PHILADELPHIA | 1001 S. Broad Street Phase I | 180 FT | 14 FLOORS

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

I smell a flip...

Really? He just spent $20million for a concrete wasteland in South Philadelphia. Even if he has permits in place, can't see too many buyers who would be willing to fork out more than this. Knowing him, my guess is this is an ego-trip build out that will proceed against all odds.

Like, this dude is building his — absurd shopping village in the sky - all else be damned.

[summersm343]

Yeah, I don't smell a flip. Bart will ensure this gets built.

[iheartphilly]

ok, I defer to you guys. I got the impression the guy was squirrely with the last few proposals.

[jjv007]

I don't understand the negativity on this. Let's hope this thing gets built more or less as currently envisioned.

[boxbot]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Bart will ensure this gets built.

Are you offering odds?

[boxbot]

Originally Posted by jjv007

I don't understand the negativity on this. Let's hope this thing gets built more or less as currently envisioned.

The negativity is because this is an insane concept that the neighbors don't want on land the developer didn't own.

[eixample]

Originally Posted by jjv007

I don't understand the negativity on this. Let's hope this thing gets built more or less as currently envisioned.

Ugh. No. Negative reactions to this were well-explained up-thread. There are many reasons this design — aside from density issues that neighbors always complain about. Whatever happens here, I hope the tower placement at the north west corner of the site changes and the shopping village gets dropped. Also the super block feel to this thing.

Putting aside any redesign, the grocery store and city target going in across the street have to impact what sort of retail goes in here. I am struggling to think what else would fill up all that space...

[Gonzo the Great]

Originally Posted by eixample

Ugh. No. Negative reactions to this were well-explained up-thread. I am struggling to think what else would fill up all that space...

........ Cirque du Soleil .......

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

I smell a flip...

I smell an empty lot for years to come.

I wonder if there is any connection to Brat/Bart convincing the City to move into the old Inky building and fill his pockets with cash, and his settling the legal case regarding this lot. Money in on one side and money out on the other side.

(now '1487' can inform us all about the truth!)

[SEFTA]

Terrible project

[Brandywine Rocks]

The Philadelphia Planning Commission dropped the ball at this intersection.

Lincoln Square eyesore and this Blatstein abomination are both atrocious. There should have been some teamwork here from both developments to compliment one another. To scale , fitting of the area.


This is going to turn out to be a nightmarish clashing disaster. I hate this Lincoln Square suburban vinyl sided bigbox — on Broad Street .

[mcgrath618]

This project is what I'd call a NIMBYbomb.
No buildings have to be destroyed to make this. Retail will be involved. It spurs development. Brings new families in. So what is there to complain about?
Inevitably, the surrounding houses' rent will go up. And before the NIMBYs can do anything, it's too late, and the building is built.
Anywhere else I'd say that this was a travesty, but honestly, this could work out. The surrounding area isn't necessarily poor per say, just lower middle class. They could easily move 5 blocks in any direction bar north and continue living their life if rent ends up getting too high. The area has plenty of mass transit, so those working locally won't have a problem getting to work in the morning.
All in all, while this is a 6.5/10 design, it'll be good at spurring development.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

This project is what I'd call a NIMBYbomb.
No buildings have to be destroyed to make this. Retail will be involved. It spurs development. Brings new families in. So what is there to complain about?
Inevitably, the surrounding houses' rent will go up. And before the NIMBYs can do anything, it's too late, and the building is built.
Anywhere else I'd say that this was a travesty, but honestly, this could work out. The surrounding area isn't necessarily poor per say, just lower middle class. They could easily move 5 blocks in any direction bar north and continue living their life if rent ends up getting too high. The area has plenty of mass transit, so those working locally won't have a problem getting to work in the morning.
All in all, while this is a 6.5/10 design, it'll be good at spurring development.

6.5 is quite generous. I'd give it a 4 and that's only because I'm in a good mood. The rooftop village is beyond dumb. I have no problems with height and am excited for Lincoln Square (not the best design, but practically built). This is just a disappointment if it proceeds as is. Here's hoping someone smacks some sense into Blatstein and the doofus builds something that would actually make sense there.

[Larry King]

If it ever gets built, the rooftop will probably just be bars/restaurants which may be pretty cool, much nicer than sitting outside on Broad or Washington ave.

[McBane]

A lot of posters here criticizing this project without really knowing what it will be (we haven't seen any real renderings). I think it's also ironic that people criticizing this project are the very same the dismiss NIMBY criticisms as silly.

As I've said before, we here can ridicule the "village in the sky" concept all day long but ultimately, our voices don't count for squat. If the banks think it's a bad idea, they won't lend. Or if he gets financing but no retailers sign on, he'll need to reconfigure.

Here we have a long empty, derelict lot that may finally get some love and all I see is bitching and moaning, not because it's too short or the design (which we haven't seen) is ugly; but because people don't like Blatstein or his "village in the sky" concept? Sorry, those criticisms are as nonsensical as "it's too tall" or "it will create too much traffic."

It may not happen; it may be shorter; he may ditch the village in the sky thing, but for now, I'm rooting for this project to happen.

[Parkway]

I feel like it would be easy to look at East Market and design a similar concept for this lot. Bart isn't big time and he's not accountable to shareholders so I'm afraid that his stubborn commitment to this sky village concept will be a long term problem.

[eixample]

Originally Posted by McBane

A lot of posters here criticizing this project without really knowing what it will be (we haven't seen any real renderings). I think it's also ironic that people criticizing this project are the very same the dismiss NIMBY criticisms as silly.

As I've said before, we here can ridicule the "village in the sky" concept all day long but ultimately, our voices don't count for squat. If the banks think it's a bad idea, they won't lend. Or if he gets financing but no retailers sign on, he'll need to reconfigure.

Here we have a long empty, derelict lot that may finally get some love and all I see is bitching and moaning, not because it's too short or the design (which we haven't seen) is ugly; but because people don't like Blatstein or his "village in the sky" concept? Sorry, those criticisms are as nonsensical as "it's too tall" or "it will create too much traffic."

It may not happen; it may be shorter; he may ditch the village in the sky thing, but for now, I'm rooting for this project to happen.

Whatever, I'll keep criticizing it even if plans aren't definitive. No irony at all. This isn't a binary world where we have to be yes or no to all development, whatever idiocy it entails.

Bart owning it isn't really a good sign for something to be built there in the next few years based on his recent history.

[eixample]

Originally Posted by Larry King

If it ever gets built, the rooftop will probably just be bars/restaurants which may be pretty cool, much nicer than sitting outside on Broad or Washington ave.

Rooftop bars and restaurants are stupid/impractical too, just not as much as the mall in the sky. There is plenty of space for outside GROUND LEVEL eating space on the interior parts of this lot. As Parkway mentioned, East Market would be a good model....

[McBane]

Originally Posted by eixample

Whatever, I'll keep criticizing it even if plans aren't definitive. No irony at all. This isn't a binary world where we have to be yes or no to all development, whatever idiocy it entails.

Bart owning it isn't really a good sign for something to be built there in the next few years based on his recent history.

Pff...says the person who thinks rooftop bars are stupid?

I repeat: if the concept is as bad as ya'll say it is, then don't worry because the banks won't finance it and retailers won't lease the space. Bart may be stubborn, but he's still relying on the banks to finance his project....I'm with Larry King - if it happens, probably just a small collection of rooftop bars and restaurants that eixample will not patronize.

[JohnIII]

You know, I remember years ago there was a huge factory on this site; people have been trying to build there for decades. They tore that factory down so long ago I can't even tell any of you what year it was but I remember it.
Anything looks better then a lot and that location has been a lot for a long, long, long time. If we get a building; a nice tall building at least its some type of growth; which is better then what we had 30 or 40 years ago.
Our city wants progress; growth; so hey; after all these decades lets take what we can get.