PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[domodeez]

Does anyone know who owns the lot behind PECO? I was just imaging if Riverside and the Market place towers came to pass that a nice 1200 ft tower on that lot would really move our skyline to the head of the class.

If you mean the surface parking lot east of PECO, it's also owned by PECO. They use it for free employee parking. There are a number of issues with developing that lot because PECO needs underground access. Still, I believe they are receptive to doing something with it. There was a proposal relatively recently, but I forget what ultimately killed it.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by domodeez

If you mean the surface parking lot east of PECO, it's also owned by PECO. They use it for free employee parking. There are a number of issues with developing that lot because PECO needs underground access. Still, I believe they are receptive to doing something with it. There was a proposal relatively recently, but I forget what ultimately killed it.

PECO could work out a deal with a developer to provide employee parking in a potential tower.

I love where alasi is going with this.

I'm not crazy about Riverside's smaller tower, mainly because of the way its situated in the middle of the parking podium. I want to be able to see it from the Banks. Still, I love all this development being proposed along the banks, on both sides. I want it packed with skyscrapers at every block, like a better Chicago River with a park. And please, someone bring Mandeville Place back to the table.

[alasi]

I remember a few years back that either Bradley Maule or Matthew Johnson was hired by the developers of the Mandeville to do some promo shots. I wonder if either of them still has contact info on them and can see if they might revive the proposal.

[domodeez]

Mandeville Place was proposed for 2401 Walnut. The building that is there now has just been fully renovated within the past few years and is almost fully leased. Pretty sure MP is dead.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...once-stood-vacant-but-is-now-nearly.html

[blorkishdork]

I actually happen to work at 2401 Walnut, it is quite a nice building, but I digress. Mandeville Place was actually supposed to go on the parking lot adjacent (between my building and 2400 chestnut). The renovation of the office building was always part of the project. So there is still a chance MP or something else could get developed on that parking lot.

[Outta here]

Originally Posted by alasi

I remember a few years back that either Bradley Maule or Matthew Johnson was hired by the developers of the Mandeville to do some promo shots. I wonder if either of them still has contact info on them and can see if they might revive the proposal.

I can tell you ( after e mail conversation with Bradley ) he is planning on covering the construction of CITC . Not sure about any other projects he is , or will be involved with . I would imagine , most of what he does over at Hidden City will be
posted here as well .
Mathew Johnson is a fine photographer , but I don't remember his work following
the construction progress as often as B. Maule .

[cafeguy]

First time posting here... but I have followed the forum for awhile now. I've seen renderings of new buildings or newly proposed buildings on here by one of you where the building is red and transparent. I was curious if anyone had ever assembled a rendering like that which included EVERY significant proposal... maybe even dating back to the early 1900s! Would be neat to see what Philly would look like if we never had a height cap and if every proposal sailed smoothly. Does that exist?

[Nightman]

A little off topic but there is a tidbit in this article substantiating the rumor about an EATLY in Philly. Last I heard a Market East location was being scoped.



http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/04/new_eataly_stores_planned_both_uptown_and_downtown.php

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by Nightman

A little off topic but there is a tidbit in this article substantiating the rumor about an EATLY in Philly. Last I heard a Market East location was being scoped.



http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/04/new_eataly_stores_planned_both_uptown_and_downtown.php

Yeah the article said about a year away. What is interesting is in reading on this (and believe was pointed out by a poster on here so really their thought) but the remaining 1st floor sq footage in the Strawbridges building is basically nearly identical in footage to the one in NYC and is the rumored location.

C21 is only taking like 16K sq foot on the first floor with the majority of their footprint on the second floor

still feels a little odd with the RTM so close

[acenturi]

Originally Posted by Nightman

A little off topic but there is a tidbit in this article substantiating the rumor about an EATLY in Philly. Last I heard a Market East location was being scoped.
http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/04/new_eataly_stores_planned_both_uptown_and_downtown.php

I wouldn't be surprised if he's waiting for the Slots decision before making a firm commitment.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

First time posting here... but I have followed the forum for awhile now. I've seen renderings of new buildings or newly proposed buildings on here by one of you where the building is red and transparent. I was curious if anyone had ever assembled a rendering like that which included EVERY significant proposal... maybe even dating back to the early 1900s! Would be neat to see what Philly would look like if we never had a height cap and if every proposal sailed smoothly. Does that exist?

Brush up on your Photoshop skills. I was hoping an amateur CAD nerd on here would work on something like that too, but I never thought of going back to the 1910s. That would be amazing to see! I remember seeing a 20s or 30s rendering of West Market extending to the river and some giant convention center straddling the river. I'd love to see those resurrected in some kind of historic/futuristic rendering of the Schuylkill. Anyone out there with rendering skills?

Here are the old ones I was thinking of:
http://www.citypaper.net/article.php?PHI...-Hall-Welcome-Hall-Convention-Hall-17353
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqxkll_YtmA/TpojPFPC5fI/AAAAAAAAEyA/8L1RcE2Tnh8/s1600/img_0946.jpg

Not much height in the second one but I've always been fascinated by what the area would look like if it had happened.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by acenturi

I wouldn't be surprised if he's waiting for the Slots decision before making a firm commitment.

I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if Market8 would be an asset or discouragement for an Eataly. I thought Century 21 was the latest consideration for Strawbridges.

[Outta here]

Originally Posted by philatonian

Here are the old ones I was thinking of:
http://www.citypaper.net/article.php?PHI...-Hall-Welcome-Hall-Convention-Hall-17353
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqxkll_YtmA/TpojPFPC5fI/AAAAAAAAEyA/8L1RcE2Tnh8/s1600/img_0946.jpg

Not much height in the second one but I've always been fascinated by what the area would look like if it had happened.

Correct me if I'm wrong , but didn't Swinefeld or Volguus Zildro-- from Thread VIII or VII have a post or blog section dedicated to Victorian Philadelphia ??? I seem to recall one of the administrators having a complete section on the subject .

[summersm343]

Well, it looks like one hole will be filled above 676...



http://thisoldcity.com/sorry-penndot-you-have-fix-all-logan-square#.U2MQWMd2YXx

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Well, it looks like one hole will be filled above 676...



http://thisoldcity.com/sorry-penndot-you-have-fix-all-logan-square#.U2MQWMd2YXx

Even more than that, there will never be a more opportune time to cap the expressway in that area than when they are rebuilding the bridges. We have to make sure our elected officials don’t let PennDOT snake out of their responsibilities here.

[Swinefeld]

Originally Posted by Outta here

Correct me if I'm wrong , but didn't Swinefeld or Volguus Zildro-- from Thread VIII or VII have a post or blog section dedicated to Victorian Philadelphia ??? I seem to recall one of the administrators having a complete section on the subject .

Although that sounds like something right up my alley, I didn't start a Victorian Philadelphia thread.

Keep looking.

[Mappy]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Well, it looks like one hole will be filled above 676...



http://thisoldcity.com/sorry-penndot-you-have-fix-all-logan-square#.U2MQWMd2YXx

Discussed this with other folks on the This Old City site. After melding some different ideas from people here is what I would like to see The City, CCD, PennDOT, etc try to plan for:



Creates a wide pedestrian mall down the center of BF Parkway (enough width for races and concert)
Develop a few new com, res, and civic spots along the sides of the parkway
Cap 676 from 10th to 21st, with a series of trail bridges connecting to the viaduct [thus keeping the rail park out of the city line]
and directs Vince St westbound into Logan Circle, which brings the library into the square.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by Mappy

Discussed this with other folks on the This Old City site. After melding some different ideas from people here is what I would like to see The City, CCD, PennDOT, etc try to plan for:



Creates a wide pedestrian mall down the center of BF Parkway (enough width for races and concert)
Develop a few new com, res, and civic spots along the sides of the parkway
Cap 676 from 10th to 21st, with a series of trail bridges connecting to the viaduct [thus keeping the rail park out of the city line]
and directs Vince St westbound into Logan Circle, which brings the library into the square.

That looks amazing! Broad Street would be tricky because of the on-ramp.

[Mappy]

Originally Posted by philatonian

That looks amazing! Broad Street would be tricky because of the on-ramp.

Thanks,
I think 4 of the caps (11th-12th, 13th-Broad, 15th-16th, and 17th-18th) would just be lots of trees and ornamental plantings with no pedestrian access, air vents from the tunnels.
The trails would travel through (and above) these caps as an elevated bridge, crossing two roads before coming back ground level at the other caps where there would be open plazas surrounded by green space. And all the caps are fenced off from the eastbound Vine street highway on/off ramp traffic.

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by Mappy

Thanks,
I think 4 of the caps (11th-12th, 13th-Broad, 15th-16th, and 17th-18th) would just be lots of trees and ornamental plantings with no pedestrian access, air vents from the tunnels.
The trails would travel through (and above) these caps as an elevated bridge, crossing two roads before coming back ground level at the other caps where there would be open plazas surrounded by green space. And all the caps are fenced off from the eastbound Vine street highway on/off ramp traffic.

Have you ever seen Jean Claude and Christo's Over the River? Personally I'm not a fan because I love nature too much. But in the city, across something like the Vine Street Expressway it would look really cool. It could kind of simulate a river and muffle the sound of traffic. Maybe even just on the portions that can't be capped. It could even be lit blue at night.

http://christojeanneclaude.net/projects/over-the-river