HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture > Never Built & Visionary Projects > Cancelled Project Threads Archive


    American Commerce Center in the SkyscraperPage Database

Building Data Page   • Comparison Diagram   • Philadelphia Skyscraper Diagram

Map Location
Philadelphia Projects & Construction Forum

 

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #61  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 1:26 PM
Swinefeld's Avatar
Swinefeld Swinefeld is offline
Corporate logo
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: The Big Scrapple
Posts: 5,515
Giant skyscraper proposed
Tower would be taller than the Empire State Building

Philadelphia Business Journal - by Natalie Kostelni Staff Writer

A local developer is proposing to construct an $800 million, 2.2 million-square-foot skyscraper on what is now a surface parking lot at 18th and Arch streets in Center City.

The 63-story building would stand 1,500 feet high, surpassing the new Comcast Center, which at 1,000 feet tall is the city's tallest structure. The proposed tower would even be taller than the Empire State Building.

"It would be an iconic structure," said Garrett Miller, president of Walnut Street Capital. "This is something Philadelphia has not seen before."

Walnut Street Capital, a Philadelphia development company, and a pension fund from Washington state are allying to develop the project. The pension fund, which has $6.18 billion in assets, is financing the project, Miller said. This enables the project to skirt around the current credit crunch that is starting to put a damper on commercial projects.

     
     
  #62  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 1:40 PM
skyscraper skyscraper is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,374
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swinefeld View Post
Giant skyscraper proposed
Tower would be taller than the Empire State Building

Philadelphia Business Journal - by Natalie Kostelni Staff Writer

A local developer is proposing to construct an $800 million, 2.2 million-square-foot skyscraper on what is now a surface parking lot at 18th and Arch streets in Center City.

The 63-story building would stand 1,500 feet high, surpassing the new Comcast Center, which at 1,000 feet tall is the city's tallest structure. The proposed tower would even be taller than the Empire State Building.

"It would be an iconic structure," said Garrett Miller, president of Walnut Street Capital. "This is something Philadelphia has not seen before."

Walnut Street Capital, a Philadelphia development company, and a pension fund from Washington state are allying to develop the project. The pension fund, which has $6.18 billion in assets, is financing the project, Miller said. This enables the project to skirt around the current credit crunch that is starting to put a damper on commercial projects.
they're selling it a little short, don't you thnk?
-while it is true that the building will be taller than the empire state, it is more to the point to say that it will be taller than what is now the tallest building in the United States- the Sears Tower (although when ACC is completed it will be the third tallest.)
-also, interesting that they list comcast as being 1,000 feet tall. are they just rounding up or was the height figure revised?
     
     
  #63  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 1:40 PM
jrdizzy's Avatar
jrdizzy jrdizzy is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Pitman, N.J.
Posts: 301
I had to check the date to make sure it wasn't April 1st. It is great to have another project to look forward to. After watching CC rise, Murano, RATR, and WFS don't have the same excitement. But this.......

Not sure I like the thing on the side though
     
     
  #64  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 1:46 PM
skyscraper skyscraper is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,374
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrdizzy View Post
I
Not sure I like the thing on the side though
I have to agree, it looks tacked on. why not incorporate it into the main tower and make it 95 stories? you could still keep the plaza and street level amenities.
whoa, just got a head rush.
     
     
  #65  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 1:55 PM
Swinefeld's Avatar
Swinefeld Swinefeld is offline
Corporate logo
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: The Big Scrapple
Posts: 5,515
The Triangle

American Commerce Center will reach 1500 feet
Jordan Osecki

The Walnut Street Capital plans to build the American Commerce Center, a 1,500-foot tall building on what is currently a surface parking lot in Center City, according to PhillySkyline.com.

The president of WSC, Garrett Miller, acquired the surface parking lot at 1800 Arch St., one block away from the newly-built 975-foot Comcast Center, in October 2007. According to the article, Miller said he envisioned a major mixed-use building and brought on world-renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox to achieve it.

KPF designed the US Airways terminal at the Philadelphia airport, Huntsman Hall at Wharton, the Mellon Bank Center, Two Logan Square, One Logan Square, and the Four Seasons Hotel. The President of KPF is from Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1950s.

KPF is also accustomed to designing tall buildings and is currently designing what will be the new tallest buildings in Shanghai (1,588 feet tall) and Hong Kong (1,608 feet tall).

The American Commerce Center will contain a 26-story hotel that tops off at 473 feet with a garden on top, three to six stories of street-accessible retail with another public garden, a 63-story office tower that is 1,210 feet tall and a spire that reaches 1,500 feet tall. The building will also have underground parking, and will be certified in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, making it environmentally friendly.

"While the vision of the building is to engage the pedestrian - to engage Philadelphia - at the street level, we also want the tower to be a symbol of our collective aspiration and hope. We want it to be seen from far away, literally and figuratively," Miller told PhillySkyline.com.

Miller said that partners have been established for funding and the lot was purchased completely on equity.

However, there may be some issues with zoning.

While the site is zoned with no height restriction, the building will have a large floor area, which has to be rezoned. Councilman Darrell Clarke, representative for the district, declined to comment. However, Rob Stuart, President of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, said that the height is not as important as how it meets the street, and that the developer has "done his homework" in that respect.

WSC is going to hold community forums with the neighbors to address their concerns in the coming months. According to PhillySkyline.com, construction could possibly begin in the summer of 2009, barring setbacks.
     
     
  #66  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:00 PM
Swinefeld's Avatar
Swinefeld Swinefeld is offline
Corporate logo
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: The Big Scrapple
Posts: 5,515
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyscraper View Post
they're selling it a little short, don't you thnk?
-while it is true that the building will be taller than the empire state, it is more to the point to say that it will be taller than what is now the tallest building in the United States- the Sears Tower (although when ACC is completed it will be the third tallest.)
If it were to be completed right now, it would be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth tallest worldwide. If it is completed at its proposed height, it would be the third tallest in the US behind the Freedom Tower and the Chicago Spire.

Quote:
Originally Posted by skyscraper View Post
-also, interesting that they list comcast as being 1,000 feet tall. are they just rounding up or was the height figure revised?
I chalk that up to sloppy reporting.
     
     
  #67  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:06 PM
futuresooner's Avatar
futuresooner futuresooner is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,240
Very nice Philly! Definetly is kinda Freedom Tower looking, the spire looks like a giant middle finger to which ever direction it is facing. I like it, very bold.
__________________
"When you don't want to Dallas your Austin, you just emulate the Bay Area."
     
     
  #68  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:09 PM
PhillyRising's Avatar
PhillyRising PhillyRising is offline
America's Hometown
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Lionville, PA
Posts: 11,777
With Nutter as mayor and this on the proposal table...Philadelphia is really going to take off in the next four years. We are in too strategic of a location to have ever died off completely.

Philadelphia is Rising!
     
     
  #69  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:10 PM
PhillyRising's Avatar
PhillyRising PhillyRising is offline
America's Hometown
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Lionville, PA
Posts: 11,777
Quote:
Originally Posted by futuresooner View Post
Very nice Philly! Definetly is kinda Freedom Tower looking, the spire looks like a giant middle finger to which ever direction it is facing. I like it, very bold.
Then the spire must face Northeast towards New York.
     
     
  #70  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:16 PM
staff's Avatar
staff staff is offline
low life in a tall place
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Singapore.SG | Malmö.SE
Posts: 5,546
I don't think it is ugly at all. Very plain looking though - almost boring for such a tall building.

Great news for Philly!
__________________
     
     
  #71  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:17 PM
Swede's Avatar
Swede Swede is offline
YIMBY co-founder
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: sol.III.eu.se.08
Posts: 6,751
I like the attachment on the side. To me it's the spire that looks weird. That being said... I'm saw this thread about when it was started, but was at a loss for words. That's hot.
__________________
Forumers met so far:
Huopa, Nightsky, Jo, wolkenkrabber, ThisSideofSteinway, jacksom, New Jack City, LeCom, Ellatur, Jan, Dennis, Ace, Bardamu, AtlanticaC5, Ringil, Dysfunctional, stacey, karakhal, ch1le, Hviid, staff, kjetilab, Þróndeimr, queetz, FREKI, sander, Blue Viking, nomels, Mantas, ristov, Rafal_T, khaan, Chilenofuturista, Jonte Myra, safta20, AW, Pas, Jarmo K, IceCheese, Sideshow_Bob, sk, Ingenioren, Ayreonaut, Silver Creations, Hasse78, Svartmetall
     
     
  #72  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 2:51 PM
looper121's Avatar
looper121 looper121 is offline
Register This
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Phila
Posts: 402
Holy crap, this is going to be an interesting year! I like it!
__________________
My cats breath smells like cat food
     
     
  #73  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 3:30 PM
futuresooner's Avatar
futuresooner futuresooner is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,240
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhillyRising View Post
Then the spire must face Northeast towards New York.
I couldn't agree more, or South towards Baltimore and DC, or west to Pittsburgh, but I'm thinkin it looks NW, so who then Scranton and Wilkes-Barre?
__________________
"When you don't want to Dallas your Austin, you just emulate the Bay Area."
     
     
  #74  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 3:38 PM
TheOldMan's Avatar
TheOldMan TheOldMan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Philly/Las Vegas
Posts: 373
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyscraper View Post
I have to agree, it looks tacked on. why not incorporate it into the main tower and make it 95 stories? you could still keep the plaza and street level amenities.
whoa, just got a head rush.
At 95 Stories, it would be taller than Burj Dubai, given the floor height at 19 feet (which i would not complain about at all).

This building would totally change Philadelphia in so many ways, i cant even list them all here. Does anyone know anything about the developer. Are they reputable and dependable. do they have a history of developing large scale projects?

ill try to do some research as well.

Lets get this thing built asap....
__________________
"Individuals Are Smart, People Are Stupid"-the late great George Carlin
     
     
  #75  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 3:39 PM
McBane McBane is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 3,717
this is absolutely insane!

so what is crazier?
- that we may be getting a 1500' skyscraper?
- that we've already racked up 4 pages on this thread in less than 24 hours?
- that phillyskyline.com was the first to break the story and now other media outlets are using it as a source?

someone should send brad's story to PR newswire - that would make national headlines! but it's a pay service and it's ulimately the developer's responsibility for getting exposure and creating buzz (beyond our little skyscraper-nerd bubble).
     
     
  #76  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 3:45 PM
skyscraper skyscraper is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,374
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOldMan View Post
At 95 Stories, it would be taller than Burj Dubai, given the floor height at 19 feet (which i would not complain about at all).
no it wouldn't: burj dubai is over 2600 feet. 95 stories at 19 feet is 1805 feet, almost 200 feet shorter than the chicago spire.
     
     
  #77  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 3:53 PM
KevinFromTexas's Avatar
KevinFromTexas KevinFromTexas is offline
Meh
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: there and back again
Posts: 57,324
Build it! Oh yes, congrats Philly.
__________________
Donate to Donald Trump's campaign today!

Thou shall not indict
     
     
  #78  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 4:05 PM
Antares41's Avatar
Antares41 Antares41 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bflo/Pgh/Msn/NYC
Posts: 2,145
Great proposal! love to see it happen. Looks like it would fit easily with new WTC in NYC. But, certainly would be a dramatic impact on Phiilly's skyline.
     
     
  #79  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 4:26 PM
TheOldMan's Avatar
TheOldMan TheOldMan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Philly/Las Vegas
Posts: 373
Quote:
Originally Posted by skyscraper View Post
no it wouldn't: burj dubai is over 2600 feet. 95 stories at 19 feet is 1805 feet, almost 200 feet shorter than the chicago spire.
Yeah, you are correct, i didnt do the math...to lazy and excited at the same time. With the spire , though it would be over 2100 feet, which would be incredible.

Either way, this building, if built, will be the tallest in the country outside Chicago and NYC (Freedom tower with pole on top), taller than anything in Canada, Mexico or South America the third tallest building in the western hemisphere. IT would dwarf all other supertall proposals in existance in the western Hemisphere, save WTC complex and Fordham Spire.

I figured Comcast would not keep the title of city's tallest as long as Liberty One but who could have predicted something like this.

Super Job R. Bradley Maule in breaking this story. your website is phenominal.
__________________
"Individuals Are Smart, People Are Stupid"-the late great George Carlin
     
     
  #80  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2008, 4:27 PM
mmikeyphilly mmikeyphilly is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 769
hmm, I wonder what Kathy Orr will say when she says "let's take a look at our weathercam now showing a beautiful shot of center city". Um, better get a bigger monitor Kath!

Great news! Thanks Brad for enlightening us to this!
__________________
whatever
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
 

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Discussion Forums > Buildings & Architecture > Never Built & Visionary Projects > Cancelled Project Threads Archive
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 5:15 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.