PHILADELPHIA | W Hotel | 417 FT / 127 M | 32 FLOORS | NEVER BUILT - Page 4

bryson662001 · #61 Posted **Mar 17, 2008, 5:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by apetrella802

http://www.bidclerk.com/project.459034.html

According to the map this is the Girard block on Market St......not the W hotel, which actually makes it even more interesting. The description sounds like W though. Do they always get the map location wrong......maybe on purpose?

Ninjawho · #62 Posted **Mar 18, 2008, 2:16 AM**

What's there right now? I'm pretty sure where the marker isn't an empty lot or empty building. I think they probably just marked it wrong.

NDPhilly · #63 Posted **Apr 14, 2008, 8:27 PM**

anyone got news on Mandeville place

theWatusi · #64 Posted **Apr 14, 2008, 8:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDPhilly

anyone got news on Mandeville place

here is the latest news: nothing is happening

skellergroup · #65 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 12:41 PM**

It pains me to see the new ALOFT building going up by the airport and we can't get any news on this. I'm happy that we at least get one ALOFT building but really, can somebody tell me why the airport one when up first? Do they really expect to be able to fill that easier then the W for downtown?

Is it a cost issue perhaps? So frustrating.

apetrella802 · #66 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 3:54 PM**

a couple of weeks ago i called the Starwood development office in Ny,

they said a contract is on the table with the developer but he has not secured all the necessary financing as yet.

kraggman · #67 Posted **Apr 15, 2008, 6:01 PM**

W Philadelphia - Opening December 1, 2009
1200 Arch Street · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107 · United States
Phone: (202) 629-3587

Pre-Opening Office

The information listed above is for the hotel's physical address. The W Philadelphia is currently accepting inquiries at the pre-opening office. Individual hotel reservations are not being accepted at this time.

Pre-Opening Office:
2122 California Street, #454
Washington, D.C, 20008
United States

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotel...ropertyID=3029

hammersklavier · #68 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 8:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryson662001

According to the map this is the Girard block on Market St......not the W hotel, which actually makes it even more interesting. The description sounds like W though. Do they always get the map location wrong......maybe on purpose?

No, there is a proposal for the Girard block. Tower Investments bought out the whole property some time ago, and they're working on a proposal for a supertall skyscraper on a retail podium. That just sounds like bid floating to me, they want to see how much construction is likely to cost. Tower doesn't want to make another mundane megablock, so before they draw up the really serious proposal, they're touring other projects similar to theirs--to learn from their mistakes.
I hope that they can figure out a way to preserve the Stephen Girard building on 12th halfway down the block, not block the view of the PSFS sign from the Delaware, and do a better job on this than they did on the Edge at Avenue North (construction on that project was really, really shoddy, and maintenance is not much better, I hear.)

Don098 · #69 Posted **Apr 25, 2008, 11:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

N and they're working on a proposal for a supertall skyscraper on a retail podium.

WHUUUAAAHHH????!!!

skyscraper · #70 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 12:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

No, there is a proposal for the Girard block. Tower Investments bought out the whole property some time ago, and they're working on a proposal for a supertall skyscraper on a retail podium.

just as a point of information, tower did not buy the property, they took out a 75-year lease on it.
I think it is inevitable that there will be a supertall skyscraper on that site; it is zoned for 4 million sf. that doesn't mean that they will necessarily develop all 4 mil, but they could. the whole liberty place complex (1lib, 2lib, hotel, and mall) comes in at about 3 mil, so imagine the possibilities for the girard block.

Don098 · #71 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 4:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraper

just as a point of information, tower did not buy the property, they took out a 75-year lease on it.
I think it is inevitable that there will be a supertall skyscraper on that site; it is zoned for 4 million sf. that doesn't mean that they will necessarily develop all 4 mil, but they could. the whole liberty place complex (1lib, 2lib, hotel, and mall) comes in at about 3 mil, so imagine the possibilities for the girard block.

I'm sorry, where is this Girard block? What are the streets again? I was looking through this thread and I can't imagine where this is. Thanks.

hammersklavier · #72 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 6:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don098

I'm sorry, where is this Girard block? What are the streets again? I was looking through this thread and I can't imagine where this is. Thanks.

It's the block just east of the PSFS Build...err...Loew's Hotel. It's called the Girard Block because there's a 13-story skyscraper dating from 1899 (I believe) about halfway down 12th Street (12th-Mkt-11th-Chestnut). It's right across the street from the Reading headhouse and the Aramark Building too...

[Edit: Forgot to mention:] That skyscraper is called the Stephen Girard Building.
[Edit Edit:] This is a different skyscraper than the Girard Trust Tower (2 South Broad)...That's the Ritz.

skyscraper · #73 Posted **Apr 26, 2008, 7:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

It's the block just east of the PSFS Build...err...Loew's Hotel. It's called the Girard Block because there's a 13-story skyscraper dating from 1899 (I believe) about halfway down 12th Street (12th-Mkt-11th-Chestnut). It's right across the street from the Reading headhouse and the Aramark Building too...

[Edit: Forgot to mention:] That skyscraper is called the Stephen Girard Building.
[Edit Edit:] This is a different skyscraper than the Girard Trust Tower (2 South Broad)...That's the Ritz.

your location is correct, but your history is not. it is called the girard block because stephen girard owned the block, and his estate has controlled it since his death. all the funds generated by the property have gone to support girard college. this 75-year lease was a great windfall for them.

hammersklavier · #74 Posted **Apr 27, 2008, 1:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraper

your location is correct, but your history is not. it is called the girard block because stephen girard owned the block, and his estate has controlled it since his death. all the funds generated by the property have gone to support girard college. this 75-year lease was a great windfall for them.

Thanks for the history lesson. It would appear, then, that a skyscraper on this site, once the lease expires, would be a great big windfall for the College.

I scoped it out last night. The Stephen Girard building is pretty much the only front entrance on that part of 12th Street. If Tower is serious about their proposal, they should put front entrances to their complex on all four sides and turn Clover Street into an access road a la Commerce Street.

The rumors flying around this site seem to suggest that Tower is so into reinventing the superblock that they'll even hire separate architects for each of the parts (and, presumably, another architect to make sure the parts'll fit together). When this project comes together--and I don't think we'll even see the finished plan until 2009 or 2010, because, by the sounds of it, Tower really wants this thing to be done right--it will be a windfall par excellence for Market East.

Now to get rid of the 8th Street hole and spruce up the Gallery's facade!

Don098 · #75 Posted **Apr 27, 2008, 2:22 AM**

The Gallery needs to be blown up

hammersklavier · #76 Posted **Apr 27, 2008, 4:15 AM**

I forgot to check this weekend, but last Friday the W site was still a parking lot.

The Convention Center expansion's going to open next year and they're still doing demo work, but, as a tower, shouldn't the W have some steel rising into the air by now?

By the way, RIP beautiful old North Broad buildings, even if I don't remember any of their names.

cjPhilly · #77 Posted **Apr 28, 2008, 2:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

No, there is a proposal for the Girard block. Tower Investments bought out the whole property some time ago, and they're working on a proposal for a supertall skyscraper on a retail podium.

Let's get our facts straight people. Tower Investments has nothing to do with the Girard Block on Market St. Trinity Capital Advisors (http://www.trinityca.com/) are the ones with the long-term lease to the property. If you know something different, please share.

Otherwise, let's keep waiting for something to happen on this hotel.

hammersklavier · #78 Posted **Apr 28, 2008, 2:39 AM**

Well, that's good. I got the names mixed up. Sorry 'bout that.
This is a first... I need to check my own facts!

blart · #79 Posted **May 1, 2008, 3:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

By the way, RIP beautiful old North Broad buildings, even if I don't remember any of their names.

One which was lost to the expansion just off Broad was the Gilbert Building, a really nice industrial which had housed among other things, the Fabric Workshop gallery/museum and Vox Populi gallery.

skellergroup · #80 Posted **Jul 27, 2008, 4:52 PM**

I fear this is dead now. So sad. This would have been great for the city.