Quote:
Originally Posted by RonnieStevens
The amount of lots around that area is ridiculous. I hope these kind of projects move along high rise developments. Its really an extension of the loft district in a way. I see condos and apartments; and location is great for easy access to just about every part of the city. I think the convention center creates a barrier to the rest of the city in a way but it can become its on little neighborhood I think
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I've lived across from this site for about 8 years and I've watched them bulldoze building after building, and I really thought this one was going to go too. Aside from the buildings torn down for the PCC expansion, most of the buildings torn down were abandoned, one-story warehouses - no great loss - but only replaced by more surface parking. Believe me, the AC hotel, drab as it is, is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Just recently another old warehouse was torn down, but along with it a very cute apartment building. AFAIK, there are no plans for that site but more parking.
The problem with this area is the surface parking owners are lowly taxed and make bank off having almost no overhead. All they pay for is a minimum wage employee (if one is even working) and barely maintaining the asphalt. The only time something gets developed around here is when something else gets torn down, or in this case, capped.
I've seen single buildings torn down for no more than three parking spaces. They justify the demolition as a way to "clear the land" for speculative development, but if the property ever goes on the market they end up asking twice the value because the profit margin on surface parking is so high. It's messed up but it's literally cheaper in this neighborhood to demolish a building to construct something new. That just happened on Camac.
I wish we still had some of the lofty warehouses that were here before the first leg of the PCC. If we were ever part of Callowhill, that was the time. As it stands, we
should be an extension of the Loft District, but the CNA wants nothing to do with us. It's hard to blame them. Fighting SL-EZ lot is a Sisyphean task.
At best we're under the PCDC but they're not the most progressive group. This corner of Center City has been the city's dumping ground for poorly envisioned civic projects for more than 30 years: The Gallery, the PCC, Market East Station. Right now the best we can hope for is hotels.