PHILADELPHIA | American Commerce Center | 1,510' Pinnacle / 1,210' Roof | 63 FLOORS

[russbaseball]

Passed!!!

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/f...ning_vote.html

[SJPhillyBoy]

Excellent! One more step completed in the many to get this thing built.

[Swinefeld]

Tallest skyscraper wins preliminary City Council vote
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2008

Inquirer staff writer Jeff Shields writes:

A zoning change that would allow the tallest building in Philadelphia to rise next door to the Comcast Tower gained unanimous approval of a City Council committee this morning.

The Council’s Committee on Rules approved a zoning change that would allow the American Commerce Center, a 1,500 foot tower above office space, a hotel and retail, to rise at the block bordered by Arch, Cuthbert, 18th and 19th streets.

Over strong opposition by residents of the neighborhing Kennedy House, who said the zoning allows for a much more intense development than was intended for the area, the committee voted 9-0 to recommend the change to full Council, which could give final approval Dec. 11.

City Councilman Darrell Clarke said the project would have to submit a plan of development to the Planning Commission and return to Council for final approval.

[logansquare]

who attended the meeting? Can we get a run-down from someone about how it went?

[Don098]

Originally Posted by logansquare

who attended the meeting? Can we get a run-down from someone about how it went?

Yes, give me a little time. I have plenty. Probably won't be able to give my minutes until sometime Friday or Saturday.

[Jes44]

Seems too many steps for final approval, next to Philly Planning Commission and then back to City Council. I think its great that we are that much closer to seeing this happen, but we need a major corporate tennant to fill this space and the credit market to start turning around again.

[KillerIman]

hell yeah!

the plus is that city council is moving swiftly. and they seem to be all for it!

build it! i assure that once its in the works anchor tenants will come. this is the only skyscraper in the entire northeast that is of NYC magnitude

[SSBMEXPERT]

Here's an article from MyFox Philadelphia...


American Commerce Center Gets Preliminary Zoning Approval


The tallest skyscraper ever seen in Philadelphia clears a big hurdle.

A City Council committee has given preliminary approval to the 1500 foot tall American Commerce Center - but not without some controversy.

City Council's Rules Committee Wednesday okayed zoning changes needed to fit the giant structure – 50% taller than the nearby Comcast Center- - into a parcel of land bounded by 18th and 19th Streets, Arch and Cuthbert.

Is William Penn's Greene Country Towne ready for a 21st century super-skyscraper?

At the Kennedy House, longtime residents reacted to the news that a new and very tall neighbor may soon replace the parking lot across the street with a mixture of sadness, resignation and defiance.

"I'm not too happy about it, but I'm not moving! Haha. I won't move!” said resident Mimi Magen.

The American Commerce Center would combine a hotel, shops, entertainment, office space and residential units, in the tallest structure Philadelphia has ever seen.

The developers insist the building will not steal tenants from other office towers, but will attract new businesses in search of a large, state-of-the-art headquarters.

”If the city wants to attract the major tenants we want to attract, we have to have the space available. And right now, there's no space available,” said project attorney Peter Kelsen.

At a City Council hearing packed both with construction workers supporting the project and neighbors who oppose it, a Kennedy House lawyer described their complaint succinctly: "You can build it new, and you can build it pretty. You don't have to build it this big,” said Joseph Beller.

"It is, really a very dull city after a certain time of night..." said Frank DiCicco (D) Philadelphia City Council.

But council members suggested a super-skyscraper might be just what the city needs to add population - and life - to Philadelphia.

"If we don't make adjustments and we just go by what the code says, we will never build our city to be a world class city,” said DiCicco.

With that, the committee voted unanimously to give the ACC the zoning changes it needs.

Opponents were disappointed, but not surprised.

(Fox 29’s Bruce Gordon: "You believe this was a done deal before this hearing?")
Kennedy House Resident Rosalind Schreiber: "Uh huh."
Gordon: "What makes you think that?"
Schreiber: "Past experience with city council."

The project is not a done deal.

Final hurdles include a full council vote, planning commission approval and a final council okay.

But Wednesday's action makes a 2009 ground-breaking and a 2013 opening more likely than ever for a project that will forever change the Philadelphia skyline.


Link: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pag...Y&pageId=3.2.1

[skellergroup]

Originally Posted by Jes44

Would someone who attended this morning's city council meeting give us news regarding this project? Did it pass? etc.

Looks like it. Wasn't there, but here is a link:

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news...ning_vote.html

[skellergroup]

um sorry, was on the wrong page.

[Swinefeld]

Just to round things out, here's channel 6's report on the ACC ruling today.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?se...cal&id=6536874

Of course the nay sayers get their two cents.

[NYguy]

council members suggested a super-skyscraper might be just what the city needs to add population - and life - to Philadelphia

Excellent. They should be transplanted to New York to serve on the New York city council.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by SSBMEXPERT

Here's an article from MyFox Philadelphia...


American Commerce Center Gets Preliminary Zoning Approval


The tallest skyscraper ever seen in Philadelphia clears a big hurdle.

A City Council committee has given preliminary approval to the 1500 foot tall American Commerce Center - but not without some controversy.

City Council's Rules Committee Wednesday okayed zoning changes needed to fit the giant structure – 50% taller than the nearby Comcast Center- - into a parcel of land bounded by 18th and 19th Streets, Arch and Cuthbert.

Is William Penn's Greene Country Towne ready for a 21st century super-skyscraper?

At the Kennedy House, longtime residents reacted to the news that a new and very tall neighbor may soon replace the parking lot across the street with a mixture of sadness, resignation and defiance.

"I'm not too happy about it, but I'm not moving! Haha. I won't move!” said resident Mimi Magen.

The American Commerce Center would combine a hotel, shops, entertainment, office space and residential units, in the tallest structure Philadelphia has ever seen.

The developers insist the building will not steal tenants from other office towers, but will attract new businesses in search of a large, state-of-the-art headquarters.

”If the city wants to attract the major tenants we want to attract, we have to have the space available. And right now, there's no space available,” said project attorney Peter Kelsen.

At a City Council hearing packed both with construction workers supporting the project and neighbors who oppose it, a Kennedy House lawyer described their complaint succinctly: "You can build it new, and you can build it pretty. You don't have to build it this big,” said Joseph Beller.

"It is, really a very dull city after a certain time of night..." said Frank DiCicco (D) Philadelphia City Council.

But council members suggested a super-skyscraper might be just what the city needs to add population - and life - to Philadelphia.

"If we don't make adjustments and we just go by what the code says, we will never build our city to be a world class city,” said DiCicco.

With that, the committee voted unanimously to give the ACC the zoning changes it needs.

Opponents were disappointed, but not surprised.

(Fox 29’s Bruce Gordon: "You believe this was a done deal before this hearing?")
Kennedy House Resident Rosalind Schreiber: "Uh huh."
Gordon: "What makes you think that?"
Schreiber: "Past experience with city council."

The project is not a done deal.

Final hurdles include a full council vote, planning commission approval and a final council okay.

But Wednesday's action makes a 2009 ground-breaking and a 2013 opening more likely than ever for a project that will forever change the Philadelphia skyline.


Link: http://www.myfoxphilly.com/myfox/pag...Y&pageId=3.2.1

stupid fox29. they teased this story with headlines like "Skyscraper fight" and with lead-ins like "Residents show up at council meeting to voice their opposition to the proposed newest skyscraper." bullshit; they interviewed 2 residents of kennedy house, both of whom said that they didn't like the building going up but that they would live with it. there was no fight, no vocal opposition from residents, just a perfunctory showing by residents who had nothing better to do.
why does the media insist that this is a fight? almost everyone they interview or every meeting they report on about this says that people are generally in favor of it, or at least willing to live with it. isn't that a better story than the one they are trying to invent?

[Ninjawho]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

stupid fox29. they teased this story with headlines like "Skyscraper fight" and with lead-ins like "Residents show up at council meeting to voice their opposition to the proposed newest skyscraper." bullshit; they interviewed 2 residents of kennedy house, both of whom said that they didn't like the building going up but that they would live with it. there was no fight, no vocal opposition from residents, just a perfunctory showing by residents who had nothing better to do.
why does the media insist that this is a fight? almost everyone they interview or every meeting they report on about this says that people are generally in favor of it, or at least willing to live with it. isn't that a better story than the one they are trying to invent?

Because very simply the news is, and always has been, about the bottom line. They need money...and with the economy the way it is...they aren't exactly selling papers or getting revenue from advertising like they want.



EDIT: I've been kinda remiss about updating the front page of this bad boy...so I want you guys to tell me what pics you want on their or if there's any info u think needs to be up there...

[giamomj]

Yup - the economic disaster in this country will shove this big boy right over the top of the naysayers. We need the jobs in Philly - both during the construction phase and after - what with 1000 permanent jobs created by the building occupants/businesses themselves. Look what building the Comcast tower did for jobs....

Also fascinating - a new Market/Frankford subway stop at 18th St? FANTASTIC. (Now the City and PATCO need to open that abandoned PATCO subway stop at Franklin Square, too...among other light rail ideas/proposals - but that's another thread).

ALSO: Funny how the Action News Channel 6's video this a.m. made the ACC look only a little taller than Comcast. What the hell is that about? Just bad TV graphic design??

Long live ACC.

Gia

[We Got Five]

City's tallest building gets Council committee approval
By Jeff Shields

Inquirer Staff Writer

The developer of the proposed 1,510-foot American Commerce Center has all but secured the zoning necessary to build the city's tallest structure at 18th and Arch Streets, tilting Center City's core westward.
City Council's Committee on Rules voted 9-0 yesterday to allow Hill International Real Estate Partners to blow past a current 125-foot height limit for that property to create a $1.1 billion, 63-floor office tower and 26-story hotel with a department store, a movie/dinner theater, and a supermarket at the base.

A full, final Council vote on the zoning could come as early as next Thursday.

The American Commerce Center would be one of the tallest buildings in the world and dwarf Philadelphia's highest skyscraper, the 975-foot Comcast Center, which sits across 18th Street on JFK Boulevard.

On its Web site, Hill International predicts that the American Commerce Center will do nothing less than "make Philadelphia the United States' newest epicenter of finance and innovation."

The project does not have an anchor tenant signed - critical for its viability - but Councilman Darrell L. Clarke, whose district encompasses the project, said he had spoken with prospective tenants.

"I think this is real," said Clarke, who declined to name the tenants.

Peter Kelsen, attorney for the developer, said that despite market conditions, "there is an ability and an optimism on the part of the owner-developer that they can move the project forward."

He pointed to the outlay of more than $2 million for planning and marketing as evidence of the developer's financial commitment and resources.

Council could approve the zoning next week - and it appears a majority of members supports the project. Kelsen said Hill International could submit a plan of development as soon as the spring, with groundbreaking possible late next year if the plans are approved by Council and the City Planning Commission. Completion would be in early 2013.

Prospective tenants represent a mix of existing Philadelphia businesses and new arrivals, Clarke said. He said his support for the American Commerce Center was based on the number of jobs that a building with nearly 1 million square feet of office space could attract.

"We have to take advantage of this in any economy, not to mention this economy," Clarke said.

Edward Panek, chairman of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association's zoning committee, urged Council to delay passage of the bill while the community negotiated with the developer.

Clarke said outstanding issues include traffic and the type of retail development. A supermarket, for instance, would involve truck traffic that requires loading and unloading, he said.

Residents of Kennedy House at 19th Street and JFK Boulevard, catercorner to the American Commerce Center site, oppose a project of such density on the half-block plot bounded by 18th, 19th, Arch and Cuthbert Streets.

Architect Gray Smith, hired by Kennedy House residents, said the current C-4 zoning limits established the neighborhood as a transitional area between high-rise Center City and low-rise residential communities.

"This property is on the edge of the business district, not the middle," Smith testified before Council.

Clarke disagreed. "The reality is this building is adjacent to the tallest building in Philadelphia," he said.

Architects John Partridge and Steven Henkelman, testifying separately, also rejected Smith's characterization. Henkelman compared the plan with "threshold" events, including the piercing of the William Penn height ceiling with the completion of One Liberty Place in 1987.

Partridge said that development along transit lines - part of the American Commerce Center project involves extending the Suburban Station concourse by two blocks - makes the site the "prime location" for such an ambitious building.

"This site is not the edge of anything," Partridge said. "This is the center of the main urban corridor in Philadelphia."

[mrskyline]

This is exciting news. I find it amusing that residents of a piece of "junkitecture" like Kennedy House are trying to stop this magnificent building. Here is a building that will be an icon for Philly and all they care about is their view and traffic. What about the people who will have to look out their window at the American Commerce Center and gaze at the eye sore that is Kennedy House? Maybe Kennedy House should be torn down and replaced with something more in line with ACC?

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by NYguy

Excellent. They should be transplanted to New York to serve on the New York city council.

Excellent. And we get your councilmen and women too, of course.

[hammersklavier]

Originally Posted by skyscraper

stupid fox29. they teased this story with headlines like "Skyscraper fight" and with lead-ins like "Residents show up at council meeting to voice their opposition to the proposed newest skyscraper." bullshit; they interviewed 2 residents of kennedy house, both of whom said that they didn't like the building going up but that they would live with it. there was no fight, no vocal opposition from residents, just a perfunctory showing by residents who had nothing better to do.
why does the media insist that this is a fight? almost everyone they interview or every meeting they report on about this says that people are generally in favor of it, or at least willing to live with it. isn't that a better story than the one they are trying to invent?

1. The media likes fights.
2. "Journalistic Integrity" today means everybody gets their two cents in.
3. It's mostly been Fox that's against this.

[phillyscooter]

Originally Posted by mrskyline

This is exciting news. I find it amusing that residents of a piece of "junkitecture" like Kennedy House are trying to stop this magnificent building. Here is a building that will be an icon for Philly and all they care about is their view and traffic. What about the people who will have to look out their window at the American Commerce Center and gaze at the eye sore that is Kennedy House? Maybe Kennedy House should be torn down and replaced with something more in line with ACC?

Yeah, the view from up in Roxy is finally about to get uber interesting....those KH folks should be happy they had cheap rent for as long as they have!