PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by 1487

I mentioned both of those buildings. Any idea what is happening at Liberty Place?

I think someone else already suggested it but it seems likely to be related to the new observation deck. Perhaps it will have its own ground floor entrance that they are working on. But this is just a guess.

[Kfmcshan]

Brandywine buys site of Market Street building collapse

Brandywine Realty Trust has bought almost the entire Center City block that had been the site of 2013's deadly building collapse that flattened a Salvation Army thrift store.

The 37,000 square feet of property purchased by the company Tuesday include all but three parcels along the southern side of Market Street between 21st and 22d streets, Brandywine president and CEO Jerry Sweeney said in an interview.

Full article: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20..._Street_block_hit_by_building_colla.html

[McBane]

You beat me to the punch!

I was pretty vocal in saying that this block, due to the memorial park taking up a valuable corner, would be highly unattractive for developers, in particular those seeking to build a high rise.

Brandywine - Please make me eat my words!!!!!!

I wish the article was more clear as to which properties were purchased.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by McBane

You beat me to the punch!

I was pretty vocal in saying that this block, due to the memorial park taking up a valuable corner, would be highly unattractive for developers, in particular those seeking to build a high rise.

Brandywine - Please make me eat my words!!!!!!

I wish the article was more clear as to which properties were purchased.

They bought all of the properties between the memorial site and the firehouse.

[McBane]

No - I think they also purchased buildings east of the fire station. The article says this:

The 37,000 square feet of property purchased by the company Tuesday include all but three parcels along the southern side of Market Street between 21st and 22d streets, Brandywine president and CEO Jerry Sweeney said in an interview.

The site includes two three-story buildings that Brandywine will renovate into rental lofts, offices and retail spaces, Sweeney said.

1. All but three parcels - those three parcels are the memorial park, the fire station, and what the article later calls, "One other multi-story building on the block." (which is very odd)

2. The only physical structure between the memorial site and the fire station is a single two story parking garage; ergo the two three story buildings must be the ones east of the fire station.

The article is not very clear.

[1487]

Originally Posted by McBane

No - I think they also purchased buildings east of the fire station. The article says this:



1. All but three parcels - those three parcels are the memorial park, the fire station, and what the article later calls, "One other multi-story building on the block." (which is very odd)

2. The only physical structure between the memorial site and the fire station is a single two story parking garage; ergo the two three story buildings must be the ones east of the fire station.

The article is not very clear.

Im surprised they will leave any of the buildings currently standing in place. They are only 3-4 floors- I would think demo and replacement would be much more logical.

[Jawnadelphia]

We can figure this out - working together.

Working from the 22nd to 21st Street....

Memorial park on corner.

Stop and Go Parking Garage.

Surface parking lot.

Fire House.

And then...

3 - 3 story buildings in a row until you hit 21st Street.

"The developable area extends from the memorial park to the collapse victims on the western end of the property to the city-owned firehouse toward the middle, neither of which were part of the transaction. One other multi-story building on the block was also excluded from the sale."

Huh? Bro needs to re-write this.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

Huh? Bro needs to re-write this.

This article is crying for a diagram.

[summersm343]

Okay. I got it. The block goes:

21st and Market
Three - 3 story Rows
Fire Station
Parking Lot
Two story parking garage
Empty Lot from collapse site
Site of Memorial Park

Brandywine bought everything except for the fire station (which the city owns and has stated they will not sell), the Two story parking garage, and the Site of the Memorial Park which the Salvation Army gave to the city.

I looked up property info for the Parking Garage - it's address is 2126 Market - and Basciano does indeed own it. So why didn't he sell it? I assume Brandywine is going to try to pursue purchasing the garage. If they purchase the garage they would own the entire block from the Memorial Park to the Station, then the three rows on the other side of the station. They could easily then develop two towers here, one west of the station and one east of the station replacing the rows. If the city was smart they would sell the air rights over the fire station.

[sayitaintso]

Have these renders been released yet

[summersm343]

Philadelphia to become first World Heritage City in the U.S.

Philadelphia is on track to receive a World Heritage City designation this year, which would make it the only U.S. city to have such a distinction.

There are about 270 cities on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Heritage Cities program, but none are in the United States.

That could change with a vote at the XIII World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities in Arequipa in Peru on Nov. 6, when Philadelphia could become the country's first.

"Some have said it's almost like a Sister Cities program on steroids," said Zabeth Teelucksingh, executive director of the Global Philadelphia Association, who added it appears likely Philly will make the list.

"We're told that it's 95 percent," said Teelucksingh, who explained more sites are added each year during the annual meeting.

The designation would be a boon for Philadelphia, likely increasing travel and business in the city, Teelucksingh said.

"It's a global thing; it's automatically international," she said. "It's like being part of a brand that's automatically global."

Teelucksingh said Philadelphia's status as the sole American city on the list could last for many years since it's the only U.S. city qualified since Independence Hall is already a World Heritage Site.

Once the November vote makes it official, Global Philadelphia will make the most of the designation.

"The plan after the event is to have a communication strategy where the World Heritage designation doesn't just sit on a shelf, but becomes something that's realistically used by the city," Teelucksingh said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...-world-heritage-city-united-nations.html

[Boku]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Okay. I got it. The block goes:

21st and Market
Three - 3 story Rows
Fire Station
Parking Lot
Two story parking garage
Empty Lot from collapse site
Site of Memorial Park

Brandywine bought everything except for the fire station (which the city owns and has stated they will not sell), the Two story parking garage, and the Site of the Memorial Park which the Salvation Army gave to the city.

I looked up property info for the Parking Garage - it's address is 2126 Market - and Basciano does indeed own it. So why didn't he sell it? I assume Brandywine is going to try to pursue purchasing the garage. If they purchase the garage they would own the entire block from the Memorial Park to the Station, then the three rows on the other side of the station. They could easily then develop two towers here, one west of the station and one east of the station replacing the rows. If the city was smart they would sell the air rights over the fire station.

The article appears to indicate that they purchased two of the three three-story buildings on the eastern corner. The parking garage is included in the sale.

The developable area extends from the memorial park to the collapse victims on the western end of the property to the city-owned firehouse toward the middle, neither of which were part of the transaction. One other multi-story building on the block was also excluded from the sale.

[wondertwinalpha]

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

[1487]

Thats plenty of room for them to build something

[McBane]

That's awesome, thanks Wonder.

[Philly-Drew]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Philadelphia to become first World Heritage City in the U.S.



http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...-world-heritage-city-united-nations.html

This is outstanding! It will help keep the rooms occupied in the new hotels under construction.

[cafeguy]

Originally Posted by wondertwinalpha

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

The condo conversion building actually has a HUGE club in it on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Hasn't really been used to its full abilities though since residents at the Murano called and complained EVERY time they opened the bar on the first floor and club on the 2nd/3rd...even though NO noise ever came out of the tightly sealed place. They didn't like the people outside...go figure....people complaining about a club/bar on MARKET street DOWNTOWN. ha.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

The condo conversion building actually has a HUGE club in it on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Hasn't really been used to its full abilities though since residents at the Murano called and complained EVERY time they opened the bar on the first floor and club on the 2nd/3rd...even though NO noise ever came out of the tightly sealed place. They didn't like the people outside...go figure....people complaining about a club/bar on MARKET street DOWNTOWN. ha.

Knock it all down and put up two 40+ floors of mixed-use highrises. This is part of the central core and should have high rises only.

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Knock it all down and put up two 40+ floors of mixed-use highrises. This is part of the central core and should have high rises only.

Would they be able to build over the firehouse to make one 40+ floor building? Maybe they can acquire the wasted 1919 market FAR.

[cjPhilly]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Would they be able to build over the firehouse to make one 40+ floor building?

I wouldn't be surprised if Brandywine works a deal to relocate the firehouse altogether. Probably a lot easier than building a tower over it. Plenty of other smaller surface lots nearby they could use.