A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has observed no development progress of any sort at 21M, a 350-foot-tall mixed-use tower proposed at 2100 Market Street, a dormant avant-garde project proposed in Center City West. Originally developed by the Brandywine Realty Trust, the development has sat on the drawing boards for several years, with the latest, 350-foot-tall design crafted by Edry McHenry Architects.
2100 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller
2100 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller
2100 Market Street. Photo by Jamie Meller
As no permits have yet been filed, we were not surprised to find no construction activity at the site, with the parking lot at the location still in operation.
21M rendering via Center City Residents Association
21M at 2100 Market Street via Center City Residents Association
21M west elevation via Center City Residents Association
21M south elevation via Center City Residents Association
21M rendering. Photo from Brandywine Realty Trust
As the project’s “21M” name suggests, the property sits between South 21st and South 22nd streets (on the corner of South 22nd and Market), a block east of the 22nd Street trolley station and three blocks east of the Schuylkill River. Whether the site eventually houses the unconventional proposal that is seen in the renderings or a more traditional structure, it is clearly well-suited for a large mixed-use development that would go a long way toward bridging the unfortunate streetscape gap between the Center City core to the east and University City to the west. If anything, the location is ideal for a development with a significantly greater height, retail space square footage, and residential unit count, the latter being particularly important in addressing the city’s ongoing housing crunch.
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Umm….. Go back to the drawing board.
What corporation would want to be associated with such a hideous design? And why haven’t other developers stepped in to purchase the site to submit a much better design?
Absolutely one of the ugliest buildings I’ve ever seen.
this project makes my head hurt every time I see it………………
In a post COVID World. And with Center City in decline. I don’t see a project like this making any sense? There is no lack of office space. And there’s no influx of people looking to move to an apartment or a condo space.
This is one building I’d be happy to see NOT get built!
Who thought the office portion belongs on top and to make it worse, the office portion extends over the residential so much that it blocks out natural light into some of the apartments.