Quote:
Originally Posted by McBane
So desperate for something at 8th and Market, sure. The only thing that would really satisfy me at the Disneyhole i multiple 600+ towers with at least some commercial component (residential, in Philly at least, rarely eclipses 500 ft). Obviously, that won't ever happen in my lifetime. The city is deficient when it comes to attracting/retaining large employers and anything that does happen in that regard, SY and the NY are more logical destinations. So fuck it.
My one concern is what impact an arena will have in the area. How many landlords will let their buildings rot to demolish and build a garage? How many existing parking lots that we all hope to see turn into something meaningful, will continue to operate as parking lots?
I suppose an arena can help energize an area but at the same time, it is likely to proliferate parking at the expense of anything better.
And p.s., any project that involves the demo of any existing buildings (esp the one pictured here) to make way for an arena or parking is a big fat NO in my book. Disneyhole is big enough and if it's not enough, then find another site.
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How many people already work in the area? Drive in to conventions? Are in the area for tourism? Live nearby?
I don't know. I know 19,000 people is a lot and maybe it drives demand for some more parking structures, but there are already multiple garages in the area to serve the significant demand for parking that already exists. Considering Work, convention, and tourist parking demand is generally during the day and events at the arena will generally take place at night, I don't know if this significantly adds to demand for parking at all.
You've already got the giant garage on 8th and Arch that the PPA just refurbished. You've got the giant Gallery Parking Garage between 8th and 9th on Filbert. Another Parking Garage at 7th and Market. There is a huge parking garage under the Independence Visitor Center that is completely empty at night. A giant block bounded by 9th, 10th, Chestnut and Sansom is entirely dedicated to parking including a large garage.
And all of that is within two blocks, a sub 10 minute walk. And that is not even including numerous surface lots in the area. And if you expand beyond to three blocks and mostly still staying within a 10 minute walk, there is also a huge garage at the national constitution center, another big one at the bourse and more parking at the convention center.
This area is loaded with parking. If people weren't motivated to "let their buildings rot" to demolish them for parking previously, I don't think they will be if an arena was built there. Not to mention, you can just zone areas to not allow new parking structures.
Whether or not 8th and Market is a good place for an arena is a legitimate question. But the idea that building an arena there would lead to the sudden destruction of buildings and the proliferation of parking garage does not seem to me, to be a reasonable concern. This area already has tons of people parking in the area during the day and plenty of parking spaces to accommodate them, spaces that largely sit empty when this arena would host events.
At worst you could argue it makes existing garages in the area more profitable, so it's less likely they're torn down and replaced with development. For example, Brandywine owns the garage at 7th and Market and plans to develop it in the future but is running the garage for now. An arena a block away would probably make developing that land less urgent.
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