PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[DIESELPOLO]

Originally Posted by frbrown

Also the same developer who previously proposed building there. Lets hope something comes of it this time. Here is the previous page which has been closed. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=201072

Philly.com text:

We need to see a site plan, but from these renderings, it looks like its a literal wall along the riverfront. No bueno.

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by DIESELPOLO

We need to see a site plan, but from these renderings, it looks like its a literal wall along the riverfront. No bueno.

Normally you would have a point, but Columbus is the shittiest street in the city..the only view this would be blocking is the view of the drivers going 100 down 95. I had a big problem with the old Aramark renderings, but:

1) That was the Schuylkill, which is much more intimately connected with the fabric of the city (hopefully that makes sense without sounding too hippie-ish)

2) It was waaaaay wider, like, a literal wall

This will be visible from the very Eastern edge of Queen's village, but other than that, I would say this is not disruptive at all.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Great idea for the future. Having crown lighting that could change color would most likely require a complete change over, not just adding filters or bulbs. Hopefully changeable colors is something that's in the works for Comcast II

Shortly after the building was completed, they did feature a colored band at the top of the crown. Not sure why they never harnessed this feature.





http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/200...d-i2systems-light-up-comcast-center.html

[Gonzo the Great]

Source: Amazon

The e-commerce giant’s new headquarters conversation included 20 locations as recently as last week, but GHB Insights‘ Daniel Ives believes that the Amazon HQ2 will be in one of five cities. The Wall Street technology analyst cited a number of factors that will affect the company’s decision.

Ives noted that Amazon is likely looking to build an East Coast presence with its HQ2, as well as a city with a thriving engineering presence, as well as a surrounding university infrastructure and student pipeline.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

He added that it will probably be a transportation hub with major growth potential, as well as a place with a strong technology and pharma industry presence. Additionally, the Amazon HQ2 should be business friendly, have attractive tax and economic long-term benefits, while also being politically favorable for the company.

“We believe the top 5 likely cities for Amazon’s second headquarters/HQ2 in order will be:

Atlanta Raleigh Washington D.C. Boston Austin (only non-East Coast city in our Top 5)”

He added that any of the other 15 cities are a possibility as well (especially Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), but GHB Insights believes these are the most likely destinations due to the aforementioned factors.

AMZN stock gained nearly 1.9% on Monday.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

Source: Amazon

The e-commerce giant’s new headquarters conversation included 20 locations as recently as last week, but GHB Insights‘ Daniel Ives believes that the Amazon HQ2 will be in one of five cities. The Wall Street technology analyst cited a number of factors that will affect the company’s decision.

Ives noted that Amazon is likely looking to build an East Coast presence with its HQ2, as well as a city with a thriving engineering presence, as well as a surrounding university infrastructure and student pipeline.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

He added that it will probably be a transportation hub with major growth potential, as well as a place with a strong technology and pharma industry presence. Additionally, the Amazon HQ2 should be business friendly, have attractive tax and economic long-term benefits, while also being politically favorable for the company.

“We believe the top 5 likely cities for Amazon’s second headquarters/HQ2 in order will be:

Atlanta Raleigh Washington D.C. Boston Austin (only non-East Coast city in our Top 5)”

He added that any of the other 15 cities are a possibility as well (especially Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), but GHB Insights believes these are the most likely destinations due to the aforementioned factors.

AMZN stock gained nearly 1.9% on Monday.

This article is super hypocritical. It says that these cities need to be transit hubs, while Atlanta and Raleigh have nothing by way of PT.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

Source: Amazon

The e-commerce giant’s new headquarters conversation included 20 locations as recently as last week, but GHB Insights‘ Daniel Ives believes that the Amazon HQ2 will be in one of five cities. The Wall Street technology analyst cited a number of factors that will affect the company’s decision.

Ives noted that Amazon is likely looking to build an East Coast presence with its HQ2, as well as a city with a thriving engineering presence, as well as a surrounding university infrastructure and student pipeline.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

He added that it will probably be a transportation hub with major growth potential, as well as a place with a strong technology and pharma industry presence. Additionally, the Amazon HQ2 should be business friendly, have attractive tax and economic long-term benefits, while also being politically favorable for the company.

“We believe the top 5 likely cities for Amazon’s second headquarters/HQ2 in order will be:

Atlanta Raleigh Washington D.C. Boston Austin (only non-East Coast city in our Top 5)”

He added that any of the other 15 cities are a possibility as well (especially Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), but GHB Insights believes these are the most likely destinations due to the aforementioned factors.

AMZN stock gained nearly 1.9% on Monday.

If Amazon is true to its RFP, D.C. Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County should not proceed further with the 2nd round of cuts. Although, I have to admit, it's a telling sign that Bezo may want to be there since you group the 3 and it really is one geographic area. Like 17 vs. 1 but that 1 is heavily weighter because any one of the 3 picked is a win for the DC Metro Area. Further, the cost of living in the DC Metro Area is higher than some of its competitors. I think Philly has a good chance.

[Boku]

Ahead of first PPA board meeting, new executive director lays out his plan

The new, suburban Republican head of the PPA really, really wants to build more parking garages in the city.

"Everywhere you see a crane in the city… in the area of North Philly and Temple [University], in neighborhoods like Roxborough," Petri said, "there are opportunities, let's go get them."

Specifically noting the University City Science Center and the future South Philadelphia casino, he said businesses with a large presence in the city are potential partners. "Do we have a garage over there? I’m looking where the high rises are going up," he said. "We know how to build garages, we know how to run garages… and we know how to valet park."

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...tri-phl-airport-uber-school-funding.html

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by McBane

Yea, until some preservationist tries to argue that George Washington's great granddaughter's roommate's boyfriend crop dusted on the site and therefore the building must be protected.

Well this property butts up to an old church built in 1880.

Call me cautiously hopeful on this one. Anything is better than a parking lot, but two blocks away a development was practically chopped in half, and a few more blocks away the developer is on a 5 year plan to actually break ground. And this is supposed to a prime real estate location in center city Philly.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

He added that it will probably be a transportation hub with major growth potential, as well as a place with a strong technology and pharma industry presence. Additionally, the Amazon HQ2 should be business friendly, have attractive tax and economic long-term benefits, while also being politically favorable for the company.

Despise the article saying we're only 6a/b with Pitt, I think the focus on pharma supports Philly's inclusion...assuming they actually know anything and this isn't just more speculation, which it probably is.

[iamrobk]

I know there's been a lot of speculation that they included all 3 DC area bids to try to get them to compete against each other, and possibly why they included Newark (to compete against NYC). I wonder if that's why they included Pittsburgh... #makesyouthink

[Larry King]

Originally Posted by iamrobk

I know there's been a lot of speculation that they included all 3 DC area bids to try to get them to compete against each other, and possibly why they included Newark (to compete against NYC). I wonder if that's why they included Pittsburgh... #makesyouthink

DC has to be the favorite simply because Bezos actually lives there part time. There's plenty of room for them and the area definitely needs more non-government related jobs.

[McBane]

Screw NoVA and Maryland. That entire area is like a giant King of Prussia. Just awful. Also, not sure if it's a factor or not, but traffic in that region, despite the presence of a million highways, is terrible.

[iamrobk]

Originally Posted by McBane

Screw NoVA and Maryland. That entire area is like a giant King of Prussia. Just awful. Also, not sure if it's a factor or not, but traffic in that region, despite the presence of a million highways, is terrible.

I have family in McLean, and while that area is absolutely beautiful, the area around Tysons is just a mess (although now that I think of it, the entire DC suburbs are a mess these days...).

[Mr Saturn64]

Originally Posted by PHL10

Shortly after the building was completed, they did feature a colored band at the top of the crown. Not sure why they never harnessed this feature.



http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/200...d-i2systems-light-up-comcast-center.html

I like how it looks like Philadelphia City Hall is sticking out of Camden City Hall in that pic.

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

Source: Amazon
“We believe the top 5 likely cities for Amazon’s second headquarters/HQ2 in order will be:

Atlanta Raleigh Washington D.C. Boston Austin (only non-East Coast city in our Top 5)”

Personally, for me, there are a few words and phrases that, for me, distinguish between good journalism and clickbait. Any headline that starts with "we" is clickbait, not news. That article is no more speculative than the discussions we have here. What makes their opinions any more valid than ours?

Other words that make articles look like clickbait? Articles that start with "here's," "Just" (as in "so and so just did this), and anything that sounds snarky and/or sarcastic.

Originally Posted by Nova08

Well this property butts up to an old church built in 1880.

Call me cautiously hopeful on this one. Anything is better than a parking lot, but two blocks away a development was practically chopped in half, and a few more blocks away the developer is on a 5 year plan to actually break ground. And this is supposed to a prime real estate location in center city Philly.

You can preserve the historic church while developing the rest of the lot. Like SLS or the building at 38th and Chestnut. I think that's the ideal outcome. So long as whatever is built looks good in its own right and fits in with its surroundings.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Larry King

DC has to be the favorite simply because Bezos actually lives there part time. There's plenty of room for them and the area definitely needs more non-government related jobs.

Bezos owns homes in Manhattan and LA as well. The Jet Set doesn't actually "live" anywhere.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Larry King

DC has to be the favorite simply because Bezos actually lives there part time. There's plenty of room for them and the area definitely needs more non-government related jobs.

I think there are valid reasons why Amazon could locate in the nearby Virginia and Maryland locations if not necessarily DC proper. But I don't think Bezos having a house there means much. Bezos is one of the richest guys in the world (if not the richest). You'd expect that he'd own a number of homes and he does. In addition to a mansion outside Seattle and the property in DC, he owns a compound in Beverly Hills with two mansions he connected (collective purchase of nearly $40 million), a ranch in Van Horn, Texas, and 3 condos that he bought at 25 Central Park West in Manhattan in 1999 and combined. Perhaps he's also the owner of a nice penthouse at 5th and Walnut...

[Boku]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Perhaps he's also the owner of a nice penthouse at 5th and Walnut...

C'mon, we all know that was Jay Z and Beyonce.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by iamrobk

I know there's been a lot of speculation that they included all 3 DC area bids to try to get them to compete against each other, and possibly why they included Newark (to compete against NYC). I wonder if that's why they included Pittsburgh... #makesyouthink

The big competitive tax breaks come from the state level not the city level, so I don't think that they're in there to push us or vise versa. If they'd included Camden, that'd be another story.

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by iamrobk

I know there's been a lot of speculation that they included all 3 DC area bids to try to get them to compete against each other, and possibly why they included Newark (to compete against NYC). I wonder if that's why they included Pittsburgh... #makesyouthink

I think what a lot of people are failing to think about is that Amazon may have selected three DC area sites and two NY area sites largely because they’re all in different states and that changes dynamics a bit. The DC sites are in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, and the NY sites are in New York and North Jersey.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by Boku

Ahead of first PPA board meeting, new executive director lays out his plan

The new, suburban Republican head of the PPA really, really wants to build more parking garages in the city.



https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...tri-phl-airport-uber-school-funding.html

This is terrible new news. Somebody should point out to this mindless fool that the Science center took down a garage and seems very content to build new projects with limited on site parking (plus they have huge on grade parking available if needed on the grounds of the now demoed UC high school)
In thinking about what the City needs in terms of 'new' construction, especially from a gov't backed agency, I'd say parking garages are at the bottom of the list, if they make the list at all.
Once again these comments point out the near uselessness of the PPA. How do they manage to continue to exist is not a surprise, but an example of how the City and the State continue to play mindless silly pointless political games in a age where new clear thinking is needed.

DEATH TO THE PPA