PHILADELPHIA | The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton | 518 FT / 158 M | 48 FLOORS

[apetrella802]

they will reuse the existing foundations but suppliment it with more cassions for the particular needs of this buil,ding. i'm not guessing i send an email to the developer and asked just this question since it should translate into a much quicker start on the tower.

[CondoGuru]

Originally Posted by LostInTheZone

As far as brutalism goes, Meridian was actually pretty well-done, well thought-out and urbane. Considering so little of Brutalism was well-done, it was definitely a loss, especially since the prewar Morris building behind it had to come down too. But, I wouldn't call this just another glass box. The new 7 World Trade is a boring glass box. The angles break up the facade on this one, the cantelevered penthouse roof is straight off of PSFS (which predates the Pirelli building in Milan by decades, even though the latter is probably superior) and the arcaded entrance opens up the sidewalk while still respecting the street. It doesn't have a lot of ugly projecting balconies, and the few it does have are tastefulle set within the plane of the facade. It's got great slim proportions, and the height is just right for the site. This is really as good as it gets for a modernist building.

of course, it all comes down to the finishing materials that they use, but being that this is the Ritz I don't think they'll go cheap. I have a lot of confidence in this project.

PS- speaking of materials, any idea if they'll cover the west facade of the older Ritz tower with marble? The renderings seem to show the bricked-over windows being reopened. I'd be happy if they just pained it white too.

Well seeing as there's no real relationship between the developer and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (Marriott International), and developers being developers, you can probably count on them cutting any corner they can that has nothing to do with their building. They have no obligation to spruce up the east wall of the hotel, and the hotel has no obligation to make it nice for the condo owners either. A friend of mine's company bought some units there for corporate housing and were told that there is simply a hospitality licensing agreement with the hotel, nothing more. They also said there is no guarantee of the Ritz-Carlton name remaining there if the hotel chose not to renew such a license or if the Ritz closed that location. Now that would really stink for people buying there simply for the hotel services and name.

[mbenzgt]

Originally Posted by CondoGuru

Well seeing as there's no real relationship between the developer and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (Marriott International), and developers being developers....

Not true. The hotel is owned by the same developer as the condo project. Ritz Carlton is just a name and is franchised out. The Westin hotel in CC is owned by a third party, as is the Park Hyatt.

[PhillyJosh]

Originally Posted by mbenzgt

Not true. The hotel is owned by the same developer as the condo project. Ritz Carlton is just a name and is franchised out. The Westin hotel in CC is owned by a third party, as is the Park Hyatt.

That isn't entirely true......the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co is owned by Marriott, who purchased the name in 1996. The Arden Group, however does own the building and leases to the RC.

[Lincolndrive]

I had a nice walk over to the RATR this morning. There's a lot of work going on and I didn't realize they were clearing out the pavement below ground level as well....I guess thats why this whole part of site-prep is taking so long. Living anywhere near there would have to be brutal right now...its constant pavement demo all day long!

BTW, you can get a really good look at the progress from the parking lot next door (where 1441 will be one day). Someone should think about taking the camera down there (I would but I still haven't figured out how to post on this site...BTW round 2....it would be really cool if someone could tell me how to paste pictures here!).

[MetroSplash]

Originally Posted by Lincolndrive

I had a nice walk over to the RATR this morning. There's a lot of work going on and I didn't realize they were clearing out the pavement below ground level as well....I guess thats why this whole part of site-prep is taking so long. Living anywhere near there would have to be brutal right now...its constant pavement demo all day long!

I live accross the street in the Ellington, and it sure does wake me up every morning. But since I have to get up to go to work anyway, its not too bad.

After a lull of a few weeks, they are working full force removing another layer of concrete. The last picture I posted shows just the roof of the garage gone, but since then they've completely take out the lower level and much more of the roof. If I get home before sunset this evening, I'll take an updated picture and post.

[Lincolndrive]

Originally Posted by Lincolndrive

BTW round 2....it would be really cool if someone could tell me how to paste pictures here!).

Thanks to all who responded to this request! I think I've got the posting thing down now. Of course I can't get anything on from work but at least I know how now!

Cheers

[MetroSplash]

Originally Posted by Lincolndrive

Thanks to all who responded to this request! I think I've got the posting thing down now. Of course I can't get anything on from work but at least I know how now!

Cheers

Go to www.photobucket.com, sign up for an account, upload your pictures, and copy the IMG code for the picture into you message.

Simple as that.

[MetroSplash]

New picture of RATR construction.

[phillyskyline]

This is a pipedream but how sweet would it be if Spencer bought out Mahoney who is selling 1441 & combined the Ritz with 1441's new space to construct the premier condo unit in the city!

[CondoGuru]

Originally Posted by PhillyJosh

That isn't entirely true......the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co is owned by Marriott, who purchased the name in 1996. The Arden Group, however does own the building and leases to the RC.

Thank you. I thought I had it right seeing as it was explained to me that way by the Ritz's Sales Center itself!

[volguus zildrohar]

The view from 15th Street is getting much more generous should anyone pass it by. The fingers and my camera will be in fighting shape again next week...so maybe these verbal trifles will trickle to tiny.

[Swinefeld]

The fence around the perimeter make casual photo taking very dificult. We'll have to rely on pics from Metro.

This pic from last Saturday shows the removal of wall that surrounded the pit.

[Lincolndrive]

I had a very hot walk over to the RATR site today to see how things were going....They are going well and full-steam ahead. It seems like they have even more people on the site now. I finally managed to speak with a project manager who told me that they were just now starting to reinforce the foundation (since they are re-using an old one) and that they would start pouring concrete in late September. I asked him if everything was still alright and moving forward and he said that everything was a go and this building was definitely coming. Hopefully he wasn't blowing smoke but after seeing how many people are on-site, I still would be amazed if they were backing out at this point. Still, I'll be a lot happier when the concrete's getting poured in a couple months.

[SouthPhilly]

FORGOT INSPIRATIONAL Quote(edit):

Originally Posted by phillyskyline

This is a pipedream but how sweet would it be if Spencer bought out Mahoney who is selling 1441 & combined the Ritz with 1441's new space to construct the premier condo unit in the city!

That would be a disaster i hate big chunky towers with huge podiums and loading docks. Why can't we keep the nice slender urban design and not have one guy owning everything.

[sjones]

Wow, it will be some time before we see concrete here. I saw they are cutting out some of the beams and continuing to remove the slab at street level near the Ritz Carlton. I saw at least a dozen guys on site the other day.

[volguus zildrohar]

August 4:

Looking down.

[TechTalkGuy]

Excellent shot!

[MetroSplash]

Here's a shot of the site from 7:30 PM, 8/9/2006. It doesn't look that much different then the shot I took last month, but there does seem to be a lot going on underground (believe me, I hear them every morning and even on Saturdays).

[TheOldMan]

^^^they are fortifying and reinforcing the original foundation for reuse for this building. from what i read in earlier postings, nothing will rise out of the ground for at least until the 4th quarter of this year.