PHILADELPHIA | W Hotel & Element by Westin | 617 FT | 51 FLOORS

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

[IMG]Untitled by TallCoolOne2014, on Flickr[/IMG]

Just chillin' - y'all gotta chill.

Those children ought to be roasted alive, diced, and fed to stray animals in Romania.

Tax proceeds should be repatriated to fund our pre-k program.

The solution is obvious, end of discussion.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Insoluble

Thank you! I feel like the majority of the complaints about the Wendy's (among other things) aren't motivated by race so much as class. Having a mix of ages and incomes walking through Center City is healthy and helps make the city a vibrant and interesting place to be. I much prefer this to the massive empty lots and vacant storefronts between 8th and 11th on Chestnut.

The theme seems to be that we need to rid ourselves of demographics that some residents or their visitors don't want to see because it sullies the Utopian vision of center city Philadelphia. Philly has come a long way, but its still a very poor city, a city with a lot of vacant land, a city with a too high crime rate and a city with a plurality of non-whites. Those are just the facts. Progress continues to be made, but this is a real city, not Disney World or some sort of urban resort where you can control every aspect of life and everything a visitor might see. They have malls for those who want controlled environments (although you will still see tons of teens there) in which everything is predictable, dull, clean and ubiquitous.

[Cro Burnham]

1487, the Wendy's is a flat out negative.

I hate the burbs, malls, etc. Hate whitebread lack of diversity. I've never lived in the burbs. Pretty much been in Philly most of my life except a few years here and there, sad to say.

But that Wendy's sucks. It has been the locus of a large number of unpleasant happenings in Center City over the years. Crappy fast food places, video arcades, sneaker stores, pretty much anything that attracts hoards of loud, obnoxious teen agers - which most teens are - with time to kill loitering on corners sucks. Better if those places are isolated from the rest of non-teen civilization.

I kind of wish there was a ban on charter school development in prime commercial areas of Center City for these reasons.

Make it a race / diversity issue if it makes you feel good about yourself, but it really isn't that.

[hammersklavier]

This thread is for the posting of W Hotel News Only.

[Baconboy007]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

This thread is for the posting of W Hotel News Only.

http://consumerist.com/2014/10/07/lawsuit-claims-starwoods-w-hotels-are-havens-for-prostitution/

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/07/354230881/...m_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr

Looks like the W hotel is going to bring all walks of life to the city, just to satisfy every side of the conversation.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Baconboy007

http://consumerist.com/2014/10/07/lawsuit-claims-starwoods-w-hotels-are-havens-for-prostitution/

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/07/354230881/...m_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromnpr

Looks like the W hotel is going to bring all walks of life to the city, just to satisfy every side of the conversation.

I think we need to screen the guests to make sure they fit the image of those we would like to see visiting our fair city. If they don't they can come, but they need to stay in their rooms.

[hammersklavier]

Let me make this plainer for some of you: off-topic posts will be deleted.

This is not the place to kvetch. Got it?

[Cro Burnham]

Summers can you pull your strings and do a status check-in with Blenfest?

[MetroSplash]

I live in The Ellington (in fact, I was the second person to put a deposit down and the fourth to move in back in 2006) and while we all had a bit of a dip in value, it wasn't nearly as bad as other areas. I bought here because I knew the street was changing and, if we (my then BF and now husband - thanks for SSM PA!) waited long enough, the values would skyrocket. We watched the Ritz go up and now I'm anxiously awaiting the start of the W construction. Chestnut retail gets better and better almost monthly now. The Wendy's is moving up the street, and I think that will make a difference in the kids hanging out front. It's one thing hanging on a corner where you can run in 4 directions if a fight breaks out and the cops show up, but up towards the middle of the block, there won't be room or enough escape options to encourage loitering.

Sorry to go off topic. Back on topic, the Avenir renovation above the current Wendy's location will bring hundreds of new young professionals to that corner and W will put this area over the top. They drilled core samples over the summer, and every day I look out my window hoping to see the cars gone and workers ripping up the parking lot. As soon as they do, I'll post a lot of constructions pics. It's a crime that the parking lot has been allowed to be there for almost 2 decades.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by MetroSplash

I live in The Ellington (in fact, I was the second person to put a deposit down and the fourth to move in back in 2006) and while we all had a bit of a dip in value, it wasn't nearly as bad as other areas. I bought here because I knew the street was changing and, if we (my then BF and now husband - thanks for SSM PA!) waited long enough, the values would skyrocket. We watched the Ritz go up and now I'm anxiously awaiting the start of the W construction. Chestnut retail gets better and better almost monthly now. The Wendy's is moving up the street, and I think that will make a difference in the kids hanging out front. It's one thing hanging on a corner where you can run in 4 directions if a fight breaks out and the cops show up, but up towards the middle of the block, there won't be room or enough escape options to encourage loitering.

Sorry to go off topic. Back on topic, the Avenir renovation above the current Wendy's location will bring hundreds of new young professionals to that corner and W will put this area over the top. They drilled core samples over the summer, and every day I look out my window hoping to see the cars gone and workers ripping up the parking lot. As soon as they do, I'll post a lot of constructions pics. It's a crime that the parking lot has been allowed to be there for almost 2 decades.

Looking forward to seeing your construction pictures!

[Jawnadelphia]

To confirm earlier posts, the parking attendant people don't know when the lot will be closing, but "it will be soon." -- is all the guy said he knew. Repeat, "I don't know when, but will be soon."

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

To confirm earlier posts, the parking attendant people don't know when the lot will be closing, but "it will be soon." -- is all the guy said he knew. Repeat, "I don't know when, but will be soon."

Did you happen to ask him when we'll be able to teleport ourselves to other planets? That might also be "soon."

[iheartphilly]

Here's the link to bidclerk and project number (2397346):
https://www.bidclerk.com/project/2397346.html

Tutor/Perini was last listed as the general contractor.

Anyone interested in signing up to get the latest info...don't know if they charge for this info.

[summersm343]

Yeah, usually you have to pay for that info.

Curious though, that link says 58 floors? Was there a height increase?

58 floors would certainly put this over 600 feet.

[loves development]

How is this project being funded?

Who are the lead banks making loans on this?

I hear its hard to get projects like this off the ground?

Thanks

[Jawnadelphia]

Originally Posted by TJM

How is this project being funded?

Who are the lead banks making loans on this?

I hear its hard to get projects like this off the ground?

Thanks

This is what we know, and our trusted moderator may know a little more!

http://www.phillyliving.com/blog/ccra-hears-presentation-on-welement-hotel.html

http://www.philly.com/philly/business/Plans_for_two_hotels_at_15th_and_Chestnut_taking_shape.html

[1487]

Originally Posted by TJM

How is this project being funded?

Who are the lead banks making loans on this?

I hear its hard to get projects like this off the ground?

Thanks

they got $30m in funding from the city and possibly more from the state- they should be able to get this off the ground.

[loves development]

30 mil from the city and state? - but the project costs 280+ mil.

Thats a gap of 250 Mil - where is that money coming from?

I know Lenfest has a few bucks but cant imagine that he is going to fork over the difference?

What type of banks finance this type of development?

courious??

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by TJM

30 mil from the city and state? - but the project costs 280+ mil.

Thats a gap of 250 Mil - where is that money coming from?

I know Lenfest has a few bucks but cant imagine that he is going to fork over the difference?

What type of banks finance this type of development?

courious??

According to the Developer himself (who I had email contact with) there will not be any financing from banks.

$30 million from city and state.
+Money from Lenfest himself
+Money from Starwood Hotels
+Money from Private Investors

They already have full financing, it is not an issue at all. The last bit of money they needed was the TIF from the city/state which they received.

[Lincolndrive]

Had a talk with someone yesterday who is pretty involved and everything is looking like a 99% go as confirmed by everyone else here. The one crucial question of course is ground breaking which the person said it wouldn't be until spring 2015 which I guess could mean anything from January until June. Lets hope its earlier but I thought I would fill everyone in so you don't expect ground breaking in 2014.