PHILADELPHIA | Roberts Center for Pediatric Research | 375 FT | 23 FLOORS
 

Title: Roberts Center for Pediatric Research
Project: Office Space, Research Space, Commercial Space, Parking, Green Space
Architect: Ballinger/ Pelli Clark Pelli
Developer: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Location: 700 Schuylkill Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Neighborhood: Graduate Hospital
District: South Philadelphia
Floors: 23
Height: 375 feet

CHOP is planning a 3 tower complex along Schuylkill Avenue in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of South Philadelphia right across the river from their University City medical center in West Philadelphia. The first phase of the development will be a 23 floor, 375 foot, 743,000 sq ft office/research building with parking and green space for 1,000 CHOP researchers. When the complex is completed with future phases taking place at later dates, it will consist of 2,155,000 sq ft of office/research space, a possible hotel, 1,440 parking spaces, green space, a continuation of the Schuylkill River Banks trail, and possible transit connections with the CHOP University City Medical Center.

Upon completion, tower 1 will be the tallest building in South Philadelphia.

http://www.phaved.com/wp-content/upl...5821826_n1.jpg

http://www.phaved.com/wp-content/upl...752.360.c.pngg

http://www.phaved.com/wp-content/upl...9900839_n1.jpg

http://www.phaved.com/wp-content/upl...3794793_n1.jpg

http://www.phaved.com/wp-content/upl...5471772_n1.jpg

http://www.phaved.com/wp-content/upl...1149403_n1.jpg

Links
http://southofsouth.org/sites/southo...lan-phase1.pdf
http://philly.curbed.com/archives/20...aster-plan.php

For those of you outside of Philadelphia that do not know what CHOP is:
CHOP = The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

It is consistently ranked the #1 children's hospital in the United States.

U.S. News Best Children's Hospitals 2012-13
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospit...atric-rankings

Penn has plans to expand its medical complex onto the western river bank (where there is currently green space). So in a about a decade, this is going to be a huge medical campus...

Those are some awesome freaking aerials of Philly.

I love this plan. Amazing green space connects perfectly to South Street and the trail.

It's already huge, which explains why Penn is perennially among the top 2 or 3 recipients of NIH research funding in the country, but it certainly will get even huger. :tup:

I agree, great aerials, from a different vantage point. I was thinking the chop was a new steakhouse..:shrug::uhh::duh:jester:

http://cdn.cstatic.net/images/gridfs...9b031461/1.png

So based on this picture it looks like they'll double or triple the width of Schuylkill Ave then try to sell it to us as green space. sigh. The other aspects of the project look pretty good though.

My thoughts:

1. Drop the parking req's. There is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much of it, for where it is (next to several urban neighborhoods, alongside the region's main bike artery, and a five-minute walk from the University City station).

2. Don't demolish that armory unless you absolutely have to. It has good bones, is built to be nigh-indestructible, and (probably) has the foundations to cope with overbuilding. It's clearly an asset to the site, if you can use it properly. And frankly, based on the site plan, there is no reason whatsoever that it has to be razed for surface parking in Phase I. The new construction won't overlap with it, and it's already fitted to be a parking garage. (The parking podium in Phase II has the same dimensions as the armory anyway.)

I agree with both your points but I am glad to see that the tallest/largest tower is "Phase 1". Often Phase 1 is some inconsequential piece of the development, i.e. the garage at Cira South.

I'll add Sugarhouse and XFinity Live!

Looks like the first tower will rise next year and be 20-something stories high.

http://nakedphilly.com/graduate-hosp...tal-neighbors/

I like the ongoing discussion of whether the site should add retail. Not so sure myself, but I do like the idea of some small eatery of some sort of the west side off the trail. Something that future employees can use as well as those that take advantage of the growing trail.

1.5million sf of office space is more than the Comcast Center boasts--so a lunchtime spot or happy hour bar would be plenty successful.

On the flip side, if no retail is offered, perhaps that could be the impetus for the Schuylkill River Park to add riverfront restaurant space --kinda like real city's do.

Has anyone seen an updated drawing of the first tower?

Exactly, hopefully the city takes advantage of one waterfront.

Would love the idea of visiting the Art Museum strolling down the trail and grabbing a bit to eat without having to jump back in the car. Waterworks is just not cutting it for the average person.

Agreed. They should step it up at Waterworks. The rest of the Schuylkill Banks trail is just to narrow for a cafe or eatery.

Not yet. Construction is not set to begin until Summer of next year. We'll likely see more updated renderings in the Spring.

this is a bit farther down, but when this, chop/penn med, and u.city are done. FMC might not look so out of place... and penn park will be surrounded by high rises.

Credit to Cubanchris.

A lot of good information on what they see this project becoming.