PHILADELPHIA | Schuylkill Yards Future Phases | 1,095 - 375 FT | 70 - 28 FLOORS

[McBane]

Originally Posted by Crawford

There are eight subway lines in LIC, alongside commuter rail, ferries and buses.

Of those subway lines, there are three direct tunnels, one stop into Manhattan, and for commuter rail, two direct tunnels, one stop into Manhattan. So five distinct train tunnels connecting to Midtown.

Outside of Midtown/Lower Manhattan and Downtown BK, there probably isn't better train access anywhere in North America.

I was referring to Amtrak connections between NY and DC.

[Milksteak]

It's absurd to say that LIC isn't well connected or part of NYC. It's just as easy (or easier) to get to Midtown from LIC than some areas of Manhattan. It may not be the most bumping area, but I guarantee it will be soon. It checks off a lot of the list that Amazon started with originally (although I fully agree that SY is better connected and checks off even more due to Amtrak)....I am not upset with this decision aside from the fact that it was always going to be NYC and DC and Amazon ran a dog and pony show just for the tax breaks.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Actually, a Notre Dame professor friend of mine nailed this well in advance (which I only just now saw):

"The State wants to capture and benefit from very large enterprises, and very large enterprises want to capture the State. . . . I'm willing to bet you money that Amazon is going to settle in Washington, D.C. It would be the most brilliant move ever. Turn it into Amazon's company town and they will never be touched politically, never."

We were rather short-sighted in thinking that Bezos wanted stuff near his house. He wants his house, his newspaper and his enterprise to cast a large shadow over the District. That's the feeling in his "gut."

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

Actually, a Notre Dame professor friend of mine nailed this well in advance (which I only just now saw):

"The State wants to capture and benefit from very large enterprises, and very large enterprises want to capture the State. . . . I'm willing to bet you money that Amazon is going to settle in Washington, D.C. It would be the most brilliant move ever. Turn it into Amazon's company town and they will never be touched politically, never."

We were rather short-sighted in thinking that Bezos wanted stuff near his house. He wants his house, his newspaper and his enterprise to cast a large shadow over the District. That's the feeling in his "gut."

It's actually kind of terrifying.

[montydawg]

Originally Posted by McBane

This is fair enough but based on your description, it sounds strikingly similar to Schuylkill Yards and all the positives we thought would appeal to Amazon, namely a well located blank canvas for them to grow into. Both LIC and SY offer underdeveloped tracts of land with "horrible urban dynamics" that lie across the river from their respective city's core but also immediately adjacent to lively, fully urbanized neighborhoods (University City and Astoria, Queens). Didn't Atlanta's proposed site (the Gulch) also share these characteristics?

You are right- I was not looking at this in terms of future potential. I just remember walking at night, praying I would not get hit by a car with poor lighting, glass on the sidewalk, etc. It will take lots of infrastructure improvements to make it a vibrant area.

SY has LIC beat on many terms. Of course the Amtrak station and Market subway lines are great assets, but Chestnut and Market street form great thoroughfares which make navigating the area is easy on foot. The university and the riverfront are great neighbors.

Unfortunately, DC and NYC are huge IT talent hubs, and Atlanta was not able to compete in this arena. Georgia was also hurt by some redneck politicians who could not keep their mouth shut, plus Atlanta does not have any commuter rail servicing the suburbs. The Gultch project in Atlanta was supposed to take at least 3 years to be 'move in' ready, which did not meet their timeline- I'm sure this might have been a factor with SY as well.

[boxbot]

I just popped my head in to check out the handwringing. Good job by all. Carry on.

[Boku]

Originally Posted by boxbot

I just popped my head in to check out the handwringing. Good job by all. Carry on.

Pop in for the hand wringing, stay for the detailed explanations of the geographical differences between Queens and Long Island.

[Knight Hospitaller]

^Next up: How New York City and New York state are not the same thing…

[chris08876]

Originally Posted by Boku

Pop in for the hand wringing, stay for the detailed explanations of the geographical differences between Queens and Long Island.

Its quite simple. Queens are a species of females that live in big mansions on an island that is long. Hence, long island. These Queens typically drive Range Rovers, come from Italian descent, and typically are frustrated because their husbands have gumads on the side. You can sometimes see them wearing oversize sun glasses, carrying Louis Vuitton bags, and have more plastic surgery than plastic man.

Philly I don't believe is a territory of the Queens, so no worries. In fact, they won't reach philly because the speed of travel on the LI Expressway or Belt Parkway to Philly would take decades. Plus, the pot holes on I-95 entering Philly (since I-95 has been u/c for ages), will ensure the range rover gets a flat, and they take uber black back to long island because they can't ride with the AAA man.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Its quite simple. Queens are a species of females that live in big mansions on an island that is long. Hence, long island. These Queens typically drive Range Rovers, come from Italian descent, and typically are frustrated because their husbands have gumads on the side. You can sometimes see them wearing oversize sun glasses, carrying Louis Vuitton bags, and have more plastic surgery than plastic man.

Philly I don't believe is a territory of the Queens, so no worries. In fact, they won't reach philly because the speed of travel on the LI Expressway or Belt Parkway to Philly would take decades. Plus, the pot holes on I-95 entering Philly (since I-95 has been u/c for ages), will ensure the range rover gets a flat, and they take uber black back to long island because they can't ride with the AAA man.

Yikes.

[Nova08]

********Can the Mods lock this thread and clean it up.*******

We haven't talked about SY in something like 10 pages. The Amazon decision has been made, it is what it is. If you want to debate geography, city vs. city, cleanliness, or anything else not specifically related to a SY building...go somewhere else.

[Gonzo the Great]

Originally Posted by Nova08

********Can the Mods lock this thread and clean it up.*******

We haven't talked about SY in something like 10 pages. The Amazon decision has been made, it is what it is. If you want to debate geography, city vs. city, cleanliness, or anything else not specifically related to a SY building...go somewhere else.

[Gonzo the Great]

So is the 30th. st. station plan dead in the water ??
You remember .... the project that listed that 1200' pipe dream along side the SY project ....
or , have both projects gone the way of the Disney fantasy project at 8th. & Market..... Just wondering .....

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

So is the 30th. st. station plan dead in the water ??
You remember .... the project that listed that 1200' pipe dream along side the SY project ....
or , have both projects gone the way of the Disney fantasy project at 8th. & Market..... Just wondering .....

Amtrak put out an RFP. It was never expected to start soon. Be patient.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Amtrak put out an RFP. It was never expected to start soon. Be patient.

Also, wasn't there a news report a while back that they kind of put things on hold pending the Amazon HQ2 decision? Now that that's happened, perhaps things will start to pick up a bit.

EDIT--Found it:

Amtrak postpones search for 30th Street developer amid Amazon HQ pursuit

[TempleGuy1000]

Originally Posted by Gonzo the Great

So is the 30th. st. station plan dead in the water ??
You remember .... the project that listed that 1200' pipe dream along side the SY project ....
or , have both projects gone the way of the Disney fantasy project at 8th. & Market..... Just wondering .....

It's literally been just over a month since the last update...

Spark Therapeutics pledges 500 new jobs in move to first project in Schuylkill Yards plan

[Nova08]

I think SY was always on a rough 10-15 year plan while the 30th st development and capping the tracks is on the 15-30 year plan.

[shakman]

Originally Posted by TempleGuy1000

It's literally been just over a month since the last update...

Spark Therapeutics pledges 500 new jobs in move to first project in Schuylkill Yards plan

Will Spark be moving into a new development or into an existing building?

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by shakman

Will Spark be moving into a new development or into an existing building?

From the linked article:

Spark will occupy at least 180,000 square feet, with the option of expanding into 300,000 square feet, at the One Drexel Plaza office building at 3001 Market St., Michael Gerber, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, said in an interview Thursday.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Amtrak put out an RFP. It was never expected to start soon. Be patient.

Amtrak's RFP was more like a request for someone to help them make decisions about the future and help in finding a developer. Unfortunately it will be decades (plural), if then, before anything gets built over the tracks. SY and the rest of University City Science center will be built out before the financials make sense for that type of construction.
Maybe the next pro sports stadium will once again be suggested for 30th ST. during the next round of stadium building happens----whenever that is.