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

[boxbot]

Originally Posted by Valnaya

Where is the outdoor pool going?

Outdoors.

In all seriousness though, why are they excavating around the existing building remnants? Can't they just go nuts and start ripping things out? Is there a concern that they're tied into existing buildings or infrastructure?

[thisisforreal]

Originally Posted by boxbot

Outdoors.

In all seriousness though, why are they excavating around the existing building remnants? Can't they just go nuts and start ripping things out? Is there a concern that they're tied into existing buildings or infrastructure?

I've been wondering that, too. Looks like today they're making some decent progress in the northwest corner. They've dug down about 8 feet or so:

[1487]

Originally Posted by boxbot

Outdoors.

In all seriousness though, why are they excavating around the existing building remnants? Can't they just go nuts and start ripping things out? Is there a concern that they're tied into existing buildings or infrastructure?

It could be that those elements of the old foundation are in close proximity to underground utilities they don't want to damage during demolition.

[wondertwinalpha]

Article and New Night Rendering posted on Philadelphia Mag. website.

W Philadelphia:

Chestnut Street entrance
W Living Room with full bar and VIP room on ground floor
Destination restaurant with 150 seats also on ground floor
7,000-square-foot WET outdoor terrace with year-round outdoor pool and destination bar
2,900-square-foot spa
1,400 square foot FIT gym
45,000-square-foot meeting and event space
Element Philadelphia:

Arrival lobby on Chestnut; elevator access to main lobby on second floor
Complimentary bikes to borrow program
Complimentary RISE breakfast and RELAX evening reception
1,400-square-foot breakfast and lounge area
1,600-square-foot fitness center
560-square-foot branded meeting space
Has LEED-certification
The W/Element is set to open in early 2018.


Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/property/2015/0...elphia-construction/#RDcsXVh2CPLCjP4Y.99

[Plokoon11]

I LOVE the lights!

[boxbot]

Blenfest:

Regarding lights in new evening render, will they be LED color changeable/animated?

[blenfest]

Originally Posted by boxbot

Blenfest:

Regarding lights in new evening render, will they be LED color changeable/animated?

White and programmable. I'm getting the incremental cost for color but it's not in the budget.

[hammersklavier]

I had a thought -- what if we had a program that gave grants for LED color lighting that would then be programmable, showing team colors when we're in the playoffs, pink for breast cancer month, that sort of thing? Didn't we used to have that? I think Liberty Place and the Mellon Bank building still coordinate their lighting.

...huh, I just realized that would have been a really cool reason for the PSFS sign to go LED. With the neon, it can't be any color other than red.

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

I had a thought -- what if we had a program that gave grants for LED color lighting that would then be programmable, showing team colors when we're in the playoffs, pink for breast cancer month, that sort of thing? Didn't we used to have that? I think Liberty Place and the Mellon Bank building still coordinate their lighting.

...huh, I just realized that would have been a really cool reason for the PSFS sign to go LED. With the neon, it can't be any color other than red.

Isn't philly still pretty modest about the lighting on buildings at night in comparison to other cities in the US?

[techchallenger]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

...huh, I just realized that would have been a really cool reason for the PSFS sign to go LED. With the neon, it can't be any color other than red.

Lets stick with the red neon please.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Isn't philly still pretty modest about the lighting on buildings at night in comparison to other cities in the US?

Yeah...for a city that doesn't have street sweeping, we are incredibly austere about the weirdest things.

Neon Lights!?!?!?!?! Times Square Billboards!?!?!

[thisisforreal]

There's now a small trench on the Northwest side, marked by the barrels and the yellow tape:



These daily images will be more fun when the thing is rising

[1487]

Inky reported that Tutor Perini (formerly Keating Building Corp) has the $239M contract for this building. Of course their signs have been up on site for months so this isnt news- but it does tell you how much the actual building costs to build. So the other $40m must be design, legal fees and the parcel.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

I had a thought -- what if we had a program that gave grants for LED color lighting that would then be programmable, showing team colors when we're in the playoffs, pink for breast cancer month, that sort of thing? Didn't we used to have that? I think Liberty Place and the Mellon Bank building still coordinate their lighting.

...huh, I just realized that would have been a really cool reason for the PSFS sign to go LED. With the neon, it can't be any color other than red.

That would be nice. Personally, I think there should be more crowdfunding in real estate investment generally. It could really help more projects get off the ground more quickly. And, I think, be done in a way where everyone is a winner. It does exist (for example, the Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs crowdfunded a 15% equity stake for $1.5 million), but I don't think it's really been done in a way that lives up to its potential. There are challenges, including but not limited to an appropriate mechanism for many small-scale investors to enjoy an ROI and harmonizing with big ticket investors/primary project financieers. At present, participants generally must also be accredited investors, which precludes many. The Regulation A portion of the JOBS Act allows nonaccredited investors to take part in deals, but I believe only those under $5 million. I had actually thought about digging in and working on a project to alter real estate crowdfunding, including establishment of a platform and lobbying for legal tweaks. But I just started a new business so it's not something I'll be able to focus any attention on any time soon.

With that large aside...Blenfest, if you get the incremental add-on for color on the lights, let us know. A few hundred people here might be able to contribute to the cause (though fewer her likely qualify as accredited investors)...

[summersm343]

Article from the Philadelphia Business Journal on this project. Not sure if this was posted:

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...otel-financing-chestnut-center-city.html

[summersm343]

Update from Building Philly



https://www.facebook.com/BuildingPhilly

[domodeez]

Tons and tons of stuff to dig up from this site. They'll be going at it for quite a while.

From Monday:



From Tuesday:

[Philly-Drew]

I don't know fellas. I think there is still a chance they pave it back over and put the parking lot back!


Hehe!

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

I don't know fellas. I think there is still a chance they pave it back over and put the parking lot back!


Hehe!

Of course that's what's really happening. They're just removing the foundation remnants from underneath the parking lot surface because, quite frankly, they were making it a bit rough for folks like me to park my Yugo and Cro Burnham to park his Edsel:



[I kid! I kid! I love you AND your Edsel. ]

[1487]

I guess the underground work here is similar to East Market so we are looking at many months of subgrade work, especially considering this property is getting a relatively large underground parking garage. They may not be above ground until 2016.