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PHILADELPHIA | The Development Thread VIII
To view the previous thread, Philly VII, click here.
================================= As of September 22, 2009  Artwork: Swinefeld A huge thanks to Volguus Zildrohar for formatting this construction thread. He did such a fantastic job the last time, we're bringing it back! Here is the full rundown of the many current and proposed projects in the city of Philadelphia, PA. Many of these images are via phillyskyline.com and skyscrapersunset.com. The information contained herein is constantly updated with the input, investigation and outpouring of time and effort of the many SkyscraperPage forumers from Philadelphia and its suburbs as well as contributions from interested forumers from outside the region. All photographs appearing here are the property of their creator and are not to be used without the express consent of or conspicuous accreditation to their creator. All renderings and diagrams are property of their creator and are used with accreditation when possible. PHILADELPHIA PROJECT MAP Map of all proposed (blue), in-progress (green) and conversion (light green) condominium projects in and around Center City by The Cheat: Click map for larger version  Map of all projects proposed for and under construction in Northern Liberties by Eigenwelt Click map for larger version  To view the full list among the development statuses, please scroll down the individual lists. ___________________________________ COMPLETED ___________________________________ Code:
UNDER CONSTRUCTION/RENOVATION _________________________________________________ Code:
SITE PREPARATION ____________________________________ Code:
APPROVED ____________________________________ Code:
PROPOSED ________________________ Code:
The following projects are all in various stages of proposal. MOTHBALLED/ON HOLD ____________________________________ Code:
UNLIKELY ______________________ Code:
PHILADELPHIA RIVER CITY (Residential/Retail/Hotel), Daroff DesignDEAD ______________________ Code:
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So, where were we..... oh yeah...Philly development.
This is a really neat thing NLNA has set up for the Spring Garden Street Greenway: http://interface-studio.com/currentl...e-map/#current |
Challenges continue for Southport Terminal
HELLO THREAD VIII!! Let's start out with some less than positive news:
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Philly's looking good!
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Hello Philly VIII! Q: Why are the Kling and 17th and Vine towers still even on the list? Not only are they dead, but they've been dead for a really long time. Kling shouldn't even be on the list anymore, as RATR has built up half its prospective site and the Waldorf proposal will hopefully occupy the other half.
Oh yes, you can stick my photo of the Barnes site in the site prep list if you want to...if you can make it fit. Maybe the thumbnail. http://lh4.ggpht.com/_lx0hh_qeHX0/Sq...nes%20site.JPG http://lh4.ggpht.com/_lx0hh_qeHX0/Sq...nes%20site.JPG Another quibble: I thought the Historical Commission axed the Dilworth House plan. Not too pleased about that one... Yet another: Isn't the Market St. El reconstruction finished? |
Man everything is going down the toilet.
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Hello everyone. Nice job starting up Philly VIII Swinefeld, I think it will bring us alot of great development news over the next few years,
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It's official, the El reconstruction is over!
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Wow, it's good to see PHILLY VIII for the first, well actually second time (I had to get a quick seek peek in before)...
Anyway, I have a quick sort of off-topic kind of question. With Philly Skyline pretty much over, what's thie next best site for pics of Philly? I simply must know! |
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A couple more revisions: Curtis Institute expansion site prep / u/c 12 stories? Le Meridien Hotel rehab u/c Front Street loft rehab (former Girard Estate wharehouses) u/c CHOP expansion u/c 11 stories? Foreign Medical Graduates Accreditation building (38th St) - u/c 10 stories? Jefferson expension, 9th & Walnut - proposed - 14 stories? Castleway - dead/mothballed. Castleway the same Irish-bank backed Ireland-based developer who attempted the Chicago Spire but only got as far as digging a $120 million hole in the ground. Spire dead and being litigated; Irish economy and Irish bank finances collapsed = no money backing this project. Enterprise Heights - dead/mothballed Waldorf Astoria dead - Marketing office was closed almost as soon as it was opened. Lenfest bought out Mahoney because they couldn't agree on a new project concept once it finally became obvious condo/hotel idea wouldn't fly 2 years after the market started diving. Whatever happens next won't be what was last proposed. Right now, I think it should go in the "empty lot" section. Marina View & Bridgeview dead - novice developer one of the first to fold when the condo craze peaked. Rohm & Haas rehab dead - Rohm & Haas was acquired and is shrinking Philly presence. I believe the building is supposed to be put up for sale. 17th & Chancellor dead - a "concept" by World Acquisition Partners, whose lead partner Hardeep Chawla was just sentenced to 30 months for fraud/bribery (apparently older brother Ravinder had been jailed for similar crimes many years ago). These guys are frauds. I might suggest that all WAP projects, such as, River City, which I understand is also caught up in litigation over questionable acquisition financing issues, be considered dead (probably "pre-dead" is a better description as these were never real projects to begin with). CREI - any unbuilt projects (including 5th & Walnut, Upknot) dead. American Loft was repossessed by the bank. The company went bust and purportedly the Indian principals have skipped the country deeply in hock. World Trade Center - pre-dead. That picture is so old, so "early 90s", it should probably just be deleted. Liberty Landing - pre-dead. See above. 1301 Buttonwood - pre-dead |
Jesus crist what is under construction? Every is dead, dead, gone, dead. Its just very annoying, what happened to good old construction, that seems to be gone. Now we have to look forward to 6 story buildings yey!
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Plus, there is still plenty under construction - just not any big sparkly projects at the moment. |
Roosevelt Spur Vs. 2nd Ave Subway
ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD LINE (Transit)
This line is intended as a spur off of the Market-Frankford El or the Broad Street Subway. It has been in limbo for years and under a number of different iterations (elevated, subway, light rail). This project is Philadelphia's answer to New York's Second Avenue Subway. I know this project will never happen, (ridership not there, neighborhoods don't wait it) but the description of relating the Roosevelt spur to the 2nd ave subway is no where near close in comparison. The 2nd ave subway is a means to draw riders off of the lexington line, which is the only subway east of 6th avenue, or broadway at 23rd street. The lexington line is so overcrowded, not just during work or rush hours, something needed to be done. The Roosevelt spur would not be pulling riders from an overpact subway, it would be a means of bringing "new" riders to the city from the Northeast corridor.:sly: |
I think the comparison comes into play as both lines have been under consideration with nothing happening for-ev-er
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Also as a proposal the Boulevard Subway would have more expected riders than 9/10th of all built proposals today.
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Wow, what a joke...
New BRT numbers don't add up, review shows By Mark Fazlollah, Joseph Tanfani, and Dylan Purcell Inquirer Staff Writers There's nothing glamorous about Joseph Zenobi's property near 54th and Master Streets - a broken-down warehouse next to a vacant lot fenced in with razor wire against the hazards of a hard West Philadelphia neighborhood. For a dozen years, Zenobi, 73, has used it only as a place to park trucks and machinery for his small paving company. Suddenly, this humble slice of land looks like a gold mine to the city's Board of Revision of Taxes. In its new project to overhaul property assessments, the BRT suggests the land's value has soared from $216,600 to $3.9 million - more, per square foot, than lots surrounding fashionable Rittenhouse Square. "It's crazy," Zenobi said. "You want to buy it?" http://www.philly.com/inquirer/busin...iew_shows.html |
I was bored and looking through old threads and I found Bridgeman's View Tower. This project is deader than dead but I still really like the building. So just for kicks I took some un-official measurements and if you cut off the parking garage it would fit nicely at both the 8th and Market Disney hole and in the big parking lot between 22nd and 23rd and market next to Peco.
Just wishing thats all. |
A Chinatown success story
From here.
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http://www.waldorfastoria.com/future-openings/index.cfm |
Go Phillies!
Wow these announcers on ESPN blow. Guess I got spoiled on CSN where they actually talk about the team you are watching instead of minimizing the game and showing other crap lol. Any news on the SS United States? |
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Has everybody been reading my blog? I just wrote a new post about Francisville...
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Drexel construction update
The Daskalakis Athletics Center at 33rd and Market continues to take shape:
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...b/8858b7d5.jpg Unfortunately, Drexel's Integrated Science Building site at 33rd and Chestnut is still a fenced off mound of dirt. |
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Le Méridien Hotel is actual recently completed. and Foxwoods was moved to proposed. Shouldn't have been put in DEAD, not yet anyway. |
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From what I remember reading a rather large bar/restaurant is going in part of that space as well? About time Drexel got a bar on its campus, little life (night & day!) should do great things for that block of Market St. |
Drexel
Disappointed Drexel did not take the opportunity to bridge over Market at that corner...could have made a dragon bridge out of Mario...
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Speaking of college expansions,
Chestnut Hill College plans major expansion
By Susan Snyder Inquirer Staff Writer Chestnut Hill College - once a small women-only institution wrestling with a deficit and a shrinking student body - has more than doubled its enrollment since going coed in 2003 and operates well in the black today. Now, the school is preparing to make another major leap. It is planning a multi-decade, $500 million development project, including 10 new buildings on a 32-acre property known as Sugarloaf, near its 45-acre main campus. The college purchased the property, at Bells Mill Road and Germantown Avenue, across from the Woodmere Museum, from the Albert M. Greenfield Foundation in 2006. more |
More about Chestnut Hill Expansion from their site
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This is great news... hopefully it adds to the prestige, status and popularity of the school. I'd love to see another highly ranked institution in the Phila MSA - although 1,500 students is hardly an impressive number. |
CNN: Philly #10 Top Place to Live in US
This was initially a surprise to me but makes sense after reading their reasons why.
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Couple notes from Globest
Retirees? Sure, why not. But I'd rather keep our College talent.
Couple notes from Globest Is Temple getting overbuilt? Many have given kudos to the redevelopment effort of North Broad Street by Temple University. What once was considered a blighted community is now marked with new developments funded by a combination of the University and some courageous private developers who have ventured to the area and found great success. Apparently, one of those successful developers, Bart Blatstein of Tower Investments, is cooling on the area. After the recent success of his 1200-bed student housing project, “The Edge," one of the largest private developments in Philadelphia’s history, Blatstein, according to multiple sources, is now looking to sell his parcel and development rights located adjacent to “The Edge” rather than develop the lot himself. Does Toll Brothers believe the housing slump is over? According to one source, local residential housing giant Toll Brothers is looking to hire people for land acquisition in the region. This may suggest, that Toll feels the residential housing slump has bottomed out. A Jackass buys at the Murano. According to rumors, local West Chester native Bam Margera, star of MTV’s hit series-turned-movie Jackass, has purchased a unit at Center City’s Murano condominiums as a place to crash in Philly when he isn’t in West Chester building skate parks or terrorizing his parents. It is unknown whether Bam participated in the recent condominium auction, or whether he purchased at similar pricing thereafter. |
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EDIT: Whatever Plan Philly did with their slide shows, the fact that Youtubes appear in front of em is really really frustrating... |
Somebody needs to tell VZ to move the Progress Plaza from proposed to under construction, because it looks like the supermarket might be finished before the end of this year.
And The Hub on Chestnut St has been completed a loooong time ago!!! |
The Hub on Chestnut PHASE II is not complete. It's not even started to the best of my knowledge.
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Center City Retail -
Is it me or does every article of late give no "real" information.
Center City now looks to hook retail By Maria Panaritis Inquirer Staff Writer Center City has come a long way since 1992, when Philadelphia was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy: Now, there's a downtown convention center, posh hotels, gleaming new office towers, coveted condo addresses (with the accompanying residents), and a restaurant scene with a major cool factor. Now, if only it could get a little more - how to put it? - King of Prussia in the shopping department. Eyeing what has been an elusive goal for the otherwise burgeoning downtown district, local leaders yesterday launched an initiative to market Center City aggressively as a place retailers can no longer afford to overlook. The Philadelphia Retail Marketing Alliance, led by the Center City District, introduced a plan whose cornerstone is a new Web site, http://philadelphiaretail.com, that includes a database of vacant retail property, the names of corresponding brokers, and information about government incentives available for development. Backers of the new initiative, in the works since March 2008, hope it gives retail the same kind of urgency that helped tourism, culture, and the culinary world turn Center City into a must-go destination over the last two decades. "Philadelphia, in many ways, has changed its reputation on the hospitality side, certainly on the residential side, but there hasn't been an organized effort to change its image nationally on the retail side," said Paul R. Levy, president and chief executive officer of the Center City District. CCD took the wraps off the initiative at the Convention Center yesterday, at the annual two-day regional gathering sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers. "Philadelphia is open for business, and we are ready for you," Mayor Nutter told about 300 real estate lawyers, developers, investors, and retailers. "Everyone knows that we've been going through the toughest economic time quite possibly since the Great Depression," Nutter said. It's a particularly difficult time for Philadelphia, the mayor added, as it tries to avert "devastating action" while mired in a state budget deadlock that has choked off much-needed revenue. And yet, Nutter said, Center City's housing market remains strong and continues to grow, two new hotels will soon open, and the Convention Center will be twice its current size once an expansion is completed in 2011. Still, it may take more than a snappy sales pitch to change the way retailers view Center City. Levy said national retailers had an "outdated image" of Center City and failed to recognize the population density and high-income customer base it has developed in recent years. But retail experts and retailers see real obstacles that do not exist in the suburbs, where retail expansion reached unprecedented heights before the lending markets crashed. Parking is scarce and expensive, asking rents are high, and storefront ownership is fractious, with many landlords to contend with. By Levy's count, there are 2,500 to 3,000 separate owners of retail parcels in Center City. Roy Perez-Daple, senior real estate manager in charge of selecting new sites in the region for the Lowe's Cos. Inc. home-improvement chain, said that downtown Philadelphia was an attractive market, but that the economics were not yet ideal. A landlord may own 10 shops totaling 100,000 square feet, he said. That owner can collect $75 per square foot, per shop, and make a lot of money, rather than offering the entire space at the lower prices retailers such as Lowe's pay in the suburbs. "I'm not going to pay that," Perez-Daple said. Lowe's has opened three stores on large tracts in the city: on the Delaware River, at Center City's edge; in West Philadelphia; and in Northeast Philadelphia, with a fourth location coming to Port Richmond, also along the river. Agreeing with his analysis was retail broker Steven H. Gartner, president of Metro Commercial Real Estate Inc. and regional director of the shopping center trade group holding its annual deal-making summit this week. "You get a lot more money selling pieces of bread instead of a loaf," Gartner said, "and he's a loaf." Plus, Philadelphia has a 7 percent sales tax, soon to be 8 percent when the budget impasse ends, which has made it less competitive with the suburbs, said Jonathan D. Miniman, vice president and senior analyst for ING Clarion Real Estate Securities L.P., of Wayne. "The economics have to work for the retailer," said Miniman, who analyzes the retail market. He added that parking hassles in Center City, where shoppers notoriously fret about being ticketed or towed or paying hefty fees for lots, are also concerns for retailers. Center City boosters, however, said the economics were increasingly in retailers' favor. A report issued by CCD says 66 percent of the 54,096 people living in the immediate Center City area (Vine Street to Pine Street, the Delaware River to the Schuylkill) have bachelor's degrees and average household incomes of $74,317. Expand that area to Tasker Avenue and Girard Avenue, the report says, and there are 159,325 people with average household incomes of $63,547, while 45 percent of residents have bachelor's degrees. Those demographics have created huge demand for restaurants, but not for other retail ventures. The number of restaurants and take-out stores increased 4 percent over the last year and 29 percent since 2005. Yet there was a small drop in apparel, shoe, and accessory stores last year, despite the arrivals of Juicy Couture, True Religion Brand Jeans, and other high-end stores. Prominent Walnut and Chestnut Streets have high-profile vacancies and landlords so far unwilling to reduce rents. But Levy said overall vacancies were up only a half-percentage point, further evidence that Center City has staying power. |
:previous: I don't know why a retailer like Lowe's would want to open shop in CC, since the closest one is in South Phila. But an Apple Store would be most likely, as well as the upcoming North Face store on Walnut St.
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Great video of 1706
Check out the video from the business section on philly.com
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/ It shows an animation of the parking garage at the very end. |
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I know there's still more goldman stuff about to become occupied but somebody else needs to continue his vision (though I wish Chicken King was still around) by rolling in and transmogrifying some of the shit that's there. |
It looks like "table games" are part of the new state budget. I'm not the biggest gambling proponent but if you are going to do something do it right. Good step.
Cira South. Like the idea of 4,000 new employees in this former little dead zone, its going to be nice to see alot more pedestrian activity here to go along with the Penn + drexel crowd. Dont necessarily like the look of the new garage at this point and time. IMO the office tower of Cira South will be the next project to get underway once/if the credit markets get back to normal. |
Spring Garden Greenway is for real
Spring Garden Street Greenway: Summary of Public Input
Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association and the generous giving of several local foundations, public agencies, and local organizations, this project presents a major opportunity to make strategic public and institutional investments in the public realm to reconnect Philadelphia’s vibrant streets to its long-dormant waterfront. With implementation funding already earmarked, neighborhood residents, workers, and visitors can expect to see some positive changes within the next year and a half. The growing energy to transform the Delaware River waterfront into a publicly-accessible amenity to the city is a vision which depends on small-scale and short-term interventions like this one. Public input collected at a recent NLNA meeting from Northern Libertarians is shown in the map below: click on a yellow icon and you’ll see a place-specific observation; orange idea bubble icons indicate individual participants’ visions for improving areas along the corridor. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SUMMARY: http://interface-studio.com/currentl...e-map/#current If you would like to add your comments or ideas to the map, click here. Location 100 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA |
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http://www.philly.com/inquirer/busin...he_Crisis.html |
Saw some workers at the Hale Building today. Looks like they were drilling holes in the facade on the 3rd floor to take photos of the inside. Found some guys doing the same thing 7-8 months ago and they told me it's being looked at as a possible hotel conversion.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uP7zCxCOB_...e_Building.JPG I've heard all kinds of rumors for development of this building. First I heard Tony Goldman tried to buy it but was rebuffed by the owners, then I heard that the owners of the Value Plus actually own the building or have some kind of outrageous lease. Anyone know the real story? Since the Divine Lorriane project is pretty much dead (thanks east poplar civic ASSociation), this is the only other Willis Hale building of considerable size left. What a shame. Hale died broke despite being a member of philly high society, was rebuked over this building, and now his only works left (besides rowhomes and small apts he designed), are both empty and graffiti covered. |
Aaamazarite, thanks for that update. I agree with you about the work of Willis Hale, one of Philly's most eclectic 19th century architects. I think a boutique hotel would be ideai for the Hale Building and a full restoration to its former condition would be fantastic.
Another substantial Hale building in great condition is Ravenhill in East Falls. |
Good news
I just wish they would take an empty lot as opposed to knocking down a building.
http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/...partments.html John Buck gets zoning OK for apartments by Natalie Kostelni Staff Writer John Buck Co. got the green light from Philadelphia’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to construct a $100 million, 33-story apartment tower at 2116 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia. The ZBA approval comes more than a year after the Chicago developer began working on plans to build the complex. Now the developer is working on lining up financing and if all goes according to plan, will break ground at the beginning of next year, said Steve Perna of PernaFrederick Commercial Real Estate, who represented the developer and other interested parties in the project. The project will have 307 apartments. The site has a 40,000-square-foot building sitting on it that houses the Sidney Hillman Medical Center, a local institution in the neighborhood. The developer will knock down that building and build the apartment tower on the site. The medical center will be retained in a smaller, adjacent building that will be constructed as part of the project. The project wasn’t without some controversy. Two neighboring churches had concerns over the height of the development. The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia at 2125 Chestnut St., and the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion at 2110 Chestnut St. were worried about the height of the structure. The Unitarians feared it would be too tall and cast a “permanent shadow” on the church, detract from the church’s exterior appearance, interior illumination, stained glass, and the amount of sun its landscaping will receive. The developer made some concessions to lessen its impact on its neighbors, helping to clear the way for its eventual approval. John Buck is a real estate firm that developed and owns landmark office buildings and mixed-use projects in Chicago and other major cities. This is its first project in Philadelphia. |
^ are there renders for that project?
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