PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by jsbrook

I prefer wider floor plans, myself. This is a condo, though. Not a townhome. So, most of the units don't have entryways and stairs that take up space. Instead, the elevator opens directly into the unit. The bi-level units that do have stairs otherwise make good use of the space. Moto did a really nice job of maximizing the layouts despite site constraints.

Completely agree with your thinking.

[jsbrook]

By they way, here is the website for 262 S. 16th Street, which I just confirmed is public and can be shared: https://twosixtwophilly.com/ The floor plans are not perfectly accurate/in line with the current Public Offering document. But they are pretty close. Among other changes, they are seeking a variance for an additional window facing North in the living room and the room labeled Bedroom 1 on the three top floors that are above the adjacent building. They hope to get it.

[Boku]

Wistar joins $100M University City 'research hub' project

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...-building.html

The Wistar Institute is teaming up with University Place Associates (UPA) to create a "research and discovery hub" in the University City section of Philadelphia.

The 240,000-square-foot building, to be built by UPA at an estimated cost of $100 million, will facilitate collaborations among Wistar and the region's academic research and biotechnology start-up communities.

The building at 4101 Market St., called 3.0 University Space, will feature lab and office space and shared resource capacity. Wistar expects to take space in the new building and will collaborate with UPA on determining specific components of the project

Dr. Dario C. Altieri, Wistar's president and CEO, said he expects the building will enable the institute to expand existing partnerships and facilitate new collaborations essential to changing the future of health care.

“Early stage discovery science requires both patience and urgency,” Altieri said. "Extending our reach through this state-of-the-art facility in University City District will foster Wistar’s ability to work more closely and effectively with collaborators and potentiate the discovery process to accelerate critical innovation.”

UPA, a Philadelphia real estate company, has had a presence in University City since 2013 when it developed University Place 2.0, a 97,000-square-foot office building at 30 N. 40th St. that was sold in 2016 for $41.25 million. UPA has tried get its next project off the ground ever since.

Last year, it rebooted with its proposed 3.0 University Place project and the idea to create what it dubbed the Platinum Corridor. That vision involves developing five parcels in six phases, totaling 1.5 million square feet of office, coworking and R&D space as well as 156,000 square feet of retail. Wistar’s involvement as a collaboration partner is a big step in making that corridor come to fruition.

"We are humbled and excited to be working with this very special giant of life-saving scientific research,” said Scott Mazo, founder and CEO of University Place Associates, commenting on Wistar's involvement.

Heather A. Steinman, Wistar’s vice president for business development, said the aim of the institute's collaborations — including its new one with UPA — is "to empower start-ups and biotech partners alike" to access key resources that are critical for the translation of discoveries into products that change patients’ lives.

"We will work together [with UPA] to shape a vision that supports the region's life sciences activities and addresses the community's needs," Steinman said.

Steinman said the two organization first started discussing a collaboration last year after UPA agreed to be a sponsor for a Wistar research consortium event.

Wistar, an independent biomedical research organization founded in 1892, and UPA are now working out specific space commitments, floor locations and other management details for their partnership and the new building, which is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2021.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Boku

Wistar joins $100M University City 'research hub' project

https://www.bizjournals.com/philadel...-building.html

Glad to see University Place moving forward.

[Skintreesnail]

So just curious, do any other Philadelphia residents also have a love-hate relationship with the parkway? I'm a fairly heavy user of the museums and parks along it (specifically sister cities) and love the greenery/vistas, but 10 lanes of traffic? Really? I rarely can make it across without stopping halfway on some island to wait for the next light and the people driving on it use it like a highway (which I suppose to a certain extent it is). But as a long-term resident, I really can't stand that nothing is done to cut down on the amount of traffic it handles. We already have 676. Does it even really manage the traffic efficiently? I'm not a civil engineer, but intuitively it just seems like it wouldn't.

[japmes]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

So just curious, do any other Philadelphia residents also have a love-hate relationship with the parkway? I'm a fairly heavy user of the museums and parks along it (specifically sister cities) and love the greenery/vistas, but 10 lanes of traffic? Really? I rarely can make it across without stopping halfway on some island to wait for the next light and the people driving on it use it like a highway (which I suppose to a certain extent it is). But as a long-term resident, I really can't stand that nothing is done to cut down on the amount of traffic it handles. We already have 676. Does it even really manage the traffic efficiently? I'm not a civil engineer, but intuitively it just seems like it wouldn't.

This is one of my pet peeves. The outer lanes should be converted to a wide pedestrian walkway (like on the National Mall in DC) and a dedicated bike lane.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Skintreesnail

So just curious, do any other Philadelphia residents also have a love-hate relationship with the parkway? I'm a fairly heavy user of the museums and parks along it (specifically sister cities) and love the greenery/vistas, but 10 lanes of traffic? Really? I rarely can make it across without stopping halfway on some island to wait for the next light and the people driving on it use it like a highway (which I suppose to a certain extent it is). But as a long-term resident, I really can't stand that nothing is done to cut down on the amount of traffic it handles. We already have 676. Does it even really manage the traffic efficiently? I'm not a civil engineer, but intuitively it just seems like it wouldn't.

I really think that if we ever get some more subway construction going in the city, the Parkway would be one of the first places to get one going. You could cut and cover without closing off the entire road due to its width, and then when everything is said and done you could convert the outer lanes into pedestrian only. Maybe even have times of the year during which you can set up shops along the parkway. The subway would help contribute to lessening road traffic.

[MyDadBuiltThat]

Originally Posted by iheartphilly

Did anyone hear about this? Next to stadium. If realized, could spur more growth around stadium complex with residential/office and etc. The master plan is amazing, but the price tag is unbelievable. Where does people think this kind of money will come from?

https://myphillypark.org/what-we-do/...ects/fdr-park/

According to PlanPhilly the Airport will be funding some of the project.
"Philadelphia International Airport will restore 45 acres of wetland by excavating an area at the southwestern side of the park that is now closed to the public. That soil will later be used to raise areas at the edge of the park that need to stay dry, such as restaurants, play areas and fields, and to create a hill."http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/...fing-the-lakes

[iamrobk]

Originally Posted by MyDadBuiltThat

According to PlanPhilly the Airport will be funding some of the project.
"Philadelphia International Airport will restore 45 acres of wetland by excavating an area at the southwestern side of the park that is now closed to the public. That soil will later be used to raise areas at the edge of the park that need to stay dry, such as restaurants, play areas and fields, and to create a hill."http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/...fing-the-lakes

The master plan looks amaaaaaazing and I would love for it to be completed a lot sooner than 10 years. However, looks like they have only a really small part of the funding, so I think it's years away from even being started.

[City Wide]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

Glad to see University Place moving forward.

Not that it matters that much---------but I'd much rather see this type of development be a part of the growth of the science center. This seems like the perfect sortof of enterprise that UCSC is trying to grow, across different types of fields. 41st & Market is not that close to Penn.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by City Wide

Not that it matters that much---------but I'd much rather see this type of development be a part of the growth of the science center. This seems like the perfect sortof of enterprise that UCSC is trying to grow, across different types of fields. 41st & Market is not that close to Penn.

I'm with you a bit. There is a ton of momentum for this type of space so that is obviously a positive. But it's split between UCSC, SY, and now University Place

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by iamrobk

The master plan looks amaaaaaazing and I would love for it to be completed a lot sooner than 10 years. However, looks like they have only a really small part of the funding, so I think it's years away from even being started.

This sounds awesome...but I'll simply take them just repaving the existing roads throughout the park as a start (which appears to be in the early budget). They are in such disrepair that it borderlines 3rd world.

I'd almost rather see them take the money they are raising and create a large park endowment (in association w/ Fairmount Park Conservancy) that can actually provide for the upkeep and maintenance (which they clearly can't right now) plus a modest capital budget where they can allot $$ for physical park improvements on a yearly basis.

E.g. 1 year they replace all of the park benches, next year they update all of the picnic areas, the year after they redevelop the formal gardens, year after add a sprinkler system to some of the lawns, etc.

The issue with these large scale projects is that the underlying issue (a huge but dramatically underfunded park system) is never addressed. So when the contractors leave and the shovels are all out of the ground in 10 years - we'll have this nice improved space for a period of time - but with the same level of money to maintain it as before...and it will slowly fall into disrepair. A few recent civic projects that are slowly crumbling b/c no one is maintaining them are the new South Street Bridge and the Race Street Pier.

[Urbanthusiat]

Here we go again...

Latest proposal for South Philly Chocolate Factory calls for historic plant’s complete demolition

Developer Ori Feibush has again revised his plans for an apartment building at the site of the former Frankford Chocolate Factory in South Philadelphia and now is advancing a proposal that would demolish what’s left of historic candy-making complex.

Feibush said late last week that he decided his previous plan to preserve parts of the factory for integration into the proposed 260-unit apartment building no longer made sense because of the cost and the limits it would impose on how the property is developed.

Under the previous plan, for example, Feibush said he would not have been able to design a building with enough ground-floor space to accommodate the CVS drug store that is to occupy one of the project’s two retail spaces. The other will be occupied by a branch of Germany-based discount grocery chain Aldi.

More: https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20190604.html





I do actually like the proposal. A CVS and Aldi here would be awesome.

[Jawnadelphia]

^Very nice.

And isn't this one already under construction at 2401 Washington??

I like the faux-factory, real brick look for Washington Ave.


https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20190306.html

[iheartphilly]

Originally Posted by Londonee

This sounds awesome...but I'll simply take them just repaving the existing roads throughout the park as a start (which appears to be in the early budget). They are in such disrepair that it borderlines 3rd world.

I'd almost rather see them take the money they are raising and create a large park endowment (in association w/ Fairmount Park Conservancy) that can actually provide for the upkeep and maintenance (which they clearly can't right now) plus a modest capital budget where they can allot $$ for physical park improvements on a yearly basis.

E.g. 1 year they replace all of the park benches, next year they update all of the picnic areas, the year after they redevelop the formal gardens, year after add a sprinkler system to some of the lawns, etc.

The issue with these large scale projects is that the underlying issue (a huge but dramatically underfunded park system) is never addressed. So when the contractors leave and the shovels are all out of the ground in 10 years - we'll have this nice improved space for a period of time - but with the same level of money to maintain it as before...and it will slowly fall into disrepair. A few recent civic projects that are slowly crumbling b/c no one is maintaining them are the new South Street Bridge and the Race Street Pier.

I'm wondering what the City's Rebuild program is kicking in for this park? Doing improvements in phases is fine if all the money cannot be pulled together at one time. I think the advantages to that is improvements can be made and seen and people can enjoy them while other phases get geared up as fundraising or other sources of revenue are found and set to deploy for the next phase.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Here we go again...



More: https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20190604.html





I do actually like the proposal. A CVS and Aldi here would be awesome.

If you're gonna knock something like that down, this is definitely how you rebuild it. I say go for it.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by Redddog

If you're gonna knock something like that down, this is definitely how you rebuild it. I say go for it.

I 100% agree. I really hope this gets built. That project has been in purgatory for ages now...

[Skintreesnail]

Kind of a slow painful death for the chocolate factory, but I guess this looks okay. Just get it over with.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by Jawnadelphia

^Very nice.

And isn't this one already under construction at 2401 Washington??

I like the faux-factory, real brick look for Washington Ave.


https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20190306.html

2401 Washington, not yet, but maybe soon. Councilperson Johnson introduced a bill to spot zone it, avoiding a trip to the ZBA.

How a Philly neighborhood negotiated with a developer and won | PlanPhilly.com

[Urbanthusiat]

Note this is NOT a part of Schuylkill Yards.

New biomed office-and-lab building proposed for SEPTA-owned land near 30th Street Station

A development group involving Washington, D.C.-based developer Republic Properties Corp. is proposing an eight-story building with office and lab space for burgeoning biotechnology companies on land it has a deal to lease from SEPTA near 30th Street Station.

Republic and PHL Next State Med LLC, an investment partnership that counts former state Rep. Richard Hayden of Philadelphia among its members, are seeking tenants for the 125,000-square-foot project that would rise at the current site of a SEPTA maintenance building near 32nd and Arch Streets, beside the Powelton Yard rail property.

...

Molotsky said Republic and PHL Next "feel like Philly has something going in in the cell-therapy and biotech arena that a lot of people are unaware of. ... They’re very bullish.”

The project would be an amplified version of the 20,800-square-foot shared office suite for life-science and medical-device companies that PHL Next’s opened in the former Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper building at 3001 Market St. in 2015.

That facility will close this summer so the Bulletin Building, as it’s now known, can be redeveloped by Philadelphia-based developer Brandywine Realty Trust into the Spark Therapeutics headquarters as part of its Schuylkill Yards development plan for a large swath properties around 30th Street Station.

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20190604.html



Can't call it sexy on the outside, but hopefully it can land a cool tenant. Looks like there were some difficult site constraints to work with. Seems there's definitely been an uptick of new office proposals recently.