PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[TK2001]

You might remember my panoramic image of the skyline with the future buildings added in that was posted last October. Here is the revised version with updated designs and new proposals

Future Philadelphia skyline by Philly SkyGuy, on Flickr

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Have you ever lived anywhere else?

Sidewalk cleaning and street sweeping (different services that often gets combined into one) are pretty basic city needs that every other major city in America has... Our parks are very poorly maintained compared to pier cities - to name just a few.

Originally Posted by ScreamShatter

It’s decreased a little, and Philly STILL has the highest city wage tax in the country. It’s not exactly something to celebrate.

Yesterday I drove from Old City to Kensington and back and the amount of pot holes I dodged were probably 100-200 each way. Big ones too. And trash scattered about the streets. That’s not the case when you go to other major cities. Considering we have the highest taxes, there’s no excuse for our awful city services.

Yeah it's hard to deny the basics that are missing and how much work needs to be done.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by cardeza

What is subpar city services exactly? There is no city in the US where all (or even the overwhelming majority) of citizens feel they are getting their money's worth. Its all subjective. Also, reducing expenditures likely isnt going to lead to more services- just a hunch.

City services are not subjective. Simple yes no. This is not a "feeling".

Does Philadelphia have city wide street sweeping?

No.

Does every other major city in the US have city wide street sweeping?

Yes.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

City services are not subjective. Simple yes no. This is not a "feeling".

Does Philadelphia have city wide street sweeping?

No.

Does every other major city in the US have city wide street sweeping?

Yes.

Hasn't this been discussed before? Isn't a lot of the issue with street sweeping tied to parking - or people being unwilling to move their cars once a week/month/year?

[wcphil]

...It's like Groundhog's Day in here...

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

City services are not subjective. Simple yes no. This is not a "feeling".

Does Philadelphia have city wide street sweeping?

No.

Does every other major city in the US have city wide street sweeping?

Yes.

the second is flat out untrue. The lie has been told many times. And the idea of WHAT constitutes the only service worth mentioning is subjective. It is beyond simplistic to think you can gauge the effectiveness of a government based on the metric of street sweeping. While its not often recognized by the types who frequent this sort of forum, the priorities and cares of citizens in a large city vary widely based on geography, economic status, race, etc. If I was making a list of top priorities to make the city livable, street sweeping would probably be below at least 5 other things. The priorities depend on where you live and what most affects your neighborhood. My guess is street sweeping ranks much lower as a priority in chestnut hill than it does in south philly.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by wcphil

...It's like Groundhog's Day in here...

its the top issue facing philadelphia, even more important than rampant gun violence and a murder count that is quickly approaching the all time high from 1990. Well I should say, it's the second most important issue- I forgot about power line placement.

[cardeza]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Have you ever lived anywhere else?

Sidewalk cleaning and street sweeping (different services that often gets combined into one) are pretty basic city needs that every other major city in America has... Our parks are very poorly maintained compared to pier cities - to name just a few.

Ive only been to DC, NYC, Boston, Miami, charlotte, Portland, baltimore and chicago, so no I havent been to any other cities. Its funny, because while visiting these places I've never seen universal municipal sidewalk cleaning. I somehow thought that one factor in how clean cities might be would be how much pride the residents take in their city, but now I know its only a matter of how much government run cleaning takes place. Oh, in case anyone missed it they put more money in the budget to clean like a dozen (or more) commercial corridors in the City in the same fashion as CC and UC.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by cardeza

Ive only been to DC, NYC, Boston, Miami, charlotte, Portland, baltimore and chicago, so no I havent been to any other cities. Its funny, because while visiting these places I've never seen universal municipal sidewalk cleaning. I somehow thought that one factor in how clean cities might be would be how much pride the residents take in their city, but now I know its only a matter of how much government run cleaning takes place. Oh, in case anyone missed it they put more money in the budget to clean like a dozen (or more) commercial corridors in the City in the same fashion as CC and UC.

It's a function of both.

But you know, if you're the one guy on your block who takes the time to keep the whole place tidy, it's sorta overwhelming when no one, including the city, pitches in to help.

Not to mention all of the places in the city that don't have full time residents on the block and it would be required for the city to actually maintain the place.

Am I also supposed to sweep the gutters on Lincoln Drive in addition to the ones on my own block?

[allovertown]

If the people who care so much about street cleaning spent a fraction of the time they spend bitching about it on a development forum, actually advocating for street cleaning in any type of productive way, our streets would be sparkling clean.

Again, don't disagree that Philly should do a better job on this type of thing. Just sick of the same people endlessly bitching about the same things on a forum where it's not even really relevant. Go start a street sweeping and anti powerline advocacy forum and go nuts over there.

It's forever been annoying, but with the city in the grip of a pandemic and facing historic budget shortfalls, these types of posts have never been more out of touch and inane.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by cardeza

its the top issue facing philadelphia, even more important than rampant gun violence and a murder count that is quickly approaching the all time high from 1990. Well I should say, it's the second most important issue- I forgot about power line placement.

You see. These departments are all run by different people and have different leadership teams.

So we can expect them all to do a good job at their respective roles.

It's like the guy at Tesla who's developing Solar Panels isn't expected to perform well because everyone cares more about their cars?

That's not how life works. But your low ambition excuse making remains the same.

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

You see. These departments are all run by different people and have different leadership teams.

So we can expect them all to do a good job at their respective roles.

It's like the guy at Tesla who's developing Solar Panels isn't expected to perform well because everyone cares more about their cars?

That's not how life works. But your low ambition excuse making remains the same.

Do you think the way to implement improved street cleaning in Philadelphia is to best Cardeza in a fight about this topic on this forum? Is that how you think this works?

Because honestly, if you thought that, it would be less insane then continously having the same fight with the same person for seemingly years on end, for no reason at all.

[thoughtcriminal]

Mods:
Make it stop. Please.

[Skyscraper.Phanatic]

If the city can afford millions of dollars $$ to politicians and patronage cronnies in the form of the DROP retirement program funds; I think they actually can do a better job of cleaning the streets. A run down area just breeds crime... ie the broken window effect. Jersey City and NYC require cars in all hoods' to be moved or ticketed for street cleaning (it will pay for itself) This is typical LAZY Philadelphia shit and we are being cheated!! However, I would agree with the current problems with the pandemic = street cleaning is probably off the table for now.

[justremember]

I'm all for street cleaning, but that's gotta be a lower priority for spending than repairing crumbling schools. Education, jobs, housing, and mental/emotional health are all areas that would have a much bigger and more needed impact than street cleaning. Street cleaning (which, again, I think is a good thing) can only be a top priority if you're privileged enough to be set in those other areas.

Heck, I'd even take pothole free streets before clean streets.

But to do any of it costs money.

[summersm343]

Yeah, can we maybe move on? I think we all agree with the points being made, but let's get back to talking about Philly development news.

[summersm343]

123 S. Broad in Center City lands three new tenants

Article behind paywall here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...Pos=7#cxrecs_s

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by summersm343

123 S. Broad in Center City lands three new tenants

Article behind paywall here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...Pos=7#cxrecs_s

Here you go:

Three tenants have signed new leases at 123 S. Broad St. in Center City, temporarily boosting the building’s occupancy up to 80%.

That occupancy will be short lived and slide down to 65% at the end of the year. Wells Fargo & Co., which had been a tenant in the building for at least two decades, vacated 150,000 square feet and moved this fall to Two Logan Square. The bank continues to maintain a branch in the 30-story, 725,000-square-foot building.

The three new tenants are:

Hachette Book Group, a New York-based publisher that has Little Brown & Co. among its imprints and David Baldacci as one of its authors, signed a 10-year lease on 12,000 square feet. Neil Brazitis of Newmark represented the tenant.

Harty Law Group signed a five-year lease on 1,300 square feet and relocated from 325 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia Futures, a nonprofit that provides low-income, first-generation college students with help, signed a 10-year lease on 13,500 square feet for its new headquarters. It had been in 230 S. Broad St. Matt Knowles of CBRE Inc. represented the tenant.

[summersm343]

^^Thanks! Keep backfilling that space lol... 65%....

[summersm343]

Exclusive: New City Council-backed Arts and Culture Task Force aims to help the hard-hit sector recover from Covid-19

Read more here:
https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...Pos=1#cxrecs_s