PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread - Page 297

iheartphilly · #**5921** Posted **May 17, 2016, 9:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

Trying to shave a few bucks in a project of this scale, at the expense of beauty and quality that could otherwise be saved, is, as I said, barbaric.

a.k.a. savages

City Wide · #**5922** Posted **May 17, 2016, 9:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

----- I guess the developer thought it would be much easier to get in and out of the project and profit from it rather than be creative and find a building solution that works with the existing building. In any case, word on the street is that these homes start at $2M.

For me that's the big nut to crack. In my some what limited experience, when the resale of a row house goes north of $500K, and especially when you can put together a few lots, its always going to be easier to start with bare ground, better yet if you start with a hole in the ground.

My question remains does the city want to leave it to developers to decide on the future character, style of the neighborhoods. I wish the City had a variety of tools to use in working with the existing neighborhood groups, not just zoning and having a building be listed as historic. Those are 2 tools, but there should be more.

summersm343 · #**5923** Posted **May 18, 2016, 12:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Naked Philly got renderings for the Please Touch townhomes. It's not horrible. Interesting the facade that I showed in the last post about it looks quite similar to the facade of the three townhomes replacing it. I wish they would make the upper windows have arches as a reference to old building. Actually, I'm not sure why they couldn't do a partial facadectomy and carefully take the column capitals and architrave from the current building and put them on the new homes. That might look tacky, however. There's more renderings at the link. http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/logan-square/we-got-renderings-for-the-please-touch-homes

vs. this

Here are the other renderings from the article:

The over all project isn't terrible, but geez they can't even preserve the facade? I mean the new facade on the 21st Street facing townhomes are practically a duller, new version of the Please Touch facade...

Frontst17 · #**5924** Posted **May 18, 2016, 1:55 AM**

This actually angers me to see... Not for preserving EVERY building but this building has such history in this city and surprisingly well known throughout the entire northeast not just locally. How about preserving the front portion for amenities/retail then tuck the townhomes behind... As in hidden... As in I don't want to see them. People are moving into the city to be a part of the history not replacing it. This is my childhood I'm pissed! lol

summersm343 · #**5925** Posted **May 18, 2016, 1:56 AM**

Hanover North Broad - Broad and Callowhill - two 6 floor apartment/retail buildings

West Building

East Building

summersm343 · #**5926** Posted **May 18, 2016, 1:57 AM**

17th and Vine - Mormon Temple

summersm343 · #**5927** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:04 AM**

Dalian on the Park - 22nd and Pennsylvania Ave - 10 floors

summersm343 · #**5928** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:54 AM**

The Study Hotel at University City - 33rd and Chestnut - 10 floors

summersm343 · #**5929** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:56 AM**

Penn New College House at Hill Square - 34th and Chestnut - 7 floors

summersm343 · #**5930** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:58 AM**

Penn Perelman Center for Political Science & Economics - 36th and Sansom - 7 floors

summersm343 · #**5931** Posted **May 18, 2016, 3:03 AM**

Microsoft Innovation Center - 3711 Market Street

summersm343 · #**5932** Posted **May 18, 2016, 3:13 AM**

The Collins - 1100 block of Chestnut - 7 floors - apartments/retail

1487 · #**5933** Posted **May 18, 2016, 12:18 PM**

^good stuff

Justin7 · #**5934** Posted **May 18, 2016, 12:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Naked Philly got renderings for the Please Touch townhomes. It's not horrible. Interesting the facade that I showed in the last post about it looks quite similar to the facade of the three townhomes replacing it. I wish they would make the upper windows have arches as a reference to old building. Actually, I'm not sure why they couldn't do a partial facadectomy and carefully take the column capitals and architrave from the current building and put them on the new homes. That might look tacky, however. There's more renderings at the link. http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/logan-square/we-got-renderings-for-the-please-touch-homes

vs. this

Are they trolling? This can't be real.

Justin7 · #**5935** Posted **May 18, 2016, 12:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane

I agree. It's a handsome building and townhomes on this site is definitely a downgrade. But let's not fall into that knee-jerk NIMBY reaction in which every old building needs to be protected.

How about now conflating preservation with NIMBYism? I know most of this board doesn't care about architecture or urbanism, but wow.

BenKatzPhillytoParis · #**5936** Posted **May 18, 2016, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin7

How about now conflating preservation with NIMBYism? I know most of this board doesn't care about architecture or urbanism, but wow.

Also the fact that LSNA shoots down so many interesting things. They are super NIMBY, just not about the right things. They are draconian without letting Peddler's Coffee and everything that has come before it have a kitchen, yet have 0 objections to knocking down a great building with character for bland townhomes. All they care about is parking and the neighborhood being as little mixed use as possible. It's horrible.

br323206 · #**5937** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenKatzPhillytoParis

Also the fact that LSNA shoots down so many interesting things. They are super NIMBY, just not about the right things. They are draconian without letting Peddler's Coffee and everything that has come before it have a kitchen, yet have 0 objections to knocking down a great building with character for bland townhomes. All they care about is parking and the neighborhood being as little mixed use as possible. It's horrible.

The real problem lies with the zoning code. It should be zoned correctly so they won't even be a factor. How in the world can you have zoning that doesn't allow multifamily buildings and has a 38' height limit literally 2000 feet from the tallest building in the city? That doesn't make any sense.

Cro Burnham · #**5938** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenKatzPhillytoParis

Also the fact that LSNA shoots down so many interesting things. They are super NIMBY, just not about the right things. All they care about is parking and the neighborhood being as little mixed use as possible. It's horrible.

The Logan Square neighborhood (which I see as the area from 20th to the river, Arch Street to the Parkway) is, along with the urban renewal wasteland around Franklin Square, the blandest, most boring, characterless, most nondescript afterthought of a neighborhood in Center City. No one would really even notice if it disappeared. Other than the Franklin Institute there is nothing there. It's like an urban suburb.

1487 · #**5939** Posted **May 18, 2016, 2:50 PM**

Let's hope this Rivage site project actually happens after many years of talk and no action. Looks good, much better than the status quo, but significantly different from prior proposals for this site.

http://www.phila.gov/CityPlanning/projectreviews/PDF/RIDGE%20FLATS%20CDR_FINAL%2016_0517_SMALL.pdf

Knight Hospitaller · #**5940** Posted **May 18, 2016, 3:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

The Logan Square neighborhood (which I see as the area from 20th to the river, Arch Street to the Parkway) is, along with the urban renewal wasteland around Franklin Square, the blandest, most boring, characterless, most nondescript afterthought of a neighborhood in Center City. No one would really even notice if it disappeared. Other than the Franklin Institute there is nothing there. It's like an urban suburb.

For the most part, but there are some beautiful residential alleyways that have character. The institutional buildings (FI, former School District) are substantial as well. Demolishing what they do have is unconscionable.