PHILADELPHIA | Castleway Tower | 43 floors? | 525 ft

Swinefeld · #1 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 3:23 PM**

Castleway Hotel & Condo

Website: N/A

Location: 1911 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
Usage: Hotel and condominium
Height: Condominium 525' (160 meters) Floors: N/A
Height: Condominium 200' (61 meters) Floors: N/A
Architects: KlingStubbins
Developers: Castleway Properties L.L.C.
Estimated Cost: N/A
Units/Condominium: 150 units
Units/Hotel: N/A
Groundbreaking: N/A
Completion: N/A

This lot on Walnut Street across from Rittenhouse Square was home to a movie theater which burned in the early 1990s and has been sitting vacant until the present. The Philadelphia Parking Authority, who owned the lot until recently, sold it to Castleway Properties L.L.C. in June of 2007 for $36.7 million. In November 13, 2007 Castleway along with architects, KlingStubbins, revealed the plans for the tower to the Center City Residents Association, which met favorably by the group.

This new project still has some obstacles in its path. There are three historic buildings on the Sansom Street side; the Oliver Bair Funeral Home, Warwick Apartments, and Rittenhouse Coffee Shop which may be demolished to make way for the tower. It might be possible to incorporate the historic buildings into the design of the new construction with the ever popular facadectomy or to simply build over them. Another sticking point is zoning, a recurring theme in Philadelphia construction delays. Currently the property is zoned C4 and would have to be upgraded to a C5 to allow the tower to reach its full height of 525'. A zoning change would have to go through City Council in order to build the project as it is now planned. Darrel Clarke, who's City Council district includes this area, will have to introduce a bill granting the zoning variance needed for the added height.

Approximate location of hotel and condominium highlighted in yellow outline.

Images
Renderings and site plans courtesy of Castleway Properties L.L.C. and KlingStubbins

volguus zildrohar · #2 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 3:27 PM**

I keep forgetting about this charmer.

LittleMike · #3 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 3:32 PM**

those designs look impressive. 525' is nothing to scoff at either!

Don098 · #4 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 3:59 PM**

Why don't they blow off the hotel portion and save those historic buildings? In my mind, there's way too much open space left in Philadelphia to justify needing to start tearing things down that give Rittenhouse Square its character. I like the design, but i dunno, I just don't get it. I'd rather see this go up than not but, why couldn't find another place for this? What about the parking lot RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET?

winxs · #5 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 4:43 PM**

Swinefeld, I think the yellow outline in your first picture is off a bit; it should be larger. If you compare it with the two diagrams beneath it, you will see that the parking lot on the other side of Moravian is where the tall portion of the building will be. The three buildings that are in jeopardy are on the south side of Sansom (they are between Moravian and Sansom.) This project will cross Moravian thus eliminating most of that block.

Complex01 · #6 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 5:10 PM**

Oh wow that is nice. Philly is really coming along. Very Kewl...

theWatusi · #7 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 5:21 PM**

looks like a giant putting green on the lower roof.

SJPhillyBoy · #8 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 6:37 PM**

This one is going to be a true upscale jewel of the most incredible proportions (not that 10 Rittenhouse down the block isn't).
The developer needs to make it upscale to make up the $36.7M they paid for the lot.

Dale · #9 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 6:40 PM**

Sounds like we all need to dig in and wait on this one.

Swinefeld · #10 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 6:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by winxs

Swinefeld, I think the yellow outline in your first picture is off a bit; it should be larger. If you compare it with the two diagrams beneath it, you will see that the parking lot on the other side of Moravian is where the tall portion of the building will be. The three buildings that are in jeopardy are on the south side of Sansom (they are between Moravian and Sansom.) This project will cross Moravian thus eliminating most of that block.

You're right, I was selling this project a little short. The map has been updated. But my original outline preserved the old buildings.

Austinlee · #11 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 7:32 PM**

Nice design. It kind of sits at a weird angle to the park though....

Jularc · #12 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 7:45 PM**

Great looking tower, awesome location. I always wanted to see those lots disappear.

Don098 · #13 Posted: **Mar 20, 2008, 8:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by winxs

Swinefeld, I think the yellow outline in your first picture is off a bit; it should be larger. If you compare it with the two diagrams beneath it, you will see that the parking lot on the other side of Moravian is where the tall portion of the building will be. The three buildings that are in jeopardy are on the south side of Sansom (they are between Moravian and Sansom.) This project will cross Moravian thus eliminating most of that block.

Ok good...that was the parking lot I was talking about. I'm onboard now haha.