PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

I wouldn't be too surprised if the added expense of building over Suburban Station's throat combined with the foundations-in-place only supporting a construction about the height of 1 Penn Center (although shouldn't these cancel each other out?) are the major reasons we've seen zero movement on 2 Penn Plaza over the last decade.

Excuse me for not knowing, but is Penn Plaza the same thing as Penn Center?

[Parkway]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Excuse me for not knowing, but is Penn Plaza the same thing as Penn Center?

1 Pennsylvania Plaza was the original name of the Comcast Center before Comcast signed on as a tenant. In addition to the building you see today there was a second 350ft office building proposed on the south west corner of the site. That building was named 2 Pennsylvania Plaza and is what people are asking about here.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

I wouldn't be too surprised if the added expense of building over Suburban Station's throat combined with the foundations-in-place only supporting a construction about the height of 1 Penn Center (although shouldn't these cancel each other out?) are the major reasons we've seen zero movement on 2 Penn Plaza over the last decade.

I doubt this factors into it, but having an open plaza there actually creates one of the best visual corridors for both of the Comcast trophy towers. If a 300 foot tall tower goes in there your best vista for admiring the power and might of Comcast will be gone.

Still, I'm not sure why they don't do something to activate the plaza a bit more. Install a small garden or a fountain or...anything? Having low crawling ground cover just seems like a wasted opportunity.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Londonee

I doubt this factors into it, but having an open plaza there actually creates one of the best visual corridors for both of the Comcast trophy towers. If a 300 foot tall tower goes in there your best vista for admiring the power and might of Comcast will be gone.

Still, I'm not sure why they don't do something to activate the plaza a bit more. Install a small garden or a fountain or...anything? Having low crawling ground cover just seems like a wasted opportunity.

They do have a fountain, it's just hidden.
That's still there, right? The City Hall-esque fountains?

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

They do have a fountain, it's just hidden.
That's still there, right? The City Hall-esque fountains?

Not sure what "City Hall-esque" fountains are - but yes the Plaza has the coordinated water fountain display.

I guess I'm just saying, simply: landscape it better.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Not sure what "City Hall-esque" fountains are - but yes the Plaza has the coordinated water fountain display.

I guess I'm just saying, simply: landscape it better.

I'll have to check to make sure of this, but I believe the SW corner of the block where I've always assumed the 'shorter' tower might be built, is not presently part of the landscaped plaza.

[Gerdman]

Looks like the Old Parker Spruce Hotel (Now Fairfield Inn & Suites) is due to open so far in April? I was able to book dates for April 1 - 2

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review...nter_City-Philadelphia_Pennsylvania.html

[Gonzo the Great]

There does not appear to be any mention of Philly in this statement that was published just two days ago





The company’s current headquarters is and will continue to be in Seattle, but HQ2 will be as big or bigger than the original, Amazon has said.

The only timeline Amazon has confirmed is that the company will make its decision on HQ2 sometime in 2018. Oct. 19 was the deadline to submit proposals.

The company has not specified whether a shortlist of metro areas will be made public, although it likely would leak even if Amazon attempted to keep it secret because of the site visits, number of people and other factors involved with choosing the ultimate project winner.

Amazon, of course, will make the final decision, but that hasn’t stopped a wave of predictions about where the company will build HQ2.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area topped a list of prospective sites for Amazon’s new headquarters, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The analysis pointed to North Texas’ big college population, large tech labor force, low cost of living and lack of a state income tax as reasons the region landed in the top spot.

Boston came in second on the WSJ rankings, followed by a three-way tie for third between Atlanta, Seattle and Washington D.C.

Chicago ranked sixth, Denver ranked seventh, followed by a tie between New York and Nashville for eighth. Austin was 10th, Minneapolis 11th and Newark ranked 12th.

Another study aggregated every building permit filed for an Amazon-owned or Amazon-leased office space in Seattle to gauge the scale of Amazon’s first headquarters. That study, by construction market research firm BuildZoom, found Amazon's Seattle footprint to be 13.6 million square feet — big enough to fill Dallas’ iconic Fountain Place building 11 times over.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, has said that HQ2 will be “a full equal” to the Seattle HQ.

[acenturi]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

There does not appear to be any mention of Philly in this statement that was published just two days ago

The company’s current headquarters is and will continue to be in Seattle, but HQ2 will be as big or bigger than the original, Amazon has said.....

Why does a Staff Writer for the Dallas Business Journal have any more credibility than the 100s of other speculators?

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by City Wide

I'll have to check to make sure of this, but I believe the SW corner of the block where I've always assumed the 'shorter' tower might be built, is not presently part of the landscaped plaza.

Yep, this corner, where another tower has been in general proposed, is not part of the plaza. It's just a fenced in area planted with a low growing ground cover.

If Comcast did want to build tall at this location, other then zoning and possible foundation issues, why would the City be against that? This site, as compared to what's being talked about along Arch St., is located more in the central business district vs closer to a residential area and it certainly has better access to mass transit.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Gerdman

Looks like the Old Parker Spruce Hotel (Now Fairfield Inn & Suites) is due to open so far in April? I was able to book dates for April 1 - 2

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review...nter_City-Philadelphia_Pennsylvania.html

its about time, they have been working on this for years.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Yep, this corner, where another tower has been in general proposed, is not part of the plaza. It's just a fenced in area planted with a low growing ground cover.

If Comcast did want to build tall at this location, other then zoning and possible foundation issues, why would the City be against that? This site, as compared to what's being talked about along Arch St., is located more in the central business district vs closer to a residential area and it certainly has better access to mass transit.

"Foundation issues" is a bit of an understatement. That site's right on top of the train tracks. I wouldn't be too surprised if that's part of why Comcast has been expanding along Arch instead. Still, that does imply that once they use all of the buildable sites along that stretch of Arch, they're either gonna have to start building atop the tracks or jump the Parkway.

[1487]

Report on 2018 market expectations:

http://www.phillymag.com/property/2017/12/04/uli-philadelphia-real-estate-forecast-for-2018/

[Nova08]

For what it's worth, in the PRR days (and I suspect it is generally the same today, with the addition of the eastern exit), the Suburban Station throat started a bit east of 20th to 18th, with most between 19th and 18th. And the physical station platforms were from 18th to just east of 16th.

[Jawnadelphia]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Yep, this corner, where another tower has been in general proposed, is not part of the plaza. It's just a fenced in area planted with a low growing ground cover.

If Comcast did want to build tall at this location, other then zoning and possible foundation issues, why would the City be against that? This site, as compared to what's being talked about along Arch St., is located more in the central business district vs closer to a residential area and it certainly has better access to mass transit.

It's a tiny plot - even if you incorporated the entrance to the food court there.



There's the tunnel entrance down to the garage, and the walkway between the church and the plot was just completed. The underground tunnel to CTC is now completed. And then train lines underneath. I think what hammers was saying is probably true--with how this site has evolved, that little plot is sort of just in the way now. Maybe Comcast builds a little boutique hotel or apartment building to really incorporate that "campus" vibe. Doesn't Google and Facebook have apts for employees to literally-- live, work, and play... without ever leaving work?? (sounds horrible personally, but I guess some people might like it). Not sure I ever see Comcast office space here, but you never know.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by City Wide

I'll have to check to make sure of this, but I believe the SW corner of the block where I've always assumed the 'shorter' tower might be built, is not presently part of the landscaped plaza.

No need to check, it's not. They have low-ground cover plants in an elevated bed. Then there's the headhouse to take you down to the shops along JFK, and along 18th street you have the right of way for the Comcast parking garage and then the pathway along the church that will be the primary connector for CITC and HQ.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by 1487

Report on 2018 market expectations:

http://www.phillymag.com/property/2017/12/04/uli-philadelphia-real-estate-forecast-for-2018/

At first I was trying to remember a proposal for a new building at 2018 Market St!

[PhilliesPhan]

Not my pic, but I couldn't stop myself from sharing!

[McBane]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

It's a tiny plot - even if you incorporated the entrance to the food court there.



There's the tunnel entrance down to the garage, and the walkway between the church and the plot was just completed. The underground tunnel to CTC is now completed. And then train lines underneath. I think what hammers was saying is probably true--with how this site has evolved, that little plot is sort of just in the way now. Maybe Comcast builds a little boutique hotel or apartment building to really incorporate that "campus" vibe. Doesn't Google and Facebook have apts for employees to literally-- live, work, and play... without ever leaving work?? (sounds horrible personally, but I guess some people might like it). Not sure I ever see Comcast office space here, but you never know.

One way or another, the land will get developed I'm sure. I mean, how long can an empty grass lot sit in the heart of the business district?

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

Not my pic, but I couldn't stop myself from sharing!

Awesome picture. For anyone who is curious, the picture was taken from Overbook along Amtrak's Harrisburg line just east of Overbrook train station. The bridge in the not too distant background is the old PRR flyover to the Cynwyd / Manayunk branch.