PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread - Page 538

allovertown · #**10741** Posted **Aug 14, 2018, 7:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmj

After rereading the criticisms you guys are correct. FOP is a disaster with no redeeming qualities. Not sure what I was smoking. I'm sure people will stay away from the stores based on the facade materials. If only it looked more like East Market with all those high class precast panels- world class material palette there. In my naivete I thought different people could view a building differently, I stand corrected. Why wait for the final 11 months of construction when we can see 75% of the finished product now and render an informed judgement?

Lesson learned.

Well if I wasn't sure this was 1487 before

Welcome back!

Londonee · #**10742** Posted **Aug 14, 2018, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by allovertown

Well if I wasn't sure this was 1487 before

Welcome back!

This place is like crack to him.
I mean, he can just follow along with the discussions and news like hundreds of other people do to stay informed... but he's just *got* to chime in. I can just see him at his computer screen for the last 6 months, pulling out his hair over every take critical of the city. "Don't they get it? The city is perfect, PERFECT I SAY!" (*mad-scientist, meltdown voice*)

McBane · #**10743** Posted **Aug 14, 2018, 7:42 PM**

It's almost like when you see an expensive car parked really, really badly - like all crooked and 3 feet from the curb - and you cringe and wonder how could the driver just see that and think it's okay to leave the car like that?

When I look at that picture, I can't imagine the developer leaving the upper floors that way. It doesn't make any sense that someone would dump tens of millions of dollars into a project and then decide against spending a (relatively) tiny sum to remedy what would otherwise visually mar the entire project.

Knight Hospitaller · #**10744** Posted **Aug 14, 2018, 9:52 PM**

^ I'll take the "JMJ" bait and reserve judgment, but boy does this look like lipstick on a pig - even if they plan to give the pig a bath at the end.

City Wide · #**10745** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 12:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmj

After rereading the criticisms you guys are correct. FOP is a disaster with no redeeming qualities. Not sure what I was smoking. I'm sure people will stay away from the stores based on the facade materials. If only it looked more like East Market with all those high class precast panels- world class material palette there. In my naivete I thought different people could view a building differently, I stand corrected. Why wait for the final 11 months of construction when we can see 75% of the finished product now and render an informed judgement?

Lesson learned.

Nice to have 1487 (Jr. version) back with us. Third time is a charm? Always keeping it real.

Scottydont · #**10746** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 2:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

^ I'll take the "JMJ" bait and reserve judgment, but boy does this look like lipstick on a pig - even if they plan to give the pig a bath at the end.

Look at the before and after pic of the Girard Building cleaning. I'm not saying FOP will be a visual marvel, but cleaning the top half will do wonders for this project.

Milksteak · #**10747** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 12:29 PM**

Wasn't there rumor that the top portion would be covered in LED screens for advertisements? That would change everything.

mcgrath618 · #**10748** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 1:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milksteak

Wasn't there rumor that the top portion would be covered in LED screens for advertisements? That would change everything.

It's still in most of the renderings, afaik

jmj · #**10749** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 1:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

It's still in most of the renderings, afaik

It seems that seemingly intelligent people are actually suggesting that the upper levels we see today will look EXACTLY the same at completion of the project. Someone should start a wager on that one- it seems hard to believe they would leave the 35 year old facade sections as we see them today. Reclad of the office portion was never promised or inferred by renderings so I'm not sure where the shock and outrage came from on that- have they ever shown that portion looking radically different?

Jayfar · #**10750** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 2:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmj

It seems that seemingly intelligent people are actually suggesting that the upper levels we see today will look EXACTLY the same at completion of the project. Someone should start a wager on that one- it seems hard to believe they would leave the 35 year old facade sections as we see them today. Reclad of the office portion was never promised or inferred by renderings so I'm not sure where the shock and outrage came from on that- have they ever shown that portion looking radically different?

They may simply clean and paint it, as was done with the stock exchange building at 19th/20th & Market St. The same was done with the former Lewis Tower (now Aria) several years back.

Larry King · #**10751** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 8:57 PM**

Apparently the society hill Sheraton has a new owner (i think buccini pollin) and they’re planning for a 375 foot building with 273 apartments. Pretty cool.

PHL10 · #**10752** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry King

Apparently the society hill Sheraton has a new owner (i think buccini pollin) and they’re planning for a 375 foot building with 273 apartments. Pretty cool.

That would be a huge upgrade. That hotel has an obnoxiously large foot print that creates a dead zone on three side of that block.

Larry King · #**10753** Posted **Aug 15, 2018, 9:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL10

That would be a huge upgrade. That hotel has an obnoxiously large foot print that creates a dead zone on three side of that block.

My guess is they would leave the hotel where it is and build this high rise on the useless green space at nw corner of dock and front street. Though who knows, they’ve already pulled a zoning permit so it’s a by-right project.

Kfmcshan · #**10754** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 12:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry King

My guess is they would leave the hotel where it is and build this high rise on the useless green space at nw corner of dock and front street. Though who knows, they’ve already pulled a zoning permit so it’s a by-right project.

Here is the permit description:

"NEW CONSTRUCTION OF 31 STORY ADDITION TO BE USED AS MULTI FAMILY HOUSEHOLD LIVING 273 RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS AND ACCESSORY RESIDENTIAL AMENITY SPACES AND MANAGEMENT OFFICES WITH RESIDENTIAL ROOF DECK AND MECHANICAL PENTHOUSE WITH 23 PROPOSED SELF PARK SPACES AND 91 BICYCLE STORAGE SPACES AND 2 LOADING SPACES"

GtownFriend · #**10755** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 12:59 AM**

This is great news.. this will be across the street from Scannapieco's next project.

A question, I thought that something of this size had to go through CDR before it was permitted?

jsbrook · #**10756** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 1:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry King

Apparently the society hill Sheraton has a new owner (i think buccini pollin) and they’re planning for a 375 foot building with 273 apartments. Pretty cool.

Awesome. I hope they also add some retail and restaurants to the ground floor (perhaps on the Walnut Street side). Since the Penn's Landing cap park was announced, I have been thinking that this Sheraton needs an infusion of activity. As to the aesthestic, I haven't been impressed with their work. It's been mostly in Wilmington. Maybe they will up their game for what promises to be an increasingly desirable and hot area.

jsbrook · #**10757** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 1:13 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GtownFriend

This is great news.. this will be across the street from Scannapieco's next project.

A question, I thought that something of this size had to go through CDR before it was permitted?

It's a block away, but still pretty close. Positano Coast is across the street form Scannapieco 3.0, and it occupies much of the 200 block of Walnut. The Sheraton is the 100 block.

McBane · #**10758** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 1:18 AM**

Great news. I don't know if I'm happier about this tower or that it's by-right in Society Hill. Those NIMBYs are probably having a coronary.

El Duderino · #**10759** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 1:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbrook

It's a block away, but still pretty close. Positano Coast is across the street form Scannapieco 3.0, and it occupies much of the 200 block of Walnut. The Sheraton is the 100 block.

It will be a happy day once the Positano Coast building gets redeveloped...perhaps the ugliest building and greatest waste of a prime spot in Society Hill.

El Duderino · #**10760** Posted **Aug 16, 2018, 2:02 AM**

Also, while we’re in hopefully-not-getting-excited-too-early mode, two other potential projects per the ZBA calendar:

707 Chestnut: 327 feet, 27 floors, 278 units (Aug 21 ZBA) - there’s already a thread for this but it’s locked
1126-1140 Spring Garden: 170 feet, 16 floors, 172 units (Sep 19 ZBA)

I mentioned this recently, but Chestnut east of Broad is undergoing a crazy amount of work and has the potential to be a really spectacular stretch. I walked this length today and it is wild how many storefronts are getting major makeovers. There’s also plenty of under-developed parcels that could really be special with a little oomph. If someone wants to lend me like $20m, I’ll get started on that ASAP.