PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[mcgrath618]

Holy crap. I pass that site every day on my way to school (except I graduate in a month so I won't anymore )

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by JurassicPhilly

Yes but many older buildings actually don't seem dated in the way that City Hall does. But I realize these are aesthetic opinions and it's a bit silly to argue about them.

Anyway, I just don't like the building. I would redesign it if it were up to me. But of course it isn't.

redesign it! As in cover it with nice flat glass? Aluminum siding? Please, take yourself outside and do damage to yourself. After you're done with City Hall what's next, the Art Museum? Christ Church?-----

[diavolo]

I didn't see them turn the LOVE Park fountain on yesterday but they have some of the drain grates off this morning.

[Mr Saturn64]

Originally Posted by diavolo

I didn't see them turn the LOVE Park fountain on yesterday but they have some of the drain grates off this morning.

That looks awful. That's all there is to it. Plant more trees, get a better fountain.

[McBane]

Re North Broad Street, here's what that site looks like now. This would be a dramatic transformation.

https://goo.gl/maps/81B7nGkNqYA2

[Nova08]

It was hard to understand how big the fountain area would be based on the renderings. With the way it came out did we really need this much area dedicated to bland gray bricks, especially with Dilworth across the street. The renderings show trees basically around the entire park perimeter. There are a few baby trees along arch. I hope they still have more to plant. Fundamentally, it looks like they planted very young/short trees and the render shows more mature 20-40 ft trees.

Are we looking at a fundamental construction issue with the drainage. The flow of water seems to indicate a pretty good grade towards Arch.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

That's gorgeous. Absolutely perfect North Broad infill. I would not be surprised if it never gets built.

Too many double negatives. Are you saying you dont think it's going to be built?

I agree too on design. Shows how simple it is to design a decent building. Awnings, simple materials, a set back with greenery and boxes to soften it. It's why the Zuritsky nightmare at 12th and Arch when he cried poor about hotel costs drives me nuts.

https://goo.gl/maps/WHceCoTjo2B2

[MichaelScottsOffice]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Too many double negatives. Are you saying you dont think it's going to be built?

I agree too on design. Shows how simple it is to design a decent building. Awnings, simple materials, a set back with greenery and boxes to soften it. It's why the Zuritsky nightmare at 12th and Arch when he cried poor about hotel costs drives me nuts.

https://goo.gl/maps/WHceCoTjo2B2

So true. Keep it simple, it goes a long way.

[MichaelScottsOffice]

Originally Posted by Mr Saturn64

That looks awful. That's all there is to it. Plant more trees, get a better fountain.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/philly....-center-philly

“But now it’s in the home stretch, and Crandall urges passers-by to be patient. Over the next month, officials will be testing the fountain, finishing up work on the benches and moving more furniture and plants into the area.

“We urge folks to take a minute and hold off on judgement,” Crandall said, addressing criticism on the way the development looks now. “it’s a process to develop a park.”

[mcgrath618]

I'm sure the plan is to add more greenery as the weather improves.

[MichaelScottsOffice]

^^^ They better get planting quick though lol, this needs a lot more greenery imo and in order to stay somewhat true to the rendering.

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

I'm sure the plan is to add more greenery as the weather improves.

Now is the time to do it to take advantage of mother nature's cool and wet weather. Definitely needs more trees and shrubs. That huge piece of hardscape is just sucking the life out of the "park". They should of incorporated permanent seating into the landscape plan like Dilworth Plaza, but I guess that wasn't in the budget.

[jsbrook]

If you haven't walked Love Park, I recommend it. These pictures posted here don't show much. Just part of one lawn and the fountain area. That's 1/4 of the park. Other than the fountain, it is not bad. And they are still planting. The trees will grow. There is also permanent seating there, so I'm not sure what that comment is supposed to mean.

[MichaelScottsOffice]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

If you haven't walked Love Park, I recommend it. These pictures posted here don't show much. Just part of one lawn and the fountain area. That's 1/4 of the park. Other than the fountain, it is not bad. And they are still planting. The trees will grow. There is also permanent seating there, so I'm not sure what that comment is supposed to mean.

Glad to hear it, I have not walked by it myself.

[Urbanthusiat]

Second Philadelphia Navy Yard hotel planned in aged barracks

During the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s military days, the historic barracks east of what’s now a gleaming modern business park at the sprawling former base’s core were home to U.S. Marines who guarded the facility.

Soon the barracks’ spartan chambers may become fancy guest rooms.
Ensemble Investments LLC, the Phoenix-based owner of the Navy Yard’s existing Courtyard by Marriott hotel, is under contract to buy the trio of red brick Colonial Revival-style structures from the city for about $1.5 million, with plans to resurrect the U-shaped complex into a 230-room four-star hotel.

The plan, expected to cost $100.9 million, comes amid business growth at the Navy Yard that’s stoking demand for hotel stays and would be the latest move toward expanding the former South Philadelphia military base beyond its existing identity as a corporate, industrial and research park.

“This caters to a different group of people who are not attracted right now to the Navy Yard. They want higher-end rooms, they want a full-service hotel, they want higher-end finishes, they want to have corporate meetings there,” Ensemble chairman Kam Babaoff said in an interview. “With the growing Navy Yard, the business is going to be there to support another hotel.”

Plans call for renovating the buildings’ existing 120,000 square feet of interior space and adding to them a 75,000-square-foot expansion. The buildings also will accommodate an 8,000-square-foot restaurant and bar that opens up to the Navy Yard’s landscaped Central Green park, as well as about 10,000 square feet of meeting rooms and other amenities.

The barracks complex, constructed between 1919 and 1942 to house the former base’s security detail, stands on the southern edge of the Central Green just outside the Navy Yard Corporate Center, a cluster of new buildings developed mostly by Liberty Property Trust of Malvern.

More: http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...-20180420.html

[iamrobk]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

If you haven't walked Love Park, I recommend it. These pictures posted here don't show much. Just part of one lawn and the fountain area. That's 1/4 of the park. Other than the fountain, it is not bad. And they are still planting. The trees will grow. There is also permanent seating there, so I'm not sure what that comment is supposed to mean.

Agreed. I work really close to it so I walk by/through it all the time, and while I think it definitely needs some more work, it's still under construction! Let's wait a bit and see what the final result is in the next 2-3 months. Yes, it's taken a while, but that was (AFAIK) due to some unavoidable (and unexpected) difficulties with regards to the parking garage underneath.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

I'm sure the plan is to add more greenery as the weather improves.

Originally Posted by MichaelScottsOffice

^^^ They better get planting quick though lol, this needs a lot more greenery imo and in order to stay somewhat true to the rendering.

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Now is the time to do it to take advantage of mother nature's cool and wet weather. Definitely needs more trees and shrubs. That huge piece of hardscape is just sucking the life out of the "park". They should of incorporated permanent seating into the landscape plan like Dilworth Plaza, but I guess that wasn't in the budget.

Jesus, have you guys been there? This forum's reactionary whisper down the lane is a bit head shaking at times.

1) There's tons of permanent seating and seating areas. The Fountain takes up about 1/5 of the park's square footage. They are quite a few benches, especially near the Love Statue and they are still in the process of building several more (they are imo quite nice: wood/metal/concrete combination). Today they were unpacking the same cafe style seating that they have at Dilworth (red tables and red folding chairs). Adjacent to the fountain they have a "grove" - 2 rows of maybe 12 trees total, that I'm assuming these tables/chairs will sit under for shade. Along one side of the fountain is an elevated curved portion that's probably 25 feet long, which is for seating as well.

2) There's TONS of greenery, but, ya know, it's not green yet b/c (in case you haven't been outside recently) it's been freaking freezing all spring. There are probably close to a dozen planting areas and gardens that are fully planted out - but nothing has bloomed/grown yet due to weather. It's going to look great and very green once everything is rooted.

3) The lawn isn't huge, but it's a decent size. It's say it's probably slightly larger than the Dilworth lawn. The sod is mostly down and it's being irrigated to take root.

4) The Space Saucer is totally windowless and basically stripped down to its studs on the inside. Having this sleek and modern is going to be an amazing addition.

My biggest complaint is the odd traffic triangle at the NE corner of 16th and JFK. It's about 10 feet from this brand new sculpted park and is in total disrepair: https://goo.gl/maps/oKpRekGFJDM2

[iheartphilly]

^
Ok, many of us were going by the recent photos posted and as you have more fully laid out, it's not all inclusive of the things that were done or will be done as shown from that one angel of the photo. Will have to head over to check it soon then. Thank for the detail update.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Too many double negatives. Are you saying you dont think it's going to be built?

That was sarcasm. In any event, the site plan doesn't seem to have any parking at all, so there's a good chance it'll never get approved. Even though buildings of this type in this location shouldn't need to have mandatory parking requirements to begin with.

[Baconboy007]

Do they need a tower crane for just adding a new roof?