Lobby Renovations Underway at BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market Street in Center City

At the time when the Liberty Place project was proposed in Center City, other developers scrambled to join Philadelphia’s skyline race to top the Statue of William Penn atop City Hall. At 1735 Market Street, the skyscraper formerly dubbed Mellon Bank Center, now known as BNY Mellon Center, has long been a major fixture of the Philadelphia skyline. The project, which started to rise in 1987, rises to a height of 824 feet, with a 792-foot-high roof, and 54 stories. The tower was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by CommonWealth REIT. Silverstein Properties, the owners of the World Trade Center in New York City, purchased the property in 2019 for $451.6 million; renovations were later announced for the tower.

BNY Mellon Center. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Planning and design took place in 1985, and the tower was revealed in August 1986, just one month before the steel of One Liberty Place passed the statue of William Penn. The tower was originally slated to rise 880 feet and 56 stories tall, with a sharp and bold crown; however, the design was changed to the 824-foot final version in 1987. Construction was underway in the same year, and the tower ascended into the skyline by May 1989. The pyramid crown was topped out on October 26, and the tower was open for business later next year.

BNY Mellon Center lobby renovation. Photo by Thomas Koloski

In August 2021, seven months after Silverstein Properties acquired the building, the $20 million-dollar renovation, which would rejuvenate the Market Street entrance, was announced. Currently, renovation is underway on the Market Street face, with construction fences surrounding the entrance. Certain window panels remain missing, though interior work is noticeable with much activity to come. The interior will soon feature a dazzling ceiling where the lighting and setup gives off a vibe similar to the crown on top of the tower, while the exterior will feature a glass canopy and BNY Mellon Center insignia.

BNY Mellon Center renovation. Photo by Thomas Koloski

The work will be completed this fall.

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