PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by summersm343

And can anyone get into this PBJ article about 1620 Sansom?

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia...-property-leased-to-sonder-hits-the.html

Here you go...

The owner of 1620 Sansom St. will test the strength of a long-term lease with Sonder, a San Francisco company that is taking on Airbnb and traditional hotels by leasing up apartment buildings and renting the units out much like a Four Seasons or Marriott would a room.

An entity affiliated Bridge Funding of New York and Ravi Chawla, a Philadelphia real estate investor, owns the property that runs from 1608-1634 Sansom St. and has a 10-year master lease with Sonder on a proposed multifamily project that would be built on top of an existing 300-space parking garage. The project would have 208 apartments in 147,000 square feet and the owner has put that along with the master lease up for sale for $32 million.

[tsarstruck]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Something's wrong with my Philly.com subscription it seems, and I can't get into this article about Freeman's auction moving. Can anyone get into it to see if there are any tidbits in here?

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/com...ng-2400-market-fitler-club-20190905.html

The 214-year-old auction house will occupy 5,000 square feet of retail space on the riverside building’s ground floor, where it plans a gallery and auction room, and 5,000 square feet of office space on the structure’s third floor, said Adriano Calvanese, a vice president for building owner PMC Property Group.
...

Freeman’s said earlier this year that it planned to move from its Samuel T. Freeman Auction Co. building, at 1808 Chestnut St. near Rittenhouse Square, and put the 1924 structure up for sale.

The building’s likely buyer is developer Astoban Investments LLC, which said in a June application to the Philadelphia Historical Commission that it wanted to convert the property into condos.

...

Also this winter, Freeman’s plans to open a second Philadelphia location, in the Civic Building apartments at 1600 W. Girard Ave., formerly St. Joseph’s Hospital. That venue will specialize in “emerging markets and young collectors,” Freeman’s said.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by Redddog

Truly. I will say, I would love it if those blocks, when they do develop, aren't block-long superstores. It would be cool if eventual developers would keep the smaller storefront platform that leads to a diversity of merchants and that would also be easier to fill from a rent perspective. A mix is the goal and we already have the huge tenant thing happening.

I wasn’t envisioning one thing or the other, but certainly didn’t meant to imply one storefront per block. All of the Disney hole is going to be a single project. I’m not sure about what PREIT owns and does not own in the 1000 block.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Nova08

Here you go...

Great, thank you for pulling! Also found this massing rendering of 1620 Sansom... looks to be 15-16 floors. Cool!

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/11435495/img8296*750xx1836-2448-306-0.jpg

[DudeGuy]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Great, thank you for pulling! Also found this massing rendering of 1620 Sansom... looks to be 15-16 floors. Cool!

https://media.bizj.us/view/img/11435495/img8296*750xx1836-2448-306-0.jpg

Two things:

• Are they going to demolish the buildings fronting 16th street?
• I hope there isn't a parking element that drops out onto Sansom - I think long term it would be great if the street could be pedestrianized. If Sansom continues to have parking garages on it that's unlikely to happen.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by cardeza

It is not a monumental improvement at pedestrian level. That's the problem. Looking at pics of the developed structures is fine and from a distance it looks impressive- but at street level it's not. In fact, the 1100 block still seems unfinished due to the missing street lights, sidewalk barriers and cracking sidewalks.

I consider it a monumental improvement outside the Iron Hill and the entire outdoor courtyard area spanning to Ludlow. Also the Lit Bros building and other landscaping further East. Even on Market and 12th and 11th themselves. Yes, there's more work to be done. But it's a monumental improvement from when I walked these stretches 4 years ago.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by DudeGuy

Two things:

• Are they going to demolish the buildings fronting 16th street?
• I hope there isn't a parking element that drops out onto Sansom - I think long term it would be great if the street could be pedestrianized. If Sansom continues to have parking garages on it that's unlikely to happen.

No, they are just building a tower on top of the existing garage judging by the render. I agree it's a missed opportunity. I wish they would at least reclad the garage and make it look more attractive as part of this.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Redddog

I walk that stretch every day. I think the smell is from the trash in the sewer system. It smells like a garbage truck. If you look down in there, you can see it rotting. And I get the feeling there is no plan for that to go away.

The homelessness and vagrancy is going to be a very difficult problem to wash away from that stretch. Tourism will always make that a destination for that crowd - tourists are the ones giving out the cash. And the fact that no one has figured out how or if they want to move them along (whether you really can or not) is the issue.

I think the North side of Market is actually pretty much done - from City Hall to Indy Hall. It's the South side that needs work. But It seems that more than one prospective developer has indicated that further development will hinge on how well the East Market/FDP numbers. I'm really hoping for that to hit well. That damn Disney hole kills me everytime. I keep imagining a huge art deco hotel with upscale ground floor retail everytime I walk by.

11th street, south of market is going to look completely different in a few years. There is incredible momentum going on there.

Yeah...either trash or urine or both on the awful smell, but you hit the nail on the head on the other things about homelessness and I might even add people hawking bottle water for $1 on the corners and other things is not a good look. I might be over-critical but have high expectations for the city and that should be the rule and not the exception. Especially as current residential bldgs are being leased out and future residential bldgs being built, it will have an impact on the decision making process on folks looking to move into the Market East. And, I do agree that there's momentum to change this in a few years. I suppose I'm a bit impatient to wait for more changes for all the good things to come to fruition.

[GtownFriend]

Apparently there are people thinking/working on some of these East Market issues.
(from a couple weeks ago, but perhaps still relevant)
https://billypenn.com/2019/08/19/how-phi...to-be-part-of-the-homelessness-solution/

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Yeah...either trash or urine or both on the awful smell, but you hit the nail on the head on the other things about homelessness and I might even add people hawking bottle water for $1 on the corners and other things is not a good look. I might be over-critical but have high expectations for the city and that should be the rule and not the exception. Especially as current residential bldgs are being leased out and future residential bldgs being built, it will have an impact on the decision making process on folks looking to move into the Market East. And, I do agree that there's momentum to change this in a few years. I suppose I'm a bit impatient to wait for more changes for all the good things to come to fruition.

Write to people, make it an issue, tweet about it - things won't improve unless you voice it. These forums are great and all but complaining to those in power actually does make a difference. Levy will personally write you back if you email CCD. I tweet @ the city and related agencies about problems i see and they are amazingly responsive.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Write to people, make it an issue, tweet about it - things won't improve unless you voice it. These forums are great and all but complaining to those in power actually does make a difference. Levy will personally write you back if you email CCD. I tweet @ the city and related agencies about problems i see and they are amazingly responsive.

Agreed. I sent CCD a complaint and Levy emailed me back in a few days.

[thisisforreal]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

No, they are just building a tower on top of the existing garage judging by the render.

Wow - my children go to the school next door. While we get there via MFL, I'm wondering how the parade of buses and cars would be impacted by this since they all come down that block. That's potentially 150+ members of a NIMBY coalition.

[Knight Hospitaller]

^ There’s always Moravian Street, but I doubt that can handle much of anything.

[SEFTA]

I can't believe they're not tearing that garage down.

[Jawnadelphia]

^That church doesn't get the credit it deserves - an architectural marvel.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

^That church doesn't get the credit it deserves - an architectural marvel.

Agree. I love that stonework on the facade. Those windows are massive!!

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I can't believe they're not tearing that garage down.

Honestly. Who the HAIL made that decision and why do they still have a job. That garage is a joke.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Yeah...either trash or urine or both on the awful smell, but you hit the nail on the head on the other things about homelessness and I might even add people hawking bottle water for $1 on the corners and other things is not a good look. I might be over-critical but have high expectations for the city and that should be the rule and not the exception. Especially as current residential bldgs are being leased out and future residential bldgs being built, it will have an impact on the decision making process on folks looking to move into the Market East. And, I do agree that there's momentum to change this in a few years. I suppose I'm a bit impatient to wait for more changes for all the good things to come to fruition.

I don't even understand why someone would have an issue with someone selling water. Truly, i couldn't even imagine how it would bother anyone.

If you saw a cop hassling a dude trying to sell some water, this would be something you'd enjoy?

I think the vision some people have for east market is just incompatible with reality.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by allovertown

I don't even understand why someone would have an issue with someone selling water. Truly, i couldn't even imagine how it would bother anyone.

If you saw a cop hassling a dude trying to sell some water, this would be something you'd enjoy?

I think the vision some people have for east market is just incompatible with reality.

When they sit in the right of way of the sidewalk and block the flow of movement of people going about their day. But the act of selling doesn't bother me per se.

Nah, no cop should be harrassing a dude selling water. They got bigger things to deal with than that on their day to day stuff.

East Market will get better-just nickpicking.

[kingtut]

Penn ranked 4th in U.S. ranked Universities for 2020 by WSJ/Times Higher Ed .
The catalyst for growth in University City .https://www.thedp.com/article/2019/09/wall-street-journal-college-rankings-penn-fourth-upenn