PHILADELPHIA | The Development Thread VIII - Page 284

acenturi · #**5661** Posted: **Jun 23, 2012, 12:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by riccardo426

I feel like a big retail project on the waterfront right now would lead to a chain restaurant anyway. ..........

On the water front, we already have The (huge) Chart House, plus other non-chain restaurants (Moshulu, Rock Lobster, La Veranda Ristorante, Keating's River Grill, etc..). I think people here tend to limit their waterfront dining in winter and that might be a negative for any new large chains like Legal Sea Foods - which is already in the airport.

Cro Burnham · #**5662** Posted: **Jun 23, 2012, 9:15 AM**

It's ridiculous to expect private developers to reserve ground floor space for retail when the city has essentially done everything it possibly can in every possible way over the last 50 years to make Delaware Avenue as unsuitable as possible to street retail.

If Delaware Ave. were designed as a pedestrian street, if it were attached to the rest of the city, if it went anywhere interesting, it would have pedestrian traffic and therefore retail. The whole argument is absurd. At the same time, I think design standards need to be in place that at least make developers place windows and entrances at street level, and not have walls and blank pedestals.

teeheee · #**5663** Posted: **Jun 23, 2012, 1:29 PM**

Shot of the demo for the new Pennsylvania Ballet.

summersm343 · #**5664** Posted: **Jun 23, 2012, 6:13 PM**

Penn's Wistar Institute update

http://nakedphilly.com/university-ci...tar-institute/

Nightman · #**5665** Posted: **Jun 25, 2012, 2:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by acenturi

On the water front, we already have The (huge) Chart House, plus other non-chain restaurants (Moshulu, Rock Lobster, La Veranda Ristorante, Keating's River Grill, etc..). I think people here tend to limit their waterfront dining in winter and that might be a negative for any new large chains like Legal Sea Foods - which is already in the airport.

Rock Lobster has been closed for quite a while. Morgan's Pier is in its place and is showing some promise.

Londonee · #**5666** Posted: **Jun 25, 2012, 5:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubanChris

A new apartment building is breaking ground before the end of this year (i think). Approval story here.

Wrong Lot. That's on the east side of broad street and our discussion was limited to West of it. There's a huge lot at 15th and south, not sure how else to say it. I don't know how to post google maps pictures, but trust me it's there. It stretches back to Naudain.

I also forgot about the fairly big Rittenhouse Sq lot on Manning Street between 17th and 18th.

josef · #**5667** Posted: **Jun 25, 2012, 5:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Londonee

Wrong Lot. That's on the east side of broad street and our discussion was limited to West of it. There's a huge lot at 15th and south, not sure how else to say it. I don't know how to post google maps pictures, but trust me it's there. It stretches back to Naudain.

This lot? http://goo.gl/maps/QXat

Nightman · #**5668** Posted: **Jun 25, 2012, 7:46 PM**

Not sure if I missed the boat when this news came out a while ago but the Crown Plaza at 1800 Market Street is now Sonesta Philadelphia. Is this an upgrade? I have seen the Royal Sonesta in Cambridge which is nice.

Jelly Roll · #**5669** Posted: **Jun 25, 2012, 10:38 PM**

A render for 1605-1627 Samson St was posted on Philadelpiaspeaks.com

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17641...iladelphia-PA/

SkyscraperGuru · #**5670** Posted: **Jun 26, 2012, 12:17 AM**

Rumor mill...

Potential devoloper wants to redesign a waterfront area with a 500+ footer.

My friend told me this, he said he saw it on Philly.com this weekend. I have not found it. I'm not sure where he read this, what he saw, but it's something to post in case it does turn out to be true!

Also; inactivity is because of my HS Graduation, now it's off to college. Hopefully I can stay in Philly... Looking at Temple.

Nightman · #**5671** Posted: **Jun 26, 2012, 6:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkyscraperGuru

Rumor mill...

Potential devoloper wants to redesign a waterfront area with a 500+ footer.

My friend told me this, he said he saw it on Philly.com this weekend. I have not found it. I'm not sure where he read this, what he saw, but it's something to post in case it does turn out to be true!

Also; inactivity is because of my HS Graduation, now it's off to college. Hopefully I can stay in Philly... Looking at Temple.

I'm not buying it. Ask your knucklehead friend to send you the link to the article.

Liam · #**5672** Posted: **Jun 26, 2012, 6:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by riccardo426

I feel like a big retail project on the waterfront right now would lead to a chain restaurant anyway. More people on the waterfront first will probably lead to BYOs and other smaller shops being established, which would make it more livable and encourage even more residents to come.

But that's all conjecture, of course.

I think the biggest thing standing in the way of small businesses (small in footprint, not necessarily "small business") being developed on the waterfront is the lack of small lots. The whole area is big parcels, that's part of the industrial heritage.

If the City and Planning Commission are serious about the waterfront being a "neighborhood", they need to set the template by subdividing the lots they own and selling them off for small-scale development.

summersm343 · #**5673** Posted: **Jun 26, 2012, 6:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jelly Roll

A render for 1605-1627 Samson St was posted on Philadelpiaspeaks.com

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17641...iladelphia-PA/

I think this will fill in Sansom perfectly. "Back Roads" like Sansom need more buildings of this size.

summersm343 · #**5674** Posted: **Jun 26, 2012, 6:56 PM**

Some updates for today.

http://centercityphila.org/news/2012...-june-25-2012/

Record Number of Visitors for Philadelphia in 2011

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation last week released its annual report, Greater Philadelphia Tourism 2012: Report to the Region. Philadelphia saw a record 38 million domestic visitors and more than 600,000 non-U.S. visitors in 2011, the report noted. These travelers created a $9.3 billion economic impact, an increase of 7.5% over 2010, and support for 86,000 full-time jobs in the region with a total paycheck of $2.85 billion.

Philadelphia’s hotels outperformed the national average in 2011, with revenue increasing by double digits in the city and region. More than 8.3 million rooms were filled with guests in Greater Philadelphia, 4 million of them in Philadelphia, both all-time highs.

Parks and Open Space News

Team Chosen for Reading Viaduct Renovation
The Center City District has chosen Urban Engineers and landscape architect Studio|Bryan Hanes to prepare construction documents for the renovation of the SEPTA spur of the Reading Viaduct. The spur is a quarter-mile-long, 26,000-square-foot piece of the viaduct that curves off northwest from the main branch and runs from Callowhill Street to Noble Street. This phase of work is funded by a grant from the City of Philadelphia, arranged by former Councilman Frank DiCicco before he left office in December 2011.

josef · #**5675** Posted: **Jun 26, 2012, 8:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by summersm343

Parks and Open Space News

Team Chosen for Reading Viaduct Renovation
The Center City District has chosen Urban Engineers and landscape architect Studio|Bryan Hanes to prepare construction documents for the renovation of the SEPTA spur of the Reading Viaduct. The spur is a quarter-mile-long, 26,000-square-foot piece of the viaduct that curves off northwest from the main branch and runs from Callowhill Street to Noble Street. This phase of work is funded by a grant from the City of Philadelphia, arranged by former Councilman Frank DiCicco before he left office in December 2011.

Nice! Here's the PDF of the renderings they came up with for the spur: http://www.centercityphila.org/docs/...ingViaduct.pdf

teeheee · #**5676** Posted: **Jun 27, 2012, 12:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by josef

Nice! Here's the PDF of the renderings they came up with for the spur: http://www.centercityphila.org/docs/...ingViaduct.pdf

Hopefully this will spur growth in the loft district/Chinatown North.

riccardo426 · #**5677** Posted: **Jun 27, 2012, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by teeheee

Hopefully this will spur growth in the loft district/Chinatown North.

I hope so too. I think it would be a great asset for the city, especially after learning at the Central District Planning event last week that the NE quadrant of Center City has the fewest park and recreation space in that district. Plus when you hear about how much it would cost to tear it down versus make a park, it makes a lot of sense.

However, the fact that a lot of people think it will spur development makes it very different than the Chelsea highline IMO. Any comparison should only be at a basic level. In Manhattan, they added their park in an already dense area that was in need of a green space. In our case we want to add a park in a developing area that still has an industrial character and is still known for being a little sketchy.

But I agree that the park would put the neighborhood "on the map" and make people want to live there even more.

Pennsgrant · #**5678** Posted: **Jun 27, 2012, 2:52 PM**

Brandywine Realty Trust, the Radnor landlord that controls half the high-end office towers in Center City, plans to fill vacant city and suburban space with apartments.

"1919 Market, which is owned through a 50/50 joint venture with [Independence Blue Cross] will include 292 market-rate apartments and 55,000 sq. ft. of retail, and is expected to be delivered by 4Q’14,"

"At Cira Centre South, which is located in University City (proximate to both University of Pennsylvania and Drexel campuses), management intends to take advantage of the high demand for both market-rate and student housing by building a mixed-use residential development through a [joint venture] with another public company," timetable TBD, Donlan added.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/i...#ixzz1z0PPjuRP

summersm343 · #**5679** Posted: **Jun 27, 2012, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pennsgrant

Brandywine Realty Trust, the Radnor landlord that controls half the high-end office towers in Center City, plans to fill vacant city and suburban space with apartments.

"1919 Market, which is owned through a 50/50 joint venture with [Independence Blue Cross] will include 292 market-rate apartments and 55,000 sq. ft. of retail, and is expected to be delivered by 4Q’14,"

What is that like 25 floors?

I'm sorry but this is one lot in the city that should ABSOLUTELY get a taller building than this.

Swinefeld · #**5680** Posted: **Jun 27, 2012, 3:51 PM**

That lot has been vacant for twenty freakin' years. Please roll your eyes back in the forward position.

Quote:

Originally Posted by summersm343

What is that like 25 floors?

I'm sorry but this is one lot in the city that should ABSOLUTELY get a taller building than this.