PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Already on it.

Awesome! Thank you!

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by McBane

Why would anyone think that downzoning the three busiest streets in the neighborhood (and arguably in all of Center City) is a good idea? You don't want a high rise on Spruce or Locust? I disagree but I understand. But Walnut, Sansom, and Chestnut? That's ridiculous.

For me its not a matter of not wanting or being willing to accept tall towers on Chestnut and Walnut streets, it's what might well be lost, as in torn down to get them. Build something on the parking lot across the street from Boyd's and I'll be a cheer leader. But propose knocking something old and interesting down, especially if open lots are still out there, and I'll complain.

This is another reason I wish there was more then just one level of protection for buildings listed on the City's historical protected list. Not everything that many people would like to save needs to be locked into one narrow and non-changing time window (but some do!) Along Chestnut and Walnut we've got some true masterpieces that should be protected and preserved. But there are others while not being 'masterpieces' add to the scale and feel of the block. On those while I want them saved I don't care if they get modern windows. Then there are a few buildings in that area I don't think many people would miss (except those who are afraid of shadows), the CVS/old theater at 19th & Chestnut comes to mind. Tear that down and put up a tall tower, and its no big deal, but leave the core of the block alone.

But what I'm saying isn't so much about zoning as it is about trying other ways to save what is good.

[Gonzo the Great]

Evidence is mounting that Amazon could select Northern Virginia — and specifically, a site near Dulles International Airport — as the location of its next headquarters, dubbed HQ2.

Amazon has quietly been expanding its presence near the proposed site, which spans 26 acres of largely undeveloped land on the border of Loudoun and Fairfax counties.

The company just located a new headquarters for its rapidly growing cloud service, Amazon Web Services, less than three miles from the site.

Also nearby — within a 10-minute drive — is a sprawling, 44-acre plot of land where Amazon is planning to build a massive, 600,000-square-foot data center campus.

To be sure, the site makes logistical sense: it’s adjacent to Dulles International Airport and steps from an under-construction Metro station that will provide a straight shot to Washington, DC, and nearby suburbs.



......... So is anyone surprised .... certainly not me .

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

Evidence is mounting that Amazon could select Northern Virginia — and specifically, a site near Dulles International Airport — as the location of its next headquarters, dubbed HQ2.

Amazon has quietly been expanding its presence near the proposed site, which spans 26 acres of largely undeveloped land on the border of Loudoun and Fairfax counties.

The company just located a new headquarters for its rapidly growing cloud service, Amazon Web Services, less than three miles from the site.

Also nearby — within a 10-minute drive — is a sprawling, 44-acre plot of land where Amazon is planning to build a massive, 600,000-square-foot data center campus.

To be sure, the site makes logistical sense: it’s adjacent to Dulles International Airport and steps from an under-construction Metro station that will provide a straight shot to Washington, DC, and nearby suburbs.



......... So is anyone surprised .... certainly not me .

Well, I think there is a lot of reason to believe this is the frontrunner, notwithstanding that it doesn't actually fit what they said they wanted in their RFP that well. But I'm not sure what mounting evidence there is. They've been expanding in a lot of places, especially with their auxiliary businesses, including in Manhattan and other places that are still in the top 20.

[Nova08]

If anything you have to wonder if they do an about face..."And the one HQ2 location is....4 smaller locations that will each support 10-20k employees."

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

Spring Garden 9-4-18

When I look at this picture, I really hope the lot across the street from the School District building gets a nice building with some height. Very exciting time for N Broad.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Nova08

If anything you have to wonder if they do an about face..."And the one HQ2 location is....4 smaller locations that will each support 10-20k employees."

That I would be truly shocked at. Seems to make zero business sense.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

That I would be truly shocked at. Seems to make zero business sense.

Not really. They're one of the most diverse businesses in the world. Different arms of their business might be better suited to different cities. Still think it's unlikely though.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

That I would be truly shocked at. Seems to make zero business sense.

As mentioned, these FANG tech companies are growing a fair amount in a number of cities. Not that it's comparable to a HQ, but still a very sizeable amount.


Amazon will grow fast even in HQ2 cities that don't win the big prize
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...lists-job-growth-tech-hubs-pittsbur.html

Amazon says HQ2 will bring as much as $5 billion in investments and 50,000 jobs to the winning city within 15 to 17 years. The company, however, has established centers of expertise in cities across North America: the Boston office focuses on robotics, for example, while the Atlanta office focuses on logistics.

Amazon's Tech Offices (Source: linked article above)
Bay Area: 6,000 employees; 1,300 open positions
DC: 2,500 employees; ~700 open positions across DMV
NYC: 1,800 employees; 548 open positions and committed to adding 2,000 overall new jobs
LA: 1,300 employees; 248 open positions
Boston: 1,200 employees; 364 open positions and committed to adding 2,000 new jobs overall
Austin: 850 employees; 154 open positions

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Nova08

As mentioned, these FANG tech companies are growing a fair amount in a number of cities. Not that it's comparable to a HQ, but still a very sizeable amount.


Amazon will grow fast even in HQ2 cities that don't win the big prize
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...lists-job-growth-tech-hubs-pittsbur.html



Amazon's Tech Offices (Source: linked article above)
Bay Area: 6,000 employees; 1,300 open positions
DC: 2,500 employees; ~700 open positions across DMV
NYC: 1,800 employees; 548 open positions and committed to adding 2,000 overall new jobs
LA: 1,300 employees; 248 open positions
Boston: 1,200 employees; 364 open positions and committed to adding 2,000 new jobs overall
Austin: 850 employees; 154 open positions

Atlanta was logistics.
Question: Where do you think philly could fall in if not tech or something else?

[Urbanthusiat]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Atlanta was logistics.
Question: Where do you think philly could fall in if not tech or something else?

Pharmaceuticals delivery and prescription fulfillment.

[Aaamazarite]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

When I look at this picture, I really hope the lot across the street from the School District building gets a nice building with some height. Very exciting time for N Broad.

According to my ubiquitous clandestine sources, the Rail Park folks are working with the owners of that lot to create some kind of public space.

[DonegalGuy]

The parcel across the street from the school district headquarters which currently operates as a parking lot is owned by the Mormon Church. It was originally purchased as the site for the Mormon Temple but was deemed unsuitable after testing. They subsequently purchased the two lots on Vine Street where they built the Temple, Meetinghouse and high-rise apartment building.

[ScreamShatter]

A public space wouldn't be terrible there, but I'd really like to see a highrise. Ideally, they'd move the School District Headquarters (maybe to the space in West Philly where the Police Headquarters was going), and then they could develop the School District Headquarters with a much larger development. That'd truly transform N Broad.

[CCGuy]

Philly's best chance to land Amazon HQ2 is around the new push into clothing. Philly is a leader in textile technology and Amazon invested in their new clothing printing plant in the burbs. So Philly brings expertise in 2 new businesses for Amazon. Textiles and pharma.
Hopefully that is enough.

[iheartphilly]

^^
I remember they tap this guy recently. Could this be tied in to the Pharma play or deals more with controlling the cost of healthcare via insurance or reimbursement>

http://www2.philly.com/philly/business/c...de-stoddard-health-venture-20180910.html

[Tatts]

If Amazon is interested in textiles, South Carolina has far more to offer than Philly--cutting-edge European textile companies (Hoechst Fibers, etc.), Milliken, etc.
And a T-shirt printing plant in the 'burbs? That doesn't count at all.

[Milksteak]

Here is a graph of the amount of new hires Amazon is bringing on in the hq2 finalist cities. Virginia, Boston, and NYC are the top 3 by a huge margin. Philly came in dead last:

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Milksteak

Here is a graph of the amount of new hires Amazon is bringing on in the hq2 finalist cities. Virginia, Boston, and NYC are the top 3 by a huge margin. Philly came in dead last:

Yeah, that's not that good.

[iheartphilly]

^^^
And, Bezos and some members of his board are in DC visiting. If this isn't a cardinal sign, I don't know what is. IMO, Philly's chances of landing HQ2 is dim, at best.