PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Knight Hospitaller]

At least complete the capping of Logan Square. Can't believe they didn't push for that with the new bridges. So inefficient.

[PhilliesPhan]

We should absolutely expect and push for the the Commonwealth and federal government to foot the bill for capping the VSE from at least 22nd to Broad, with 22nd to 9th being the preferred option. They ruined Vine Street and the connectivity between Center City and North Philly, and we should expect them to fix it.

[ebuilder]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan

We should absolutely expect and push for the the Commonwealth and federal government to foot the bill for capping the VSE from at least 22nd to Broad, with 22nd to 9th being the preferred option. They ruined Vine Street and the connectivity between Center City and North Philly, and we should expect them to fix it.

you can expect- still wont be happening. The PL cap isn't even using federal funding. Feds aren't doing vanity projects these days. The recent proposal calls for states and local government to provide MORE funding towards projects, not less. What you are saying makes sense, but it's not in alignment with the political realities on the federal level.

[SEFTA]

It just connects to the city's park system so beautifully. It looks like it was meant to be there.

[Xiubee]

I actually think capping is expensive and unnecessary. What matters is the pedestrian experience crossing 676, and vastly improving that could be accomplished with say, lavish streetscape improvements, at a fraction of the cost of capping. The pedestrian only sees the streetscape immediately around them, and that's the barrier to connectivity, not hundreds of feet of highway in between the bridge crossings. Maybe down the road capping makes sense, but it's really hard to activate narrow swaths of new park space anyway, so I definitely don't see that as a priority until after build out of the adjacent blocks.

[Noam215]

Question for the engineers of the group:
In addition to capping some of 676 is it also possible to construct high-rise or mid-rise buildings over the openings?
Could be cool to have have both parks and buildings covering the highway.

[acenturi]

Here's a NYT article on Schuylkill Yards, with a little HQ2 flavor thrown in. God, you'd think they could have taken those photos on a clear day.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/business/philadelphia-commercial-real-estate.html

[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by ebuilder

you can expect- still wont be happening. The PL cap isn't even using federal funding. Feds aren't doing vanity projects these days. The recent proposal calls for states and local government to provide MORE funding towards projects, not less. What you are saying makes sense, but it's not in alignment with the political realities on the federal level.

I didn't mean to infer that we should push for it under what the proposed change in federal funding will look like. What I meant to say is that, under the assumption that future administrations won't be so opposed to direct federal spending, we need to continue to push for something that the city rightfully deserves. Politicians who made terrible decisions way before my time ruined cities across the nation with their version of "urban planning". The federal government should be expected to undo the damage that it is directly culpable for, including the failure to invest in mass transit systems within dense urban areas.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by ebuilder

you can expect- still wont be happening. The PL cap isn't even using federal funding. Feds aren't doing vanity projects these days. The recent proposal calls for states and local government to provide MORE funding towards projects, not less. What you are saying makes sense, but it's not in alignment with the political realities on the federal level.

I don't know the break out for who pays for what on the proposed PL partial cap, but I know its being done in conjunction with the rebuilding of I-95 through that area. In the past it was reported that would be the only possible time to increase the area that is capped over I-95 (which is why I'm disappointed there wasn't a way to add to the existing cap instead of just adding a separate new cap, but certainly the proposed is MILES better then no cap)
VSE is alittle different in that it's much smaller in width then I-95 and that it slices right through the City on the edge of the central business district, so capping it where possible could be considered just as an update to its construction, the same way that the roadbed and drainage are brought up to todays standards when sections of expressway are rebuilt. I'm not saying what will happen, just that there is a basis for thinking that it should be done.
That said, besides anything else being done, not capping the whole of VSE in the Logan Sq. area while the State was rebuilding the bridges last summer is a huge error.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by City Wide

That said, besides anything else being done, not capping the whole of VSE in the Logan Sq. area while the State was rebuilding the bridges last summer is a huge error.

I miss 1487

[Boku]

Off topic, but I'm wondering where summers has been lately? He rarely posts anymore and I miss all the photo updates!

[Scottydont]

While capping 676 is the ultimate goal, I still like the idea of 'capping' it solar panels. It would almost have an effect of a river going through Vine Street. It would probably be a heck of a lot cheaper. Might cut down on some of the traffic noise.

Not nearly as transformative as an actual cap, but still a fun idea.

[ebuilder]

Originally Posted by Noam215

Question for the engineers of the group:
In addition to capping some of 676 is it also possible to construct high-rise or mid-rise buildings over the openings?
Could be cool to have have both parks and buildings covering the highway.

if you have enough money you can do whatever you want. Building a load bearing cap that could sustain buildings would require extensive foundations to be installed, likely along the median of 676. Obviously having any real weight over the span sections of the cap would be problematic. There are buildings over the underground section of the tracks going into Penn station but there is lot of steel and concrete above the tracks that holds up the infrastructure above and if my memory serves correctly there are many vertical columns that come down to track level that provide structural support. You do not have that kind of space to operate vertically or horizontally within 676.

[JohnIII]

I rarely speak on capping I-676 because it has little to do with skyscrapers so I'll give it a shot.

In a way capping I-676 is an idea that has promise but its an issue of priorities; I'd rather see 30th Station Zone and Schuylkill Yards build and the capping of the Rail Yard because that will generate job; that will bring business; and increase revenue. Once we as a city see an increase in revenue then doing projects that beauty the city can be justified easier. If we focus on capping I-676 now it probably won't generate nearly as much revenue; it pays for nothing; so its more about priorities and generating revenue it seems; there is a time and season for everything an its time can probably come if we play our cards right.

It may also be more important to cap I-95 before I-676 because if Old Coty flows to the Delaware River Waterfront then we can justify Waterfront development even more which also generates revenue.

One thing does concern me; on capping I-95 and I-676; we have to be environmentally conscious; with a highway we see an increase in automobile exhaustion and if I-676 is capped the exhaust gets compounded so there will have to be vents in the capping of the highway; which is a part of the reason why it was left open in the first place in addition to the fact that it was cheaper to leave it open back in those day. If we cap I-676; and make vents for exhaust; there will have to be park land on top of the capping with trees to dampen the affects of automobile exhaust on the city and environment it seems.

I don't know, this isn't a deep discussion but let me know where you stand on these things.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Boku

Off topic, but I'm wondering where summers has been lately? He rarely posts anymore and I miss all the photo updates!

Boku, thank you for asking! I accepted a new job earlier this year and I have much, much less free time. I'm currently working 6 days a week. For now, I will unfortunately not have the time for my weekly picture updates. If somebody else could take up the mantel, that would be awesome!

As of now though, I will still be around, and posting what I can, when I can. Hopefully my time will free up again in the future to resume what I was doing, because it is something I really enjoyed doing!

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by JohnIII

I rarely speak on capping I-676 because it has little to do with skyscrapers so I'll give it a shot.

In a way capping I-676 is an idea that has promise but its an issue of priorities; I'd rather see 30th Station Zone and Schuylkill Yards build and the capping of the Rail Yard because that will generate job; that will bring business; and increase revenue. Once we as a city see an increase in revenue then doing projects that beauty the city can be justified easier. If we focus on capping I-676 now it probably won't generate nearly as much revenue; it pays for nothing; so its more about priorities and generating revenue it seems; there is a time and season for everything an its time can probably come if we play our cards right.

It may also be more important to cap I-95 before I-676 because if Old Coty flows to the Delaware River Waterfront then we can justify Waterfront development even more which also generates revenue.

One thing does concern me; on capping I-95 and I-676; we have to be environmentally conscious; with a highway we see an increase in automobile exhaustion and if I-676 is capped the exhaust gets compounded so there will have to be vents in the capping of the highway; which is a part of the reason why it was left open in the first place in addition to the fact that it was cheaper to leave it open back in those day. If we cap I-676; and make vents for exhaust; there will have to be park land on top of the capping with trees to dampen the affects of automobile exhaust on the city and environment it seems.

I don't know, this isn't a deep discussion but let me know where you stand on these things.

While I love the huge Penn's Landing park plan, I'd expect most of these caps to have buildings. The ROI just isn't there without the government subsidizing the cap itself. Maybe some day.

Ventilation isn't necessarily all that complex and has the benefit of filtering the exhaust, but if you're looking to avoid the expense:

Short term exhaust solution: piecemeal capping

Long term exhaust solution: electric vehicles only

[Capsule F]

Philadelphia’s First Step to a Platform of Innovation

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/business/philadelphia-commercial-real-estate.html

He said the attributes of Schuylkill Yards could also be attractive to Amazon, the Seattle-based behemoth. The development would fulfill many of Amazon’s requirements for a second headquarters, including access to transportation, availability of skilled workers and an urban location, Mr. Katz said.

But even if Amazon does not choose Schuylkill Yards or two other Philadelphia sites that the city has proposed, the new development is well placed to meet the demands of the businesses that it seeks, he said.

“What the innovation economy wants is this kind of proximity and density, and Philadelphia is giving it to them, and now they are leveraging it,” Mr. Katz said. “This whole area where Schuylkill Yards is going to be located is really the platform for that innovative economy.

[TechTalkGuy]

Schuylkill Yards is such a perfect opportunity for Amazon, plus the timing is incredible.

Just after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Philadelphia has positioned itself perfectly.

I am cheering for Amazon to select Philadelphia!!

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by TechTalkGuy

Schuylkill Yards is such a perfect opportunity for Amazon, plus the timing is incredible.

Just after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Philadelphia has positioned itself perfectly.

I am cheering for Amazon to select Philadelphia!!

The timing is off now. If they were coming to Philly, they clearly would have worked that into the end of Kelce's speech. That didn't happen so I think we're back to square one.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Let’s get the deal signed before the Phillies ruin our chances.