PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[apetrella802]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

If they can really make it look like this, it will be amazing and welcoming. I love the red brick and pre-war architectural style. The current exterior of this being looks creepy as hell as if drug deals and prostitution goes down inside and around the building in dark corners every night.

Were you referring to the 100 years war.

[Skintreesnail]

Great news on the Hale building, but seeing that old drawing/woodprint of the neighboring two stately-looking row houses makes me wonder how the Blick building came about. It seems like I’ve seen a lot of old photos where these type of ornate low-rise row houses/office buildings/dept. stores once stood, but now one or two story non-descript buildings are in their place. Was there some initiative after Philadelphia lost population to demo these properties once they became vacant, or did people just not appreciate the style as they do now? Kind of a bummer that we lost so many buildings, but I’m curious about the causes.

[TempleGuy1000]

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...illy-football-stadium-cost-to-stude.html

Temple Stadium plans are moving forward.

Love the mention of a retail cooridor next to the stadium. Hopefully where the old Diamond apartments where on Broad St.

Now temple just needs to build the Owl Nest Hotel that Summers posted last year ha. They have the perfect lot across from the Fresh Grocer.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...illy-football-stadium-cost-to-stude.html

Temple Stadium plans are moving forward.

Love the mention of a retail cooridor next to the stadium. Hopefully where the old Diamond apartments where on Broad St.

Now temple just needs to build the Owl Nest Hotel that Summers posted last year ha. They have the perfect lot across from the Fresh Grocer.

I don't get "plans are moving forward" from this article. They are having discussions and dialogue with the students and community, but that does not mean that plans are moving forward.

[TempleGuy1000]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

I don't get "plans are moving forward" from this article. They are having discussions and dialogue with the students and community, but that does not mean that plans are moving forward.

The president was quoted as saying "Let's proceed forward"

It was the title of the philly.com article

[thisisforreal]

West Philly Update:

The area around 46th Street between Walnut and Market continues its quick transformation. In addition to the 18 units just completed and the 40 units underway, now 3 more sites are getting started. While these are all low-rise developments, their proximity to each other and total size is equivalent to a 20+ story tower.



Here's a pic of the site in the above map marked "first pour":

[summersm343]

A lot of development going on there! Nice. I like to see West Philly continuing to build up.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

Great news on the Hale building, but seeing that old drawing/woodprint of the neighboring two stately-looking row houses makes me wonder how the Blick building came about. It seems like I’ve seen a lot of old photos where these type of ornate low-rise row houses/office buildings/dept. stores once stood, but now one or two story non-descript buildings are in their place. Was there some initiative after Philadelphia lost population to demo these properties once they became vacant, or did people just not appreciate the style as they do now? Kind of a bummer that we lost so many buildings, but I’m curious about the causes.

The immediate neighbor to the right was actually knocked down to expand the Hale Building.



No idea what happened to the other one... nor do I remember why they eventually lopped the adittion off the Hale Building after it was built. But the point is we lost a lot of these buildings well before Philadelphia's population decline in the mid 20th century. People just didn't care much for historic preservation then. People frequently knocked buildings down simply because they were "out of style. "

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

The president was quoted as saying "Let's proceed forward"

It was the title of the philly.com article

as I said, I didn't get that from *this* article which was from PBJ.

[summersm343]

Design committee asks developers to rework proposal for 9th and Callowhill

The Civic Design Review Committee has asked the developers of a proposed mixed-use apartment project on the mostly-vacant 900 block of Callowhill Street to take another look at their plans and present the proposal again next month.

“These plans scare me,” said Cecil Baker, an architect and CDR Committee member, at a meeting on Tuesday. “To me, they’re amateurish.”

The plans come from Wing Lee Investment with a design by T.C. Lei & Associates. They call for a 146-unit apartment building with 12 commercial spaces facing Callowhill Street. 79 parking spaces would be buried underground, with the building rising to six stories along Callowhill and seven stories along Carlton Street.

In its review, Planning Commission staff observed that the project seemed to be designed to the minimum standards of the zoning code, and that its “central core function” was unclear. The staff said that there may be too many street trees in the plans, and that the sidewalks may be too narrow. Committee members said that the loading zone for the parking garage was akwardly located on Ridge Avenue. Baker also noted that the residential units seemed to be laid out inaccessibly, without consideration of the Americans with Disabilities Act. "Red flags" abound, Baker said.

The Committee, which is charged with reviewing the public impacts of major projects, asked the developers consider its comments and return with a new presentation. The Committee’s comments are advisory and unenforceable, but they can delay the development process by asking for developers to return for a second presentation. The developers claim that this project can be built by right, but agreed to take comments under consideration before presenting again.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2016/02/0...o-rework-proposal-for-9th-and-callowhill

[summersm343]

Design Committee approves 1525 N. American Street development

The Committee also reviewed a proposed residential project on North American Street in South Kensington called “Techadelphia,” which would include workspace for startup companies. The Committee had positive comments for the project on Tuesday and voted to conclude the design-review process.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2016/02/0...o-rework-proposal-for-9th-and-callowhill

[mmikeyphilly]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Design Committee approves 1525 N. American Street development





http://planphilly.com/articles/2016/02/0...o-rework-proposal-for-9th-and-callowhill

I used to deliver pizzas to the many warehouses and food suppliers on American St. back in the late 90's early 2000's. Haven't been by the "strip" for quite a few years. It's nice to see development coming up that far.

[mmikeyphilly]

Originally Posted by allovertown

The immediate neighbor to the right was actually knocked down to expand the Hale Building.



No idea what happened to the other one... nor do I remember why they eventually lopped the adittion off the Hale Building after it was built. But the point is we lost a lot of these buildings well before Philadelphia's population decline in the mid 20th century. People just didn't care much for historic preservation then. People frequently knocked buildings down simply because they were "out of style. "

allovertown, I agree. Some of the most beautiful buildings were demolished instead of preserving their beauty. Below is a link to a website I posted in several threads. But in case you missed it. Here it is. (Just click on the "Image" icon on the left column. They are numbered, so have fun, if you haven't seen this before.
http://www.brynmawr.edu/iconog/king/main.html

[shadowbat2]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

Great news on the Hale building, but seeing that old drawing/woodprint of the neighboring two stately-looking row houses makes me wonder how the Blick building came about. It seems like I’ve seen a lot of old photos where these type of ornate low-rise row houses/office buildings/dept. stores once stood, but now one or two story non-descript buildings are in their place. Was there some initiative after Philadelphia lost population to demo these properties once they became vacant, or did people just not appreciate the style as they do now? Kind of a bummer that we lost so many buildings, but I’m curious about the causes.

It seemed to be a "craze" in Philly, post WWII, to knock down tall buildings for shorter ones-or cut off the upper floors. The Snellenburg's building was a fine example of the latter. Also these buildings on Market:
045 by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

Around back:
039 by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

044 by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

043 by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Design committee asks developers to rework proposal for 9th and Callowhill





http://planphilly.com/articles/2016/02/0...o-rework-proposal-for-9th-and-callowhill

So Cecil Baker agrees with me.

[Leviathant]

My apologies if this is off-topic, but I just noticed the other day that I think they've put an LED sign on top of the Wells Fargo building at 4th and Market. It's hard to tell from this photo at this resolution, but the panels look like an electronic display, and not just random black paneling.


I had to compare it to one of my favorite photos of Old City just to make sure.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by Leviathant

My apologies if this is off-topic, but I just noticed the other day that I think they've put an LED sign on top of the Wells Fargo building at 4th and Market. It's hard to tell from this photo at this resolution, but the panels look like an electronic display, and not just random black paneling.


I had to compare it to one of my favorite photos of Old City just to make sure.

It does look like that, but probably not. Is it even permitted on the Mall? I don't think people on the street could see a sign set back in the setback.

[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by thisisforreal

West Philly Update:

The area around 46th Street between Walnut and Market continues its quick transformation. In addition to the 18 units just completed and the 40 units underway, now 3 more sites are getting started. While these are all low-rise developments, their proximity to each other and total size is equivalent to a 20+ story tower.



Here's a pic of the site in the above map marked "first pour":

As someone who spent some of his childhood living on the 5300 block of Ogden Street in the early-to-mid-2000s, it warms my heart to see West Philly coming back. As a kid, I would have never imagined University City having its own skyline, or, in this case, development occurring around 46th Street. I hope that development pushes west, and that 52nd Street between Haverford and Baltimore Avenues becomes an innovative retail corner!

[Tlphila]

http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/business/real_estate/commercial&id=367555891

[summersm343]

The National Condos - 6 floors - 2nd and Elfreth's Alley
Update from Naked Philly



http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/old-city/this-looks-weird-the-national-is-gone