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  #61  
Old Posted Jul 30, 2014, 2:44 PM
cafeguy cafeguy is offline
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So... with 205 race, with this one going up, with the townhomes built behind it, and the big one next to the bridge.... has there ever been anything proposed for the big lot in the middle of all this? The one between callowhill and vine?
     
     
  #62  
Old Posted Jul 30, 2014, 5:07 PM
Insoluble Insoluble is offline
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So... with 205 race, with this one going up, with the townhomes built behind it, and the big one next to the bridge.... has there ever been anything proposed for the big lot in the middle of all this? The one between callowhill and vine?
None of those have actually started to go up yet though. The proposal by the bridge (Is that still being called Marina View?) and 205 Race have been dragging along in the design phase and have gone through several redesigns without any sort of start date, though I'm not ready to write them off completely. Renaissance Plaza on the other hand should not in any way be confused with a serious proposal. The best case scenario is that the current "developer" sells the property to someone who will actually do something with it.

As for the lot between Callowhill and Vine, I'm not sure if there are any current proposals for that. I feel like there was one during the last boom (maybe trump Tower or Bridgeman's View?) The unfortunate fact is that there is a lot of developable land along the Delaware and the track history for successful large scale development has not been good. The only things to actually get developed in the last boom were Sugarhouse (not even phase 1, the "interim phase" ) and the first few Waterfront Square buildings (they were never able to finish the whole development.) As much as I'd love to see the Delaware waterfront fill up and densify, I totally understand the reluctance of developers to take the plunge given the history. That plus the obviously bogus proposals like Renaissance Plaza which keep large plots of land as vacant lots for DECADES.

It's frustrating as hell, but it will happen sooner or later. There's so much positive momentum in the city, it's only a matter of time before it spills over onto the water front.
     
     
  #63  
Old Posted Jul 30, 2014, 5:29 PM
cafeguy cafeguy is offline
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Originally Posted by Insoluble View Post
None of those have actually started to go up yet though. The proposal by the bridge (Is that still being called Marina View?) and 205 Race have been dragging along in the design phase and have gone through several redesigns without any sort of start date, though I'm not ready to write them off completely. Renaissance Plaza on the other hand should not in any way be confused with a serious proposal. The best case scenario is that the current "developer" sells the property to someone who will actually do something with it.

As for the lot between Callowhill and Vine, I'm not sure if there are any current proposals for that. I feel like there was one during the last boom (maybe trump Tower or Bridgeman's View?) The unfortunate fact is that there is a lot of developable land along the Delaware and the track history for successful large scale development has not been good. The only things to actually get developed in the last boom were Sugarhouse (not even phase 1, the "interim phase" ) and the first few Waterfront Square buildings (they were never able to finish the whole development.) As much as I'd love to see the Delaware waterfront fill up and densify, I totally understand the reluctance of developers to take the plunge given the history. That plus the obviously bogus proposals like Renaissance Plaza which keep large plots of land as vacant lots for DECADES.

It's frustrating as hell, but it will happen sooner or later. There's so much positive momentum in the city, it's only a matter of time before it spills over onto the water front.
Pretty sure 205 race (early 2015), marina view (Fall 2014), and Renaissance (early 2015) all have start dates at the moment. All three have recently gone through the review committee, neighborhood discussions, redeisgns, etc and appear to finally be progressing...a process that certainly isn't free. The townhomes behind it that were just built, from what I know, are fully rented/sold. Sure, there is definitely a bad history there, but it looks like these three big projects are really pushing forward right now.

Along with sugarhouse came redevelopment of the large building across the street that has recording studios, and then the two large warehouses across from the waterfront square buildings (of which I heard have finally rebounded from lack of interest). One of those two buildings on the west side of collumbus is fully finished and rented while the other is almost finished construction. A shit ton of townhomes are coming in all along front street... some in the oddest of locations. The new performance space across from race street pier is finished. And sugarhouse is finally finishing phase 1.

There are recent plans for dense buildings to come to front and callowhill, front and spring garden, canal street development, delaware and fairmount... along with a bunch of other plans that have died but could be revived.

Conversions of old buildings are fully under way with newly built townhomes everywhere along front street... all we haven't seen after the recession hit is any large-scale new construction.My prediction is that if we get at least one of these larger projects to start... likely the marina view one, we are gonna see a domino effect as other developers gain confidence to build.

I think we are on the cusp of a big development movement between BF bridge, frankford ave, delaware, and second.
     
     
  #64  
Old Posted Jul 31, 2014, 12:17 PM
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Originally Posted by cafeguy View Post
Pretty sure 205 race (early 2015), marina view (Fall 2014), and Renaissance (early 2015) all have start dates at the moment. All three have recently gone through the review committee, neighborhood discussions, redeisgns, etc and appear to finally be progressing...a process that certainly isn't free. The townhomes behind it that were just built, from what I know, are fully rented/sold. Sure, there is definitely a bad history there, but it looks like these three big projects are really pushing forward right now.

Along with sugarhouse came redevelopment of the large building across the street that has recording studios, and then the two large warehouses across from the waterfront square buildings (of which I heard have finally rebounded from lack of interest). One of those two buildings on the west side of collumbus is fully finished and rented while the other is almost finished construction. A shit ton of townhomes are coming in all along front street... some in the oddest of locations. The new performance space across from race street pier is finished. And sugarhouse is finally finishing phase 1.

There are recent plans for dense buildings to come to front and callowhill, front and spring garden, canal street development, delaware and fairmount... along with a bunch of other plans that have died but could be revived.

Conversions of old buildings are fully under way with newly built townhomes everywhere along front street... all we haven't seen after the recession hit is any large-scale new construction.My prediction is that if we get at least one of these larger projects to start... likely the marina view one, we are gonna see a domino effect as other developers gain confidence to build.

I think we are on the cusp of a big development movement between BF bridge, frankford ave, delaware, and second.

I totally agree on the domino effect. The addition of the town homes is a big deal. There is essentially a neighborhood being built where very little residential exsisted. Its coming in phases, but as residential gets built there will also be a need for retail as there is very little in the vicinity. Projects like One Water Sq. and 205 race of a great opportunity to fill their ground floor retail quickly.

If these projects show quick success I have no reason not to believe, regardless of past history, in Renaissance or something of its magnitude being built in this location.

I said it before this area is going through a rapid change and its long over due. This is the one area that had so many proposals and potential that took the biggest hit from the crash. There may not be the grand proposal of a Bridgeman View or Trump Tower, but I feel the proposals are becoming more realistic.
     
     
  #65  
Old Posted Jul 31, 2014, 1:25 PM
cafeguy cafeguy is offline
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I totally agree on the domino effect. The addition of the town homes is a big deal. There is essentially a neighborhood being built where very little residential exsisted. Its coming in phases, but as residential gets built there will also be a need for retail as there is very little in the vicinity. Projects like One Water Sq. and 205 race of a great opportunity to fill their ground floor retail quickly.

If these projects show quick success I have no reason not to believe, regardless of past history, in Renaissance or something of its magnitude being built in this location.

I said it before this area is going through a rapid change and its long over due. This is the one area that had so many proposals and potential that took the biggest hit from the crash. There may not be the grand proposal of a Bridgeman View or Trump Tower, but I feel the proposals are becoming more realistic.
Oh man... bridgeman's view....wow. That would have been out of this world. As much as I would have wanted that to happen... glad it didn't. If it did, there would have been NO WAY I could have afforded the home I recently bought in the neighborhood on my measly grad student stipend.
     
     
  #66  
Old Posted Aug 5, 2014, 4:21 PM
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Looks like the new parking variance was approved by the ZBA. The two taller towers are 31 floors and 293 feet tall. The two smaller towers are 21 floors and 199 feet tall.

http://www.phillyliving.com/blog/201...sance-project/
     
     
  #67  
Old Posted Aug 5, 2014, 5:08 PM
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Originally Posted by summersm343 View Post
Looks like the new parking variance was approved by the ZBA. The two taller towers are 31 floors and 293 feet tall. The two smaller towers are 21 floors and 199 feet tall.


Nice looking ground floor and street level engagement, mediocre towers, and possibly the ugliest roofs I've ever seen. Those crown/rooftop atrocities makes the towers look like 30 story strip malls. And not even faux-classy strip malls, the truly crappy on-an-access-road-next-to-the-highway-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-Missouri-kind of strip mall.
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  #68  
Old Posted Aug 5, 2014, 5:38 PM
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293 feet is not 400 like the original, but it's a decent height for the area. The height will look nice with water front sq towers and one water sq. Really growing if and when the new additions get done.
     
     
  #69  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2014, 11:51 PM
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Cool video of the Columbus Blvd frontage

http://vimeo.com/107172385
     
     
  #70  
Old Posted Sep 28, 2014, 1:27 PM
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^^ I like this a lot. Really cool.

I like the fake store names/ideas too ...
Vintage Vinyl on the corner... oh word!
All it needed was a hipster beer bar.
     
     
  #71  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2016, 10:07 PM
Leviathant Leviathant is offline
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Apologies for the thread necromancy, but I came across an article from last June stating the property was up for sale.

Quote:
After failing to get the World Trade Center up and running, Carl Marks & Co. switched gears in 2002 and decided to focus on having the 5.3-acre parcel developed as a large multifamily project called Renaissance Plaza. The property fronts the Delaware River at Columbus Boulevard and Callowhill Street.

The dense development is approved for 1,342 apartments in four buildings that range in height from 21 to 31 stories. Plans also include nearly 70,000 square feet of retail space, 653 parking spaces along with more than an acre of landscaped public plazas.

Mike Margolis, an investment broker with Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, has the listing. While there’s no official price on the property, it could go for an estimated $50,000 a unit.

“The market will tell us at the end of the day,” he said. “It always does.”
After all these decades, I think the market's trying to tell them something, but they're not listening.

With all the movement in the last couple of years, the video rendering up on Vimeo, and with One Water Street shooting up, I was kind of hoping this would actually happen, but it seems increasingly likely that this plot may be doomed to mediocrity for a few more decades.
     
     
  #72  
Old Posted Jan 13, 2016, 10:13 PM
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Knight Hospitaller Knight Hospitaller is offline
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Originally Posted by Leviathant View Post
Apologies for the thread necromancy, but I came across an article from last June stating the property was up for sale.



After all these decades, I think the market's trying to tell them something, but they're not listening.

With all the movement in the last couple of years, the video rendering up on Vimeo, and with One Water Street shooting up, I was kind of hoping this would actually happen, but it seems increasingly likely that this plot may be doomed to mediocrity for a few more decades.
Even if the spelling's different, it isn't surprising that Karl Marx isn't listening to the market.
     
     
  #73  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2016, 6:10 AM
wanderer34 wanderer34 is offline
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It's a nice proposal. My only issue with it is height!!! If the proposal can crack 500+ ft, then it's a go for me. I'd love to see this become to fruition, and hopefully a WTC Phila can eventually follow!!!
     
     
  #74  
Old Posted Apr 28, 2016, 11:00 PM
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From Center City District Report: Maybe this is still alive?

RENAISSANCE PLAZA

DEVELOPER:
Carl Marks & Co.

LOCATION:
400 North Columbus Boulevard

SIZE:
1,900,000 sf

RESIDENTIAL UNITS:
1,358

START DATE:
2016

COMPLETION DATE:
TBD

STATUS:
Announced

INVESTMENT:
$800 Million

DESCRIPTION:
Carl Marks & Co. is developing a large residential project, Renaissance Plaza, on 5.3 acres that front the Delaware River
at Columbus Boulevard and Callowhill Street. Designed by Alesker & Dundon Architects, the dense project will include 1,342 rental
apartments in four multi-story buildings and 16 townhomes. Plans also include 69,710 sf of retail, 19,000 sf of office space, 600
parking spaces, and more than an acre of landscaped public space. The project will be built over four phases and seek LEED Gold
certification. The developer is committed to building Phase I and II, with other phases contingent on demand. The equity is in place
for Phase I and the developer is working on financing for Phases I and II. Parking for Phases I and II will be built during Phase I, with
Phase II construction starting once 50% of Phase I is complete. Construction should start in 2016, with Phase I taking 16 months.

http://www.centercityphila.org/docs/...pments2016.pdf
     
     
  #75  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2016, 2:41 AM
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The fact that CCD has included this in their list of projects leads me to believe that the list is a wish list, not a realistic list.
     
     
  #76  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2016, 3:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Cro Burnham View Post
The fact that CCD has included this in their list of projects leads me to believe that the list is a wish list, not a realistic list.
If I were making a report where I wanted CC to look great, I certainly would include every single project that isn't officially dead.
     
     
  #77  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2016, 12:22 PM
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If I were making a report where I wanted CC to look great, I certainly would include every single project that isn't officially dead.
exactly, this is called REACHING. To say the least. Which is why you can't take their status reports too seriously. They are major manipulators of data when they are trying to create a narrative.
     
     
  #78  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2016, 1:51 PM
cafeguy cafeguy is offline
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exactly, this is called REACHING. To say the least. Which is why you can't take their status reports too seriously. They are major manipulators of data when they are trying to create a narrative.
which isn't a bad thing, but its important to remember.
     
     
  #79  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2016, 3:15 PM
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I see these snippets from the CCD report posted by Summers in nearly all the threads but most of this info is outdated. I appreciate the updates Summers, but I think these snippets are pretty irrelevant. The most current, publicly available information regarding every project in Philly is....here.

EDIT: Sorry I'm a little cranky. Seeing new postings in threads of near-dead and forgotten projects raises my hopes and then when I see this meaningless CCD booster crap on here, I get all deflated.
     
     
  #80  
Old Posted Apr 29, 2016, 7:07 PM
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I just took a property final so all of these TBD start and end dates bring this to mind, "no interest is good unless it must vest, if all, not later than twenty-one years after some life in being at the creation of the interest."

Basically if you can't give me a solid timeline I'm not going to put much stock in your perpetual proposal.
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