PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Hey summersm, did you already reveal the two mystery projects you alluded to a few weeks back yet? I mean, have any public announcements been made? Or should we still look forward to completely new announcements?

And am I correct in understanding that neither 2100 Market nor Pearl's Broad and Locust deal is one of them?

Neither have been announced yet. I was told one would be announced by the end of the year. I'm not sure on the other

[summersm343]

Photo from Building Philly
Awesome skyline shot from the new Cira Green



https://www.facebook.com/BuildingPhilly/

[loverboie]

''According to the listing, you can construct a 468K building on this site by right. That could take the form of a five story building, a ten story building, or something smaller and less dense. In the listing, the current owners suggest a 50 unit townhome development with parking. That translates into roughly $250K per lot which might be a workable price, but we also have no idea what kind of engineering expenses are involved in building homes on a pier in the Delaware River.''

Town homes though?

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by loverboie

''According to the listing, you can construct a 468K building on this site by right. That could take the form of a five story building, a ten story building, or something smaller and less dense. In the listing, the current owners suggest a 50 unit townhome development with parking. That translates into roughly $250K per lot which might be a workable price, but we also have no idea what kind of engineering expenses are involved in building homes on a pier in the Delaware River.''

Town homes though?

Is this the article from Naked Philly you are referring to?
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/no...-trump-tower-to-townhomes-for-pier-35-12

I don't think this is set in stone at all. This is rather a suggestion (a dumb one at that) by the owner who is listing the site for sale. I would assume any developer would want to get a bang for their buck and go with a 10 story building - what this plot is zoned for. Rowhomes on this site wouldn't make any sense.

[loverboie]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Is this the article from Naked Philly you are referring to?
http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/no...-trump-tower-to-townhomes-for-pier-35-12

I don't think this is set in stone at all. This is rather a suggestion (a dumb one at that) by the owner who is listing the site for sale. I would assume any developer would want to get a bang for their buck and go with a 10 story building - what this plot is zoned for. Rowhomes on this site wouldn't make any sense.

Thank God for clarifying that up for me! That was a dumb suggestion for a project idea. I really wish that the Trump Tower was back on the table, I love that design.

[Kidphilly]

wont there be access just down the street

Honestly with all the parks planned not every plot needs significant acces, especially awkward lots. If forced we will have many unpopulated areas and bring down vibrancy

There could be balance like a smaller dog park etc.

Some combination of a 5 story apartment and say 20 or 30 townhomes could work well, it doesnt have to be tall everywhere and more imprtantly this area needs to infill and become more vibrant a few hindred feet away will be a more significant frontage in the lot at Spring Garden - the area needs mass not all tall and not all dead frontage - the path and bik path can be improved but are not bad It needs people and other stuff more than frontage or even just tall buildings IMHO

[Arch+Eng]

Originally Posted by loverboie

''According to the listing, you can construct a 468K building on this site by right. That could take the form of a five story building, a ten story building, or something smaller and less dense. In the listing, the current owners suggest a 50 unit townhome development with parking. That translates into roughly $250K per lot which might be a workable price, but we also have no idea what kind of engineering expenses are involved in building homes on a pier in the Delaware River.''

Town homes though?

I like the townhouses there, It reminds me of something you would see in Amsterdam.

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by Arch+Eng

I like the townhouses there, It reminds me of something you would see in Amsterdam.

Why not just build one single suburban house at that point? Maybe even demolish another block of row homes for a suburban house, and then some suburban block for a farm patch for good measure.

[Arch+Eng]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Why not just build one single suburban house at that point? Maybe even demolish another block of row homes for a suburban house, and then some suburban block for a farm patch for good measure.

Rowhomes are not suburban

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Why not just build one single suburban house at that point? Maybe even demolish another block of row homes for a suburban house, and then some suburban block for a farm patch for good measure.

I don't get it. What about this plot screams skyscraper? A well designed row house development with an interesting public space seems like a great use of this land. Other than your unrelenting desire for tall buildings what would be wrong with row homes here?

[cafeguy]

Originally Posted by Arch+Eng

I like the townhouses there, It reminds me of something you would see in Amsterdam.

I was thinking that row homes would actually be nice...like a little village or something... IF it wasn't ONLY row homes. If it had mixed use, apartments, density, retail/restaruant, etc. Imagine Society hill right on the water front. That could be really really neat. But since this location is kinda small, thats not possible. If they put row homes there, It will just be some ugly designed row homes that become a gated community like many others being built across the city right now.

But I do find myself wishing that Philly had more homes, retail, etc etc right to the river's edge. Both our rivers are pretty much cut off from that type of thing. I'm thinking New Hope esc would be nice. Perhaps Bart Blatstein can start paying attention again to Philly and build something like that on the giant plot of land he has behind wlamart.

[Arch+Eng]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

I was thinking that row homes would actually be nice...like a little village or something... IF it wasn't ONLY row homes. If it had mixed use, apartments, density, retail/restaruant, etc. Imagine Society hill right on the water front. That could be really really neat. But since this location is kinda small, thats not possible. If they put row homes there, It will just be some ugly designed row homes that become a gated community like many others being built across the city right now.

But I do find myself wishing that Philly had more homes, retail, etc etc right to the river's edge. Both our rivers are pretty much cut off from that type of thing. I'm thinking New Hope esc would be nice. Perhaps Bart Blatstein can start paying attention again to Philly and build something like that on the giant plot of land he has behind wlamart.

I agree. Maybe a small mid rise tower (mixed use) on Delaware ave., row homes lining the NON PRIVATE street and a small public park at the tip. That would be very attractive.

I understand a lot of people want density everywhere, and some just want good design, but the beauty of america is that we all will get a little of what we want. If this project turns out to not be the density project you hoped for, just look for one that is and follow that one. Live and let live.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by Kidphilly

wont there be access just down the street

Honestly with all the parks planned not every plot needs significant acces, especially awkward lots. If forced we will have many unpopulated areas and bring down vibrancy

There could be balance like a smaller dog park etc.

Agreed 100%. It's the same thing that's happening around City Hall. Too many public plazas is not a good thing as Philadelphia doesn't have the density to populate every park. It's even more true on the Waterfront which has a fraction of the density as the area around City Hall. A public pathway along the waterfront is absolutely necessary but we don't also need a ton of open land in addition. It becomes too much. Whereas a people-filled public space is a neighborhood amenity; having a public space that's perpetually empty attracts homeless people and ends up having a negative impact on the surrounding area.

Originally Posted by Kidphilly

Some combination of a 5 story apartment and say 20 or 30 townhomes could work well, it doesnt have to be tall everywhere and more imprtantly this area needs to infill and become more vibrant a few hindred feet away will be a more significant frontage in the lot at Spring Garden - the area needs mass not all tall and not all dead frontage - the path and bik path can be improved but are not bad It needs people and other stuff more than frontage or even just tall buildings IMHO

Agreed here, too. Buildings like the proposed Trump Tower belong in Miami or Honolulu. Whatever positive affect that the density of a tall building creates is completely negated when it sits on a parking podium without any other active ground floor usage. Of course, the same can be said for a strictly townhouse development. Mixed use is best.

[Larry King]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

I was thinking that row homes would actually be nice...like a little village or something... IF it wasn't ONLY row homes. If it had mixed use, apartments, density, retail/restaruant, etc. Imagine Society hill right on the water front. That could be really really neat. But since this location is kinda small, thats not possible. If they put row homes there, It will just be some ugly designed row homes that become a gated community like many others being built across the city right now.

But I do find myself wishing that Philly had more homes, retail, etc etc right to the river's edge. Both our rivers are pretty much cut off from that type of thing. I'm thinking New Hope esc would be nice. Perhaps Bart Blatstein can start paying attention again to Philly and build something like that on the giant plot of land he has behind wlamart.

..

[cafeguy]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Photo from Building Philly
Awesome skyline shot from the new Cira Green



https://www.facebook.com/BuildingPhilly/

Who has the photoshop skills to show what this park would look like when the trees become older, taller, and fuller? It seems like it would be amazing.

[Outta here]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

Who has the photoshop skills to show what this park would look like when the trees become older, taller, and fuller? It seems like it would be amazing.

I'd like to ask for one better . Who has the photoshop skills to show what this image would look like
with the completion of CITC , 2100 Market St. and the SLS tower on Broad .

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Outta here

I'd like to ask for one better . Who has the photoshop skills to show what this image would look like
with the completion of CITC , 2100 Market St. and the SLS tower on Broad .

I don't have the skills. But a bigger question is what that view will look like with the completion of 2400 Market. I believe it is to be mixed use. A mixed use 20 floor building will probably be around 270 feet. With the horizontal massing we saw in the most recent images, it will unfortunately probably block out a lot of the skyline view from Cira Green.

[Outta here]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

I don't have the skills. But a bigger question is what that view will look like with the completion of 2400 Market. I believe it is to be mixed use. A mixed use 20 floor building will probably be around 270 feet. With the horizontal massing we saw in the most recent images, it will unfortunately probably block out a lot of the skyline view from Cira Green.

Ok , call me picky but I believe 2100 Market was penciled in at 500' . I have to go with 230 more feet of building .
Sorry 'bout that .

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Outta here

Ok , call me picky but I believe 2100 Market was penciled in at 500' . I have to go with 230 more feet of building .
Sorry 'bout that .

It's two different buildings. 2400 is the whale mural building. 2100 Market is supposed to be around 500 ft. And significantly more than 20 stories. It will not block any views from Cira Green.

[volguus zildrohar]

Cira Green from this morning...







And from Wednesday...