will literally s**t in my pants if this is the truth!

TMI, Dude.