PHILADELPHIA | The Arbour House @ 708 Sansom | 414 FT | 35 FLOORS

[Boku]

Originally Posted by Human Scale

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 is what I heard.

We have to go back!...to 29 floors!

[summersm343]

Toll gets new permit for Jewelers Row residential tower

Home builder Toll Bros. has received a permit to combine six parcels on the Jewelers Row shopping street into a single property and to build a 24-story residential tower at the site.

The Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections granted the zoning permit to Horsham-based Toll last week, about five months after the company let an earlier permit for a 29-story condo building lapse by failing to provide the city agency with requested details about its proposal.

The new permit involves the consolidation of the properties at 702, 704, 706-08, 710 and 712-14 Sansom St., and of 128 S. Seventh St. into a single parcel, according to details posted on L&I’s website. All but 712-14 Sansom St.would be demolished under the plan, according to the permit details.

The tower replacing the demolished buildings would house 85 residential units and a single commercial space facing Sansom Street.

Under the permitting process, Toll still must present its proposal to the Philadelphia Civic Design Review board, which offers nonbinding suggestions concerning the city’s biggest development projects.

Read more here:
http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20171219.html

[City Wide]

regardless of all the issues surrounding this possible building, this is a good example of why demo should not be allowed until all permits for the build have been issued and Toll has somehow demonstrated that it is ready to build. The last thing this area needs is for Toll to quickly do the demo before any more legal issues are bought up, only to change their mind about the timing or the goodness of the build, and leave the area with an empty lot (can anybody say 1911 Walnut St.)

[Daario]

Originally Posted by City Wide

regardless of all the issues surrounding this possible building, this is a good example of why demo should not be allowed until all permits for the build have been issued and Toll has somehow demonstrated that it is ready to build. The last thing this area needs is for Toll to quickly do the demo before any more legal issues are bought up, only to change their mind about the timing or the goodness of the build, and leave the area with an empty lot (can anybody say 1911 Walnut St.)

That proposed office tower on 1528 Cherry St definitely comes to mind.

[jsbrook]

Were 712-714 part of the initial purchase? For some reason, I'm thinking not. Anyway, that is this Sidney O Rosen store. It's not being demo'd. Since they've announced there is only one commercial, that indicates the actual tower would not have any and it will all be lobby for resident use.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/70...95!4d-75.15276

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Were 712-714 part of the initial purchase? For some reason, I'm thinking not. Anyway, that is this Sidney O Rosen store. It's not being demo'd. Since they've announced there is only one commercial, that indicates the actual tower would not have any and it will all be lobby for resident use.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/70...95!4d-75.15276

This is just a guess, but because of some public alleyways, that haven't been open for along time, Toll was having issues claiming their old lot size was large enough to allow the tower they were proposing. Maybe with the inclusion of 712-714 to the size of the lot those issues have gone away.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by City Wide

This is just a guess, but because of some public alleyways, that haven't been open for along time, Toll was having issues claiming their old lot size was large enough to allow the tower they were proposing. Maybe with the inclusion of 712-714 to the size of the lot those issues have gone away.

Yes, perhaps.

[jsbrook]

Here is the most updated render.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2018/...lers-row-tower

It looks like shit. The aesthetic is really unfortunate. There is no way to put this in this location and actually make it look good, or, to the extent there is, it's well beyond the ken of Toll Bros design team.

[summersm343]

Toll Bros. unveils new design for Jewelers' Row tower









Read more here:
http://planphilly.com/articles/2018/...lers-row-tower

[Larry King]

Glass condo towers are nice. It should have more balconies but overall I like the idea.

[El Duderino]

the base can best be described as unfortunate, but i think the tower is a vast improvement. hopefully they can tie the base into the surrounding buildings better. and i’m terrified what the “jewel on top” attrocity might be.

i may be in the minority, but i’d rather have this proceed basically as is rather than have things remain stagnant along this stretch. i am well aware of the historical significance of this specific area, but keeping a dead retail area as is just because it’s old doesn’t help anyone (including the retailers already there); “oldest jewelry district” doesn’t strike me as a reason to freak out over the crumbling fabric of the city.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by El Duderino

the base can best be described as unfortunate, but i think the tower is a vast improvement. hopefully they can tie the base into the surrounding buildings better. and i’m terrified what the “jewel on top” attrocity might be.

i may be in the minority, but i’d rather have this proceed basically as is rather than have things remain stagnant along this stretch. i am well aware of the historical significance of this specific area, but keeping a dead retail area as is just because it’s old doesn’t help anyone (including the retailers already there); “oldest jewelry district” doesn’t strike me as a reason to freak out over the crumbling fabric of the city.

I think it's going to happen, so let's get it over with already. It will hopefully bring some life and foot traffic to the neighborhood and surrounding streets. it does not fit in well and does not look good. The tower itself is banal, but it would probably look fine elsewhere. I just don't think Toll has the acumen or desire to design something that would look decent here. All glass makes it easier to have great views of Washington Square, which is the whole reason for putting it here in the first place. So, I get it.

[Redddog]

If they made this even slightly similar to the Mormon deal on Vine street this would be a home run.

It seems completely tone deaf to the area as is.

[nemesisinphilly]

The only bad thing about this render is that it's not 48 stories instead of 24.

[Mr Saturn64]

What's the height on this thing? 292 is listed on the top of the page, did that change?

[jjv007]

Originally Posted by Mr Saturn64

What's the height on this thing? 292 is listed on the top of the page, did that change?

Well I'm guessing these are estimations for now. I think the page formerly listed the height at 354 feet but the reduction to 292 is probably a result of the floor count going from 29 to 24.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by El Duderino

the base can best be described as unfortunate, but i think the tower is a vast improvement. hopefully they can tie the base into the surrounding buildings better. and i’m terrified what the “jewel on top” attrocity might be.

i may be in the minority, but i’d rather have this proceed basically as is rather than have things remain stagnant along this stretch. i am well aware of the historical significance of this specific area, but keeping a dead retail area as is just because it’s old doesn’t help anyone (including the retailers already there); “oldest jewelry district” doesn’t strike me as a reason to freak out over the crumbling fabric of the city.

I agree overall. No issue with a tower here and this is a bit bland but much improved from the previous version which was hideous.

At the same time though, the street level facade is a non starter for me. If they were serious they'd preserve the facades and they could start construction tomorrow. If they are hell bent on getting rid of them, they HAVE to do better than this. Shameful.

[FtGreeneNY]

Sooooo, it's half a mini Time-Warner Center, huh?

[Justin7]

Originally Posted by thisisforreal

The breaks in the facade for the revised proposal are an improvement in my eyes, but it would have been difficult for a revision to have made things worse.

The tower is less bad, but the base is worse.

Does this have above ground parking? Why are the 2nd and 3rd floor windows opaque?

[ebuilder]

This actually may be worse than before, but I guess this is what the neighbors want. Very bland and shocked at the lack of balconies.