PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[philatonian]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

http://www.philly.com/philly/living/2014...an_overlooked_pocket_of_Center_City.html

I think it looks more like 1706 Rittenhouse than the PSFS Building. Either way it's a welcome addition.

[summersm343]

More bookings at the Convention Center
Thanks to new work rules
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...on-center-inks-three-expo-deal-with.html

Also- 50 more jobs to Camden thanks to Cooper expansion
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...two-more-patient-care-floors-adding.html

[PhiLaw]

Got off the subway this morning and noticed a "For Lease" sign at the Broad and Washington mega-site (east side). It states there's 500,000 sq ft. of retail space available. Is this sign new or has this been there?

[1487]

any updates on the demo of the best western hotel near 22nd and Spring Garden? Hopefully that is underway by now.

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by PhiLaw

Got off the subway this morning and noticed a "For Lease" sign at the Broad and Washington mega-site (east side). It states there's 500,000 sq ft. of retail space available. Is this sign new or has this been there?

has been there at least a month now, maybe two

[tsarstruck]

Originally Posted by Kidphilly

has been there at least a month now, maybe two

Did the sign really say 500,000 SF? The original proposal for a vertical big box retail center was 400,000 SF. And I thought there'd be a lot less retail with Blatstein's plan to go for a residential tower. Who the heck knows what's going on here.

[tsarstruck]

Inga Saffron has a piece up on Inquirer.com about a proposed six story building by David Blumenfeld's Cross Properties / Barton Partners behind the Rodin museum. Keep in mind this is just the massing rendering. Although her reaction is mixed, she criticizes it for among slightly less stupid reasons than it not preserving the City Branch arch for the proposed (and never, ever going to happen) mugging and assault underground park.

Blumenfeld also plans a row of storefronts on Hamilton Street. That will cement the block as a retail hub. He also wants to tuck the parking garage underground. At the same time, he will preserve a corridor for a future rail line, as required by a SEPTA easement. The park is what could be the big loser.
...

To be fair, its design is still in an early stage. Barton has simply sketched a site plan showing the size and arrangement of the building's parts. It hasn't colored in the fine details or selected materials, the magical alchemy that produces architecture. Blumenfeld (brother of Divine Lorraine developer Eric Blumenfeld) says he wants to get the support of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association before paying for a more detailed design.

....

Right now, the architects are showing a building shaped like the number '7.' A long, curving facade would face the back of the Rodin, while the retail portion on Hamilton Street would be just one story. Blumenfeld has promised to install a 60-foot wide linear park between the curved facade and the Rodin, with a restaurant opening onto the green space.

It would be better for the Rodin if the designers flipped this layout, placing the long facade on Hamilton Street. That would give the museum the breathing room it deserves, without compromising the Hamilton Street retail. The other benefit is that a narrower, more compact structure could also preserve space below for a future rail park. The designers could even embed light wells in the strip park to make the tunnel feel less claustrophobic.

http://www.inquirer.com/features/lifesty...e_Rodin.html?authenticated=1407443758158

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by tsarstruck

Inga Saffron has a piece up on Inquirer.com about a proposed six story building by David Blumenfeld's Cross Properties / Barton Partners behind the Rodin museum. Keep in mind this is just the massing rendering. Although her reaction is mixed, she criticizes it for among slightly less stupid reasons than it not preserving the City Branch arch for the proposed (and never, ever going to happen) mugging and assault underground park.





http://www.inquirer.com/features/lifesty...e_Rodin.html?authenticated=1407443758158

Wow is really tight to the Rodin - I hope they make the facade respectable behind the Rodin. Also I am glad they are keeping the ROW - I would love to see that ROW as transit one day - to me far more important than a park underground

here is a plan I have that would leverage that ROW but not the elevated portion of the Viaduct

Also Initially I agree with Inga that the flip may make sense - but need to ponder that more the Wall may better act a s backdrop if done appropriately FTR I am against the park submerged. Hmmm this area needs more green space - right....


as an aside - with all the new projects this side of the parkway is really filling in

now if only we can a redo on the soviet blocks across from them

[Kidphilly]

Originally Posted by tsarstruck

Did the sign really say 500,000 SF? The original proposal for a vertical big box retail center was 400,000 SF. And I thought there'd be a lot less retail with Blatstein's plan to go for a residential tower. Who the heck knows what's going on here.

Yeah 500K sq foot is a small mall size

who knows really. I would love to see 200K retail and 2 to 3 mid rise towers with some commercial but who am I

I did hear from a pretty good source that Wegmans is dead there or anywhere in the city (some union fears with employees had them stay away)

City Target would be good here

there are so many good development lots in this area - wonder what all this will look like in 20 years

this coming from one with a vested interest in this general area living on the 10 hundred block of Carpenter

[philatonian]

Looks like something's finally been pitched for the hole behind the Rodin Museum. Does anyone remember what project had begun construction at that site and then walked away? You can still see the rusted I-beams from where they started.

http://www.inquirer.com/features/lifesty..._Building_plan_may_hem_in_the_Rodin.html

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by philatonian

Looks like something's finally been pitched for the hole behind the Rodin Museum. Does anyone remember what project had begun construction at that site and then walked away? You can still see the rusted I-beams from where they started.

http://www.inquirer.com/features/lifesty..._Building_plan_may_hem_in_the_Rodin.html

This was the old design. It was pretty much killed by the recession.
http://www.trulia.com/property/45967139-2100-Hamilton-St-Philadelphia-PA-19130#photo-1

Glad to see renderings finally popping up for the new building.

[josef]

Originally Posted by summersm343

More bookings at the Convention Center
Thanks to new work rules
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...on-center-inks-three-expo-deal-with.html

Also- 50 more jobs to Camden thanks to Cooper expansion
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...two-more-patient-care-floors-adding.html

Nice, thanks for sharing.

[cafeguy]

http://www.philly.com/philly/living/2014..._Building_plan_may_hem_in_the_Rodin.html

I am a 100% supporter of creating more density along the parkway. Hell, I'm all for building tall even! But to stick this sh!tty looking curved box behind the Rodin museum is a disaster. I'm with Inga on this, if they are gonna build right up to the back of this building, dominating the visual area behind it, its gotta have nice architecture. Philly needs to step in and start demanding designs that have some imagination.

As for the underground park... its a bad idea. Let the highline in chinatown grow... turn this in to a rail line. Hopefully, when leaving space for it, they leave enough room for ALL possible options... subway, rapid bus, rail, etc.

On another note, I walked past the regional rail line yesterday near girard and 10th and realized how quiet it was compared to the subway elevated line. Why is that?

[1487]

Originally Posted by cafeguy

http://www.philly.com/philly/living/2014..._Building_plan_may_hem_in_the_Rodin.html

I am a 100% supporter of creating more density along the parkway. Hell, I'm all for building tall even! But to stick this sh!tty looking curved box behind the Rodin museum is a disaster. I'm with Inga on this, if they are gonna build right up to the back of this building, dominating the visual area behind it, its gotta have nice architecture. Philly needs to step in and start demanding designs that have some imagination.

As for the underground park... its a bad idea. Let the highline in chinatown grow... turn this in to a rail line. Hopefully, when leaving space for it, they leave enough room for ALL possible options... subway, rapid bus, rail, etc.

On another note, I walked past the regional rail line yesterday near girard and 10th and realized how quiet it was compared to the subway elevated line. Why is that?

I think its a little early for so much criticism of the design. As the article states, none of the details have been worked out at this stage, just the general size and profile of the building.

[Larry King]

I doubt they can pull off this project anyway

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by Larry King

I doubt they can pull off this project anyway

Negativity? Why do you say that? I happen to know they are very focused on making sure this project happens.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by 1487

I think its a little early for so much criticism of the design. As the article states, none of the details have been worked out at this stage, just the general size and profile of the building.

I am unpleasantly surprised that a firm like Barton was selected for such an important site. I have never seen anything other the bland, cheap-looking and ill-proportioned from that firm.

[Baconboy007]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

I am unpleasantly surprised that a firm like Barton was selected for such an important site. I have never seen anything other the bland, cheap-looking and ill-proportioned from that firm.

I have friends that live in their buildings in Richmond VA and they're pretty nice(the buildings, my friends are ok). They use space well and added a luxurious feel to what used to be a fairly run down tobacco warehouse.

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by Baconboy007

I have friends that live in their buildings in Richmond VA and they're pretty nice(the buildings, my friends are ok). They use space well and added a luxurious feel to what used to be a fairly run down tobacco warehouse.

well that's good to hear.

But the initial massing study seems pretty lame. Looks like a medical office building. Hope they refine it substantially. You would want something pretty deferential and light looking behind the Rodin, maybe something like a smaller EVO without quite as much visual stimulation.

[1487]

looking at the AQ rittenhouse site today I saw why the progress has been so slow. They are installing prefab concrete deck for each floor supported by steel beams. They cant move up a floor until all the slabs are in place and apparently they werent ready or available until now. They were placing the 2nd floor today.