A recent site visit by Philly YIMBY has found no signs of new construction work at the site of a a 315-foot-tall, 24-story high-rise development at 300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard in Northern Liberties. The development will span nearly an entire city block, bordered by North Christopher Columbus Boulevard to the east, Vine Street to the south, Water Street to the west, and Callowhill Street to the north. Designed by Handel Architects and developed by The Durst Organization, the 316-foot-tall tower will feature 10,094 square feet of ground-level retail as well as a new public park as part of the development. The site is located on the Delaware River waterfront a block to the north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, on the border between Northern Liberties to the north and Old City to the south.
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. April 2025
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. April 2025
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. April 2025
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. April 2025
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Photo by Jamie Meller. April 2025
The development spans nearly an entire city block, bound by North Christopher Columbus Boulevard to the east, Vine Street to the south, Water Street to the west, and Callowhill Street to the north.
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Credit: Handel Architects
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Credit: Handel Architects
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Credit: Handel Architects
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Credit: Handel Architects
300 North Christopher Columbus Boulevard. Credit: Handel Architects
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I tried looking this proposal up but couldn’t find anything.
In January 2019, the Durst Organization proposed a Handel Architects-designed, $132 million, 24 floor, 316 foot tall, 345,301 square foot, 360 unit apartment tower with 10,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space, above ground parking (it’s in a flood zone), and a new public park.
Durst earned “density bonuses” — the right to build more apartments than otherwise allowed by zoning — by committing more than $2.5 million to the Philadelphia Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing across the city and setting aside more than a third of the parcel as open space.
Situated on a vast surface parking lot, in January 2020 Durst paid $10 million to the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation for the city-owned CMX-3-zoned parcel. The 69,070-square-foot lot is immediately north of Benjamin Franklin Bridge on the west side of Delaware Ave. between Callowhill and Vine Sts. Durst opted for a high, narrow tower — instead of a shorter, wider building — so it can concentrate construction on the southern end of the property.
The planned replacement of a fenced-in parking lot with ground-level retail, a large volume of housing, and a spacious new park was an obvious improvement.
The development protected buried artifacts by landscaping the northern 0.75 acres (of 1.6 acres total) section of the site for use as a public park, to be designed by Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects & Planners of New York. The property entombs intact structures from its time as a shipyard starting in the late 17th century, including a 1987 discovered slipway (also known as boat ramp, launch or boat deployer, a slipway is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water), the only one of its kind on the East Coast.
The site is directly across the street from the assemblage of piers that Durst acquired in 2017, which it has yet to begin redeveloping, and which house waterfront destinations Dave & Buster’s and Morgan’s Pier.
In 2020, Durst was chosen to redevelop Penn’s Landing, winning the job over a competing bid by the Philadelphia 76ers to build a basketball arena.
In November 2020, a construction permit was issued, and in August 2021, another more comprehensive one was granted.
In late 2022, Durst placed their Delaware Avenue project on hold after an archeologic dig and foundation completion, and after $40 million spent. This is especially unfortunate because what was to be a public park is no longer on the table. Moreover, it doesn’t bode well for their Penn’s Landing proposal (for which Durst is the developer).
Since then, there has been no activity.
Wow, Craig provided more details than Philly Yimby. 😂
A lot of the articles feel like copy/paste from template with filling in minimal blanks and not further research.
Craig,
I see on atlas.phila.gov Miscellaneous Deed was filed and add in conjunction with the city for a public space. It appears that back in March of this year an updated miscellaneous deed was filed that terminates the declaration and that “the Owner will not proceed with the project” and “will not complete construction of the building, all in according with the declaration”. I don’t have a paid account to view an unblurred PDF of the document, so it’s a bit hard to make out the text in the free version they display, but that was the gist of what I could make out.
No surprise there.
Durst is a major player with great financial resources so it’s not clear why they’ve dropped the project after spending $40 million for the archaeologic dig and laying the foundation.
Durst has pulled out of everything. The Piers are back up for rent.
What is “lower north Philadelphia”? lol. No one calls it that.
This has been going on since at least the 1980s: big announcements and much fanfare but nothing gets built – ever! It is all so depressing, but it will never change.
Durst is a shady character for sure. Not sure how much money he bribed the city reps with to win that Delaware River contract, but even that is off the table now. These situations with his dealings should be audited with binoculars and appropriate steps taken to prevent scammers like him from bidding on any city projects in the future.
And we lost TWO opportunities for a new 76ers arena in a location that would actually contribute to the city’s vibrancy. SAD!