PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Mappy

I very much agree with the apprehensive viewpoint about Philly banking on a fossil fuel production future. "Clean coal" and tar sands energy production is like smoking the resin ball of the fossil fuel economy. It’s the desperate throes of a dying industry (30-70 years off) that will only continue to make environmental and human health issue worse in the process, and Philly could be part of the global energy future, rather than the past....

On the other hand... 1) This production will take place somewhere, and the jobs will go somewhere, regardless of whether Philly is involved. And many of the social/economic problems within the city are most readily addressed with jobs for the low skilled, unemployed, poor (i.e budgets, schools, blight, hunger.) 2) It’s not a one or the other scenario. If pipelines and refineries go up it does not mean that tech companies will not continue coming as well. A diverse economy (and therefore stable) means more industry like this as well tech, service, eds/meds, etc. 3) Hopefully (perhaps im being naïve) the new PA Governor will oversee better regulation of new developments like this (environmental hazards as well as community stewardship), and hedge against damage when it arrives, and inevitably leaves.

On a different note…. Why have we not had any discussion anywhere (State or National) about finally raising the gas tax now that gas prices have plummeted? Seems like an obvious solution to come back to so that we could get infrastructure back to respectable conditions.

The two are not mutually exclusive. I am a big proponent of alternative energy sources, but we are not there yet. It wil be some years before we are. And it will be some years that Marcellus Shale can be a big source of jobs. Philly needs to be at the cutting edge of developments and react and capitalize things as they come. Investing in this does not not mean we cannot also be at the forefront of an alternative energy boom. I agree that it is not going to crowd out tech or other diverse segments either. Off my soapbox on this one...we shall see how things pan out.

[tsarstruck]

Rumors point to Live! Philadelphia. Next scheduled meeting is November 19th...

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20...winner__gaming_board_to_set_meeting.html

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by ILovePhilly

Some of us will be old women. I do appreciate when people remember that not everybody on this forum is a male.

There are several rail alternatives being considered for Philadelphia in the high-speed rail plan, the tunnel is one of them. If you want to learn more the Philadelphia public meeting will be November 19th from 4 to 7 pm at SEPTA Headquarters at 1234 Market Street.

Women are into skyscrapers too? I always thought overrepresentation of male interest in the topic was based on our general insecurity and overcompensation needs.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

I always thought overrepresentation of male interest in the topic was based on our general insecurity and overcompensation needs.

Speak for yourself.

[apetrella802]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

Speak for yourself.

If there are many more men then women on the architectural blogs( and there are!) blame Mother Nature. 20 times as much testosterone on average, that alone will do it.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by apetrella802

If there are many more men then women on the architectural blogs( and there are!) blame Mother Nature. 20 times as much testosterone on average, that alone will do it.

Well, I'm a man, but I was referring to Cro Burnham's apparent feelings of inadequacy when I said, "speak for yourself."

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Philly Fan

Well, I'm a man, but I was referring to Cro Burnham's apparent feelings of inadequacy when I said, "speak for yourself."

Hey! To paraphrase Nigel Tufnel, I've got a John Hancock in my trousers.

[The Best Forumer]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Hey! To paraphrase Nigel Tufnel, I've got a John Hancock in my trousers.

You two get a room.

[The Best Forumer]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Slightly new rendering for 15th & Walnut retail development



http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/rittenhouse/a-new-rendering-for-15th-walnut

This looks very nice. I think the best part is the patio thing on the second floor. Cool.

[1487]

saw a couple flatbeds near 16th and parkway with tower crane components sitting around. I wonder what it could be fore. Perhaps Rodin Square (is that the name?)? I coulnt come up with anything else nearby that would be getting a crane at this juncture.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by The Best Forumer

This looks very nice. I think the best part is the patio thing on the second floor. Cool.

Agreed. Outdoor seating for Cheesecake Factory

I hope they find a nice upscale tenant for the ground floor retail space. Something along the lines of Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade or Louis Vuitton.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by The Best Forumer

This looks very nice. I think the best part is the patio thing on the second floor. Cool.

Agreed.

Might have to take my friend Cro Burnham there.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by 1487

saw a couple flatbeds near 16th and parkway with tower crane components sitting around. I wonder what it could be fore. Perhaps Rodin Square (is that the name?)? I coulnt come up with anything else nearby that would be getting a crane at this juncture.

1924 Arch (1900 Arch expansion) has tower crane base installed. It's probably for that. I think Rodin Square (Dalian) and 1919 Market are still at least a month away until tower crane installation.

[iheartphilly]

Here's the webcam link to the Dalian o Fairmount if anyone is interested:

http://www.earthcam.net/projects/intech/rodinsquare/

[Parkway]

Originally Posted by summersm343

1924 Arch (1900 Arch expansion) has tower crane base installed. It's probably for that. I think Rodin Square (Dalian) and 1919 Market are still at least a month away until tower crane installation.

Ahhh that explains a lot, I saw them on my way home from work and doubled back to CTIC to no avail.

[josef]

Originally Posted by VikingDutchman

Exactly. It's a damn disgrace. Countries that are LESS wealthy than us can build projects MORE impressive than ours in less time with less money. It's absurd, its a national crisis.

It's really important to remember that. When we hear that Infrastructure Project X will take a floppity jillion dollars and take 40 years, remember that the cost and timescale are NOT a project of the fundamental engineering, but of the absurdly broken way we handle these projects in this country.

And no, it's not all the fault of unions and high labor costs. Plenty of European countries that have similar or even higher relative labor costs and union issues also manage to build things faster and cheaper than the US.

I read this a few months ago, but I remember it being very interesting and enlightening on this subject. http://www.citylab.com/politics/2014/08/...s-build-a-high-speed-rail-system/375980/

[jn00]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Agreed. Outdoor seating for Cheesecake Factory

I hope they find a nice upscale tenant for the ground floor retail space. Something along the lines of Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade or Louis Vuitton.

Unfortunately I heard verizon wireless for all of the first floor walnut frontage. What a waste. Also a mistake getting rid of the zoning overlay for walnut and chestnut.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by McBane

5th and Walnut tower moves forward.

http://www.philly.com/philly/classifieds...OK_to_glass_tower_at_5th_and_Walnut.html

Too many commissions, me thinks.

Good news. But serious inaccuracies in the article. I said this on the main 500 Walnut thread. Unless I'm missing something or previously had lost my reading comprehension abilities, the full-floor units from Floors 14 and above are NOT 8,000-9,000 square feet. Floor size is about the same as 1706 Rittenhouse for those floors (around 4,200 square feet) aside from a larger penthouse. Lower floors range in size and start around 2,000 square feet. Philly.com is a damn disgrace.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by jn00

Unfortunately I heard verizon wireless for all of the first floor walnut frontage. What a waste. Also a mistake getting rid of the zoning overlay for walnut and chestnut.

That is disappointing. But tenants can change over time, at least. The building itself will be beautiful and innovative.

[GarCastle]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

In regards to Perelman Bridge, The corner office right next to the current bridge opening is def. a goner. The bridge will go there as there is access to P1 elevators from there as there is with the current bridge. This is for convenience and security.

That makes sense about the elevators though more people would go to the other parts of PCAM since that pavilion only has a few floors, so anyone going to the towers would have to go through the atrium anyway unless their destinations were on those few floors. Which office - the eyeglass center? Or maybe there is one there I've never noticed.

It sounds like we are trying to get out of the Drexel buildings at the least (and/or Drexel wants us to - not sure which), so hopefully they will make the admin building big enough to grow into. Our dept alone is growing 10-20% each year and that will likely increase as we absorb more pockets of staff in other depts that do similar work. Though the standing joke is that by the time the building is ready in 2017, it will no longer be for us anyway. That it would be needed for more clinical folks LOL.

I wouldn't be surprised if they put all the corp depts across the bridge on the other side of the freight line all by ourselves which seems like possibly the last healthcare parcel. Hopefully we'd never be in the South Bend plot.

Cheers,
G.