PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Insoluble]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

No... Renaissance Plaza is on spring gardenish. This project is in south philly at the "immigrant pier" park they recently built and next to the single story comcast building.

Where are you getting this from? The website doesn't mention the location at all. I'd love to see more residential towers along the water front, but it seems a waste to do this at a recently designed and fairly nice park when there are so many dilapidated piers and empty lots nearby.

Regarding the new Blatstein proposal: it is crap and obviously so. But what are the chances that this proposal goes anywhere at all. Blastein had what, 6 or 7 proposals in the works at the moment? When was the last time he actually pulled the trigger on something?

[cafeguy]

Originally Posted by Insoluble

Where are you getting this from? The website doesn't mention the location at all. I'd love to see more residential towers along the water front, but it seems a waste to do this at a recently designed and fairly nice park when there are so many dilapidated piers and empty lots nearby.

Regarding the new Blatstein proposal: it is crap and obviously so. But what are the chances that this proposal goes anywhere at all. Blastein had what, 6 or 7 proposals in the works at the moment? When was the last time he actually pulled the trigger on something?

someone on facebook in the Urban Phl group said they were close to the project and knew they were moving forward with plans and financing. They described the location, but in the arial view, you can clearly see where it is.

[boxbot]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Blatstein really is a tasteless cynical tool no matter how hard he tries (or at least used to try) to appear otherwise.

It is just about impossible to imagine a worse design for this location.

He's really turning into a negative force in this city after a brief period of doing some good in NoLibs (with community pressure).

Never heard anything about this. After some digging, here is an earlier design for the plot. The presentation speaks for itself. Other than the fact K4 actually does own the land and provided an easement for a walking trail back in September, this seems like fiction.





They also did a render of a tower next to the Thaddeus Stevens School, which...geez.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by boxbot

Never heard anything about this. After some digging, here is an earlier design for the plot. The presentation speaks for itself. Other than the fact K4 actually does own the land and provided an easement for a walking trail back in September, this seems like fiction.

I'd be for those K4 fantasies generally though they are very Miami. The ground level clearly needs to be dealt with better, but no problem: these will never happen.

I hope the City will stick to its guns and tie Blatstein up with refusals and denials for years. The guy is so incredibly backward and unimaginative.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

I'd be for those K4 fantasies generally though they are very Miami. The ground level clearly needs to be dealt with better, but no problem: these will never happen.

I hope the City will stick to its guns and tie Blatstein up with refusals and denials for years. The guy is so incredibly backward and unimaginative.

Miami is exactly what came to mind for me.

[Parkway]

More good news for Market East, this the parking garage at 12th and Sansom.
http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/business/real_estate/commercial&id=366613141

[Aaamazarite]

Originally Posted by Parkway

More good news for Market East, this the parking garage at 12th and Sansom.
http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/business/real_estate/commercial&id=366613141

Excellent-- Yet another crappy Thalheimer and Weitz mid-century mistake will go down.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by McBane

I don't like Blatstein's suburban crap he's proposing for South Philly. It reminds me of those faux Towne Centers that are cropping up everywhere. Philadelphia deserves better.

As for the "Waterfront Square South" Liberty fantasy project here are my thoughts:

1) As with all waterfront projects, it must meet the following criteria: it must be dense (check); it must come right to the sidewalk's edge (?); and it must have active retail use (check, i think).

2) Right next to "Franklin", incorporating the word "Liberty" into projects, is so lame. Just like the overuse of red brick, it gives the city a one-dimensional feel. I love Philadelphia's colonial history as much as the next guy, but isn't our city so much more than that?

Agree with all your points except the last one. Philadelphia is so much more than it's Colonial History, but it's colonial history is amazing and I see no problem tooting that horn as often as people want.

I love living in Philly because it's big and dense, walkable, vibrant and beautiful TODAY. But so are many cities in the world. Only one city in the world is the birthplace of modern democracy. That's cool. And when developments play on that, I just feel it strengthens a city identity and world renown that most cities would kill for. You can look firmly to the future while still appreciating our unique and amazing past.

Also I love red brick.

[Philly-Drew]

Originally Posted by boxbot

Never heard anything about this. After some digging, here is an earlier design for the plot. The presentation speaks for itself. Other than the fact K4 actually does own the land and provided an easement for a walking trail back in September, this seems like fiction.

This Miami rendering is pie in the sky, won't ever happen.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by allovertown

Only one city in the world is the birthplace of modern democracy. That's cool. And when developments play on that, I just feel it strengthens a city identity and world renown that most cities would kill for. You can look firmly to the future while still appreciating our unique and amazing past. :

Well Boston has a great colonial history, too (and lots of red brick too haha). But Boston isn't pigeonholed like Philadelphia. Anyway, who cares? This is the kind of discussion for slow days, not days that where new high rise proposals are announced, am I right? The 12th and Sansom project is awesome on so many levels, starting with the demolition of an ugly, street deadening parking garage (the one across the street actually has some interesting retail at least).

Brickstone's latest plan would pair residential units with offices, a hotel, retail, or some combination at a 26,550-square-foot site now occupied by a parking structure, Connors said in an interview.http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/business/real_estate/commercial&id=366613141

I'm loving that this isn't just residential. Especially that there will be office space. The more offices that come to Market East, the better the chances of an office tower here.

The company is leaning toward two towers to avoid deadening the streetscape with a single "monolithic" building, he said, adding that the parcel could accommodate building heights over 300 feet.

Not only are they aiming for a better streetscape but two towers on this site would have to be slender, not bulky. I like how their project is turning out on Chestnut (if only they could have also mixed up the building heights a little). Brickstone seems very attuned to good urban design.

The developer also has permits for a 342-unit tower at 701 Market St. beside the Lit Bros. building, which it owns.

AND this is happening, too? https://philadelphiaheights.wordpress.co...-residential-development-to-market-east/

Cool but this tower appears as if it just sprouts out of nowhere, I am curious to see how the tower interacts on the street level and integrates with the Lit Bros building.

Market East is on fire!!!

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Parkway

More good news for Market East, this the parking garage at 12th and Sansom.
http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/business/real_estate/commercial&id=366613141

Very nice! Thank you.

I like this tidbit:

Brickstone's latest plan would pair residential units with offices, a hotel, retail, or some combination at a 26,550-square-foot site now occupied by a parking structure, Connors said in an interview.

The company is leaning toward two towers to avoid deadening the streetscape with a single "monolithic" building, he said, adding that the parcel could accommodate building heights over 300 feet.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/re...for_Market_East.html#SUurczZ3k5ZaCOq2.99

[summersm343]

Why Philadelphia's central business district may end up in University City

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...phias-central-business-district-may.html

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Very nice! Thank you.
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/re...for_Market_East.html#SUurczZ3k5ZaCOq2.99

Summers, I assume the recently announced Hyde Hotel project was one of the two un-named deals you alluded to in the fall. Is this the other? Or has that other project still not been announced yet?

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Summers, I assume the recently announced Hyde Hotel project was one of the two un-named deals you alluded to in the fall. Is this the other? Or has that other project still not been announced yet?

Yes, Hyde Hotel was one, but no the Brickstone development is not another. The other was in University City and is supposed to be around or over 400 feet. They didn't tell me a timeline for when they would release information but I would assume by Spring this year. It was a mix of office space and rental apartments.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Yes, Hyde Hotel was one, but no the Brickstone development is not another. The other was in University City and is supposed to be around or over 400 feet. They didn't tell me a timeline for when they would release information but I would assume by Spring this year. It was a mix of office space and rental apartments.

There aren't exactly very many parcels outside of institutional control in that part of town that can support a 400 ft tower ...

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by McBane

Brickstone seems very attuned to good urban design.

Brickstone's boss John Connors rocks. I met him a few times several years ago and the guy is all about quality as far as I was able to tell. Like some club-wielding mad Celtic warrior fighting for good development, he seems to have fierce pride in his product . . . . unlike, say, a Blatstein or a Caplan.

I've never met Jim Pearlstein, but he also seems like the genuine article based on the work Pearl has done so far. And I think Carl Dranoff loves his buildings too, even though he seems to need a good, strong-willed architect to keep his aesthetic sense in line.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

There aren't exactly very many parcels outside of institutional control in that part of town that can support a 400 ft tower ...

I don't necessarily know who controls which parcels in University City, but if I'm not mistaken, I believe it is a Drexel controlled parcel. Drexel is partnering with developers for their owned parcels, they are not going to solely develop these lots by themselves.

[cjPhilly]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

This Miami rendering is pie in the sky, won't ever happen.

Add it to the long history of pie in the sky renderings for this site that never happened! The 2002/2003 incarnation of Liberty Landing still has to be my favorite though! Infinitely better than the suburban dreck we've just seen come out.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Parkway

More good news for Market East, this the parking garage at 12th and Sansom.
http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/business/real_estate/commercial&id=366613141

I was hoping for more details about 701 market and 709 chestnut but no specifics about when we will see movement. They say 709 should break ground this year but not details on 701 market aside from saying they have all approvals. I find it interesting that Brickstone is talking about 12th and sansom but saying little about the status of 701 market which was announced many months ago.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by 1487

I was hoping for more details about 701 market and 709 chestnut but no specifics about when we will see movement. They say 709 should break ground this year but not details on 701 market aside from saying they have all approvals. I find it interesting that Brickstone is talking about 12th and sansom but saying little about the status of 701 market which was announced many months ago.

Is 701 Market the Lit Bros building itself or something next to it? I think the former?