PHILADELPHIA | 2012 Chestnut Street | 161 FT | 14 FLOORS

[jsbrook]

Will this start before Pearl's Chestnut Street tower? What is Pearl doing? Maybe now that the Beacon is nearly complete, we' see its downsized Chestnut Street tower get going.

[mcgrath618]

Hate to bump a 2 year old thread but... does ANYONE know ANYTHING about what happened here? I was making the OP for Highrise Thread X and saw this project everyone had forgotten about. According to the Atlas the abandoned building onsite was inspected in October and was written up for multiple violations. Is this project dead? Pearl is usually pretty good about getting shit done.

[mcgrath618]

A "start date" of 2020 as per the CCD Development Report...


What the heck does this building even look like?

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

A "start date" of 2020 as per the CCD Development Report...


What the heck does this building even look like?

McGrath, all of these are fake. I'm shocked the CCD report does not have Mandeville. It would if they thought they could get away with it.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

McGrath, all of these are fake. I'm shocked the CCD report does not have Mandeville. It would if they thought they could get away with it.

To be fair, people (including Summers) have updated threads with this info before, so I thought it was at least somewhat credible.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

To be fair, people (including Summers) have updated threads with this info before, so I thought it was at least somewhat credible.

All good. I think it can, but CCD does not delete proposals until it is 100% clear they are cancelled. I think its dates, absent some other credible source, can't be trusted. They just go with what was originally suggested at the time the project was announced and never change it until the date passes (barring an actual start and new information).

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

All good. I think it can, but CCD does not delete proposals until it is 100% clear they are cancelled. I think its dates, absent some other credible source, can't be trusted. They just go with what was originally suggested at the time the project was announced and never change it until the date passes (barring an actual start and new information).

My question still stands, however. What is/was this building going to look like?

[GtownFriend]

This is the sketch Summers posted when he created the thread. Haven't seen anything since.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by GtownFriend

This is the sketch Summers posted when he created the thread. Haven't seen anything since.

That's all I've seen. I don't think we ever got a real render of this concept that's been released publicly.

[Jayfar]

A long belated update is at hand, but to clear away old business first — the blog item posted last October at PhillyYimby (which somehow didn't make it into this thread) was completely outdated a couple years before it was posted. Seriously. They changed up architects at least a couple years ago.

IGNORE ALL OF THIS: https://phillyyimby.com/2020/10/20-s...nter-city.html

The only thing remaining the same is Alterra as the lead developer. Not Cope Linder. Not 20 stories. Not 253 feet. Not 200 units.

Current plan is designed by JKRP Architects: 14 stories, 161' height, 162 residential units (130 market rate; 32 units 'workforce housing'), ~4,500 sq ft ground floor commercial space. Financing is in place and they hope to break ground by January 2022, with completion Jan 2023.

Here's a youtube video of a presentation this past Jan 13 to the Center City Residents Association, with which there is also a Community Benefits Agreement. The architect's presentation by JKRP Principal Jonathan Broh begins at the 16:55 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhxlfXrg8lQ

Community Benefits Agreement: https://www.centercityresidents.org/...0(2)%20(3).pdf

A February report from the CCRA's task force on the project: https://www.centercityresidents.org/...F%20Report.pdf

And the zoning overlay ordinance with supporting documentation: http://www.amlegal.com/pdffiles/Philadelphia/200348.pdf

Spot zoning at it's finest (or when CMX-4 just ain't quite enough):

Excerpt defining the area:

(.33) West Chestnut Street Area.
The West Chestnut Street Area shall consist of all lots with at least 80 ft. of
street frontage on the south side of Chestnut Street and street frontage on
the north side of Ionic Street, beginning at the corner of 20th Street and
following a line running westwardly along Chestnut Street a distance of
205 ft.

"This is a true and correct copy of the original Bill, Passed by the City
Council on April 29, 2021. The Bill was Signed by the Mayor on May 11, 2021."

Rendering courtesy JKRP Architects

[Urbanthusiat]

Glad to see some movement here. PHA is so incredibly incompetent I still don’t have much faith in this happening, even with Alterra involved. Would love to be wrong.

[PurpleWhiteOut]

Really cheap and ugly looking for that scale and location imo. Watching the presentation, they claim the dark color will be cast stone or concrete, and thankfully not metal panels like I initially thought.

[Jayfar]

Also see an extensive discussion at Philadelphia Industrial & Commercial Heritage, including the history of the present building (which is a significant building in the Center City West Commercial Historic District on the National Register) and its original occupant, J.B. Sheppard and Sons, a linens merchant founded in 1851.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Phil...8091751479458/

Originally Posted by Jayfar

A long belated update is at hand, but to clear away old business first — the blog item posted last October at PhillyYimby (which somehow didn't make it into this thread) was completely outdated a couple years before it was posted. Seriously. They changed up architects at least a couple years ago.

IGNORE ALL OF THIS: https://phillyyimby.com/2020/10/20-s...nter-city.html

The only thing remaining the same is Alterra as the lead developer. Not Cope Linder. Not 20 stories. Not 253 feet. Not 200 units.

Current plan is designed by JKRP Architects: 14 stories, 161' height, 162 residential units (130 market rate; 32 units 'workforce housing'), ~4,500 sq ft ground floor commercial space. Financing is in place and they hope to break ground by January 2022, with completion Jan 2023.

Here's a youtube video of a presentation this past Jan 13 to the Center City Residents Association, with which there is also a Community Benefits Agreement. The architect's presentation by JKRP Principal Jonathan Broh begins at the 16:55 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhxlfXrg8lQ

Community Benefits Agreement: https://www.centercityresidents.org/...0(2)%20(3).pdf

A February report from the CCRA's task force on the project: https://www.centercityresidents.org/...F%20Report.pdf

And the zoning overlay ordinance with supporting documentation: http://www.amlegal.com/pdffiles/Philadelphia/200348.pdf

Spot zoning at it's finest (or when CMX-4 just ain't quite enough):

Excerpt defining the area:

(.33) West Chestnut Street Area.
The West Chestnut Street Area shall consist of all lots with at least 80 ft. of
street frontage on the south side of Chestnut Street and street frontage on
the north side of Ionic Street, beginning at the corner of 20th Street and
following a line running westwardly along Chestnut Street a distance of
205 ft.

"This is a true and correct copy of the original Bill, Passed by the City
Council on April 29, 2021. The Bill was Signed by the Mayor on May 11, 2021."

Rendering courtesy JKRP Architects

[mcgrath618]

Wait… you’re telling me that PhillyYIMBY posted baseless speculation and outdated information? I’m absolutely shocked!

I’m okay with this project. Not excited, not upset, just okay. It’s definitely better than what’s there now.

[SEFTA]

That historic façade could be easily integrated in with this generic proposal.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

That historic façade could be easily integrated in with this generic proposal.

This is Philadelphia, protecting historic structures & facades is too much of a burden. (ironic for America's most historic city though).

[City Wide]

Considering what's being proposed a block or two away, is anyone else alittle surprised by this not having more height? It certainly has a large enough lot size to have more than a shortish box built there.
Then again, with the history this has, who knows when and if it will happen. PHA has no reason to be anxious to get this done. The City should be as they will start to collect a little bit of tax revenue.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Considering what's being proposed a block or two away, is anyone else alittle surprised by this not having more height? It certainly has a large enough lot size to have more than a shortish box built there.
Then again, with the history this has, who knows when and if it will happen. PHA has no reason to be anxious to get this done. The City should be as they will start to collect a little bit of tax revenue.

West of 19th St, including the 2000 block of Chestnut, is only zoned CMX-4. East of 19th, including the 115 S. 19th St site and the CVS site, is CMX-5. As it stands, Alterra got a special overlay zoning bill passed to enable the present plan without variances.

[PHLtoNYC]

Not that I expect this to happen, but wouldn't this stretch be a nice spot for another boutique style hotel? Right off the square, great location, good food nearby, great skyline views from a rooftop bar, etc.

I am thinking the Edition Brand under Marriott.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

Not that I expect this to happen, but wouldn't this stretch be a nice spot for another boutique style hotel? Right off the square, great location, good food nearby, great skyline views from a rooftop bar, etc.

I am thinking the Edition Brand under Marriott.

Honestly, If I'm a hotelier, I'm looking hard at Philly right now. Despite the new hotels, there is still a huge shortage in CC.