PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[reparcsyks]

Can someone with knowledge weigh in here:

Will The Laurel, Arthaus, and RiverWalk be completed? I get that there may be some delays in construction, but financing-wise, will these towers be completed? It seems like the flow of money and credit is drying up quickly - curious how it impacts this level of construction.

[iheartphilly]

^
These projects are funded and construction is humming along-that shouldn't change. For projects seeking financing or those that are in-process of acquiring financing...it probably will be delayed or shelved until there's a clearer picture of the health of the economy.

[Boku]

Philadelphia not following Boston's lead in shutting down construction work
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...s-lead-in.html

When Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney ordered all nonessential businesses to close Monday, the mandate did not apply to construction projects.

At least, so far.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh made an unprecedented decision to suspend construction projects across the city Tuesday in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision stopped work on 97 projects and least 21.4 million square feet of development in that city.

In Philadelphia, work on projects continues.

“Construction is considered a critical service,” said Jim Maransky, president of Philadelphia development company E-Built Inc. and past president of the Building Industry Association. Maranksy now oversees the government affairs division of the BIA.

The BIA was advised by the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office that construction activity does not fall under the restrictions that were announced by Kenney on Monday and relayed that to its members by email.

What makes stopping construction projects problematic is that it can be difficult to differentiate what is critical and what is not, Maransky said. “It’s unsafe to leave some projects in certain states,” he said.

Framed structures may not be secure and collapse. Excavations or recently poured foundations could leave gaping holes and pose a danger. Inactive construction sites are susceptible to vandalism and theft of materials. Work needs to continue if someone is doing a home construction repair or fixing a broken heater.

That applies to utility and road projects as well. “No one wants to stop the I-95 project,” Maransky said. “With minimal traffic now, they can now get more work done.”

Most construction projects don’t require much person-to-person contact, unlike other industries. Maransky noted that many workers wear protective gear such as gloves and glasses as a normal part of their jobs. Like the service industry, construction workers need to continue working to earn a paycheck. Developments cost money regardless of whether they are in progress or come to a halt.

Boston, like Philadelphia, is undergoing a construction boom with the sector playing a large part in its economy and employing a significant number of people. Construction workers in both cities are typically members of a union and account for a large voting block with significant political influence.

John Fish, CEO of Suffolk Construction, which is the largest general contractor in Massachusetts, said Boston's mayor made a wise decision.

“I don’t like to see it happen but, I think, it’s the right thing to do, under the circumstances,” Fish told the Boston Business Journal on Monday. “You’ve got a large constituency of workers gathering frequently. The likelihood of the spread of contagion was strong.”

Though the economic impact of the Boston shutdown is still unknown, Fish and others agreed the health and safety of workers remains a top priority for the real estate and construction industry at large.

[summersm343]

This is nuts! Everyone stay healthy out there!

[thoughtcriminal]

Originally Posted by Boku

Philadelphia not following Boston's lead in shutting down construction work
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...s-lead-in.html

I posted this in another thread somewhere, but it no longer applies. the gov has shut down construction in his huge sweeping shutdown of all "non-life sustaining businesses."

[City Wide]

My guess is that it might take a few days to button up some job sites since the expectation is that this shut down will go on for at least a month. At the same time I wonder about places like "W" that are close to being finished; could they be used to house non critical care patients, if needed, so the hospitals could be more directed in the type of care they are providing?

[iheartphilly]

^
Hanneman University Hospital. No better time than now.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

^
Hanneman University Hospital. No better time than now.

You're not the only one thinking that: https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/com...-20200321.html

[cardeza]

This could have long term impact on office construction and rents

https://www.inquirer.com/health/coro...-20200322.html

Tech always cuts both ways

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by cardeza

This could have long term impact on office construction and rents

https://www.inquirer.com/health/coro...-20200322.html

Tech always cuts both ways

Maybe. But it's not like this hasn't actually been tried. There are a lot of downsides to working from home exclusively.

https://theconversation.com/its-not-...wnsides-107140

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...t-work/540660/

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

Maybe. But it's not like this hasn't actually been tried. There are a lot of downsides to working from home exclusively.

https://theconversation.com/its-not-...wnsides-107140

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine...t-work/540660/

I’ve WFH exclusively for over 3 years and love it. Way better than being in a work place. That said, my company has a lot of programs in place to promote face-to-face interactions, team building, and innovation. It’s working great for us.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

I’ve WFH exclusively for over 3 years and love it. Way better than being in a work place. That said, my company has a lot of programs in place to promote face-to-face interactions, team building, and innovation. It’s working great for us.

I hated it. I do enjoy having flexibility and working from home much of the time. But I like having an actual office space, including a personal office, to go into.

[ScreamShatter]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

I hated it. I do enjoy having flexibility and working from home much of the time. But I like having an actual office space, including a personal office, to go into.

We have an office in Philly too. We go there for local meetings, if need be. I’m way more productive at home than in an office though.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

I hated it. I do enjoy having flexibility and working from home much of the time. But I like having an actual office space, including a personal office, to go into.

I would generally work from home Mondays and Thursdays and I think that was a nice balance. I agree, I have not liked working from home everyday this week. I'm already frustrated and feel like I have less control. I don't see this feeling improving as the weeks... and likely months stretch on.

I think after this all over, () it is inevitable that more people are going to be working from home more often, but I don't see physical offices going away in large numbers anytime soon. As Screamshatter pointed out, even as someone who works from home everyday, his company still has an office and they still have in person meetings there. There are some things that simply can't be done from home.

Companies have been downsizing their office space for years now, this might accelerate that, but since we're already trending that way, I'm not sure it makes a huge difference.

[Milksteak]

Working from home isn't a new concept, this may lead to more liberal work from home policies (wfh when you need to, once a week, etc.) but I don't think it will be a major hit to the office market. I've been working from home full time for 2 years, and even still I have 2 offices I can go into when I start to go stir crazy. Fact is some people hate it, some love it, and most fall somewhere in the middle.

[SEFTA]

I'm bored!
Somebody post some happy development pics!

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I'm bored!
Somebody post some happy development pics!

Or anything that isn't horrible.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by SEFTA

I'm bored!
Somebody post some happy development pics!

Even if another city? Maybe so...

[allovertown]

I believe there was a request for posting anything that isn't horrible? How about this:

https://www.inquirer.com/health/coro...card-362291367

Penn's new hospital building is on track to be finished 15 MONTHS ahead of schedule. Apparently with all other construction in the city halting, workers and subcontractors from all over are making this building their number one priority and working at breakneck pace to finish. As a result a building that wasn't supposed to be finished for over a year will apparently be ready to treat patients in as soon as a month.

Bravo to Penn for committing the resources to get this done ASAP regardless of cost and most of all a lot of appreciation to the workers who are still going out risking their own health in order to greatly improve the prospects of all Philadelphians to get through this difficult time.

[Philly Fan]

Originally Posted by allovertown

I believe there was a request for posting anything that isn't horrible? How about this:

https://www.inquirer.com/health/coro...card-362291367

Penn's new hospital building is on track to be finished 15 MONTHS ahead of schedule. Apparently with all other construction in the city halting, workers and subcontractors from all over are making this building their number one priority and working at breakneck pace to finish. As a result a building that wasn't supposed to be finished for over a year will apparently be ready to treat patients in as soon as a month.

Bravo to Penn for committing the resources to get this done ASAP regardless of cost and most of all a lot of appreciation to the workers who are still going out risking their own health in order to greatly improve the prospects of all Philadelphians to get through this difficult time.

Doesn't sound like the entire building will be finished 15 months early--just enough to support 119 patient beds. The entire building will eventually house something like 500 new patient rooms (all single-occupancy private rooms) and 50 operating rooms, in addition to other facilities. Still, it IS impressive that they're working around the clock to accommodate 119 additional patients so far ahead of schedule.