Philly YIMBY recently visited the site of a long-stalled proposal for an office tower at 1301 Market Street in Market East, Center City, half a block to the east of City Hall. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and developed by the Oliver Tyrone Pulver Corporation, the building will yield over 700,000 square feet, with floor plates at the lower levels measuring over 25,000 square feet and those at the upper floors at over 17,000 square feet.
1301 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. August 2022
1301 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. August 2022
1301 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. August 2022
1301 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. August 2022
1301 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. August 2022
1301 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller. August 2022
1301 Market Street will represent a significant expansion of the business core, both at the skyline level and in terms of square footage, to the east of City Hall, as the majority of office skyscrapers are currently located in the western section of Center City. Features such as floor-to-ceiling windows and landscaped outdoor terraces will provide a major attraction to office tenants, as few to none of the commercial structures in the immediate vicinity offer similar perks.
1301 Market Street. Credit: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
1301 Market Street. Model by Thomas Koloski
1301 Market Street. Model by Thomas Koloski
The developer maintains an active website advertising the proposal, which focuses on features such as its nigh-unparalleled transit accessibility (the City Hall Station on the Broad Street Line, the 15th Street Station on the Market-Frankford Line, and the 13th Street trolley station all sit directly next door, and the Jefferson Station of the regional rail is located two blocks to the east). However, no permits have yet been filed, and, as expected, our site visit revealed no construction activity, with the parking lot still operating at the site.
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Great location but the building does no justice to the site. The Market street face is too monolithic and the mass should be shifted to the east and the north to recognize City Hall just beyond.
Agree with JD. Market front feels too empty. Feel like the ground level is lacking a lot, as well, given the site of the project. Retail would be a touch of sorts but the overall design is just lacking.
The new sixers arena will give this development site a chance. Would like to see something Mixed Use here. Ground level retail, 10-15 floors of office, then a hotel or multifamily at the top.
C’mon SKIDMORE, you can do better than this! HEIGHT! WE NEED HEIGHT!
It’s kind of boring and squat for center city nearly next door to city hall. Zzzz.
Slow news day.
Building is sited for business as this is what the developer has done for a lifetime. For decades, developers have concentrated on keeping new office construction on the west side of the city and not building on the east side. Pulver tried to break the mold by taking an option on buying the 1300 Market lot and exercising the option once tenants fill the building but this did not happen.
Comcast built two mega towers for it’s use. We have Liberty 1&2 Towers and the tower filled with law firms on 20th and Market. The brutalist towers on 1500 Market street along with towers on 1700 Market. Should Comcast move to another state, their towers would be vacant and available to comers desiring to leave their towers. No one knows what would happen in the future.
All hope is not lost for 1300 Market as the plans could be reworked for condos or apartments were the developer be willing to do it. Advantage would be ease of getting zoning approval for a change of use.
Would a new construction mixed use (residential and commercial (retail or office) still qualify for the original 10yr tax abatement or would it fall under the revised tax abatement plan? I understand the revised abatement for a new purely residential project, but didn’t know about mixed use because I believe new commercial and conversions can still qualify for the original full 10yr abatement?
Agree with JD comment- move ideas and North to do justice to City Hall view. This will not be built for a long time.
There is height restrictions here because it cannot obstruct the view of Billy Penn, and I think that is a good idea. Tall is not always better. Ask Iverson.
The original rendering was much better. This is typical Philly; too utilitarian in design. Has no pizazz
Good informative article