PHILADELPHIA | Cambria Hotel | 200 FT | 15 FLOORS

summersm343 · #1 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 7:12 PM**

Title: Cambria Hotel
Project: hotel, retail
Architect: DAS Architects
Developer: Pearl Properties
Location: 219 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA
Neighborhood: Avenue of the Arts
District: Center City Philadelphia
Floors: 15
Height: 200 feet

PDF:
http://www.phila.gov/CityPlanning/pr...DR_Reduced.pdf

http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...-philadelphia/

summersm343 · #2 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 7:14 PM**

Broad Street Garage to be Replaced by ‘Upscale’ Hotel from Choice Hotels?

Quote:

It looks as though Center City is going to have another hotel project on its hands in the not-too-distant future, and it’s front and center on the Avenue of the Arts.

A recent press release from Choice Hotels says it has signed an agreement with “franchise partner Pearl Properties … to develop a new Cambria hotel & suites in Philadelphia, PA.” The planned location? You guessed it (or read the sub-headline), it’s the corner of Broad and Locust, where owner Pearl Properties is in the process of demolishing the former parking garage. The Cambria is set to feature 206 rooms and is expected to be completed in 2017.

Read more at http://www.phillymag.com/property/20...ebm0vf8fwDR.99

summersm343 · #3 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 7:29 PM**

Garage demo from today

boxbot · #4 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 8:33 PM**

Looks nice, but I wonder if it means more market saturation for the already uncertain SLS.

jsbrook · #5 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 8:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by boxbot

Looks nice, but I wonder if it means more market saturation for the already uncertain SLS.

Doubt it. Quite different price points. Uncertainties for SLS but I don't see this contributing to any real degree.

summersm343 · #6 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 8:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by boxbot

Looks nice, but I wonder if it means more market saturation for the already uncertain SLS.

Where are you getting the idea that there is market saturation? I don't believe there is at all. SLS issues have nothing to do with the market and have to do with the financing source and the reliance on state funding grants.

SJPhillyBoy · #7 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 10:49 PM**

I find this project to be underwhelming. Not too exciting.

Knight Hospitaller · #8 Posted **Mar 7, 2016, 10:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SJPhillyBoy

I find this project to be underwhelming. Not too exciting.

It's just OK. Less offensive than 1919 Market, but a big underutilization of the garage and corner parcels.

shadowbat2 · #9 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 12:07 AM**

So the Verrelli buildings will be kept for good, or is Pearl planning something else for that site?

Also are they relying on the state budget like SLS?

Cro Burnham · #10 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 12:46 AM**

The more i look at this, the more it looks like the garage it replaces. Not a complaint, just an observation.

hammersklavier · #11 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 12:18 PM**

This is quite meh. It looks like it just sits on the garage parcel. I thought Pearl owned both the garage and corner parcels here?

Justin7 · #12 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 12:59 PM**

Wider is not better. Glad only the garage is being replaced. I think the corner building is quite nice despite its small size, but if it is replaced at some point there will be two thin(ish) buildings instead of a stumpy box.

Arch+Eng · #13 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 2:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin7

Wider is not better. Glad only the garage is being replaced. I think the corner building is quite nice despite its small size, but if it is replaced at some point there will be two thin(ish) buildings instead of a stumpy box.

Took the words out of my mouth.
Say no to mega block projects.

McBane · #14 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 2:26 PM**

And correct me if I'm wrong but the corner property (Perch Pub) is being redeveloped by Dranoff/SLS group for a mid-tier hotel, right? I am also questioning hotel saturation. This hotel, Doubletree, and the potential mid-tier SLS are pretty much all the same level. I get that SLS is different and that Philadelphia has room for more 4-5 star hotels.

MikeNigh · #15 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 3:04 PM**

The should throw some apartments and condos in there to get a few more floors.

summersm343 · #16 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 3:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane

And correct me if I'm wrong but the corner property (Perch Pub) is being redeveloped by Dranoff/SLS group for a mid-tier hotel, right? I am also questioning hotel saturation. This hotel, Doubletree, and the potential mid-tier SLS are pretty much all the same level. I get that SLS is different and that Philadelphia has room for more 4-5 star hotels.

No, Dranoff's Hyde Hotel proposal is at Broad and Pine replacing the parking garage there with a ground floor Starbucks... this is not the location for that. This whole corner is owned by Pearl.

jsbrook · #17 Posted **Mar 8, 2016, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane

And correct me if I'm wrong but the corner property (Perch Pub) is being redeveloped by Dranoff/SLS group for a mid-tier hotel, right? I am also questioning hotel saturation. This hotel, Doubletree, and the potential mid-tier SLS are pretty much all the same level. I get that SLS is different and that Philadelphia has room for more 4-5 star hotels.

What summers said. Also, these hotels are not at the same level. SLS is more than mid-tier, though maybe not top of the line luxury. Quite nice. It's above Hyde, the other Dranoff project you are thinking of at Pine, which is above Cambria. Cambria is not a luxury hotel. Even the Philly mag article from November on this correctly had 'upscale' in quotes. I would say Cambria is solidly a 3 star hotel. Nice, comfortable. But no great shakes. I think even the Times Square one, their nicest hotel, is formally rated as such by travel cites like Travelocity.

Bigstilt · #18 Posted **Mar 9, 2016, 3:37 PM**

I was told 15 years ago that this parking lot was going to be turned into a hotel and I have been waiting ever since. Dam it took better than a decade for this to happen but I'm pleased. Broad street is hot right now for new development.

mmikeyphilly · #19 Posted **Mar 9, 2016, 3:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigstilt

I was told 15 years ago that this parking lot was going to be turned into a hotel and I have been waiting ever since. Dam it took better than a decade for this to happen but I'm pleased. Broad street is hot right now for new development.

I know that I will have to duck from someone throwing a pie in my face, BUT....where are all of the cars going to park? I know it's by popular demand that more people are turning to mass transit, and getting rid of the car. BUT, how do you explain the daily traffic jams coming in and out of the city? Someone's driving these vehicles, don't you think?

Oh and the hotel looks okay. Not great, just okay. It's too bad many of these hotel projects aren't going to be finished in time for the DNC. They are missing out on all of that profit.

Baconboy007 · #20 Posted **Mar 9, 2016, 3:59 PM**

I think part of the idea is that if you make it unappealing to park in the city then most people won't take their cars in and use public transportation. I've had to go to NYC a few times this year for various reason and took septa/nj transit cause I know parking will be a pain in NYC.