Vertical Extension to Add 19 Stories to 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

At number 27 on Philly YIMBY’s December 2020 Development Countdown is the vertical addition proposed at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City, which will add a slender 19-story structure atop an existing Freeman Auction House, bringing the total to 312 feet and 25 stories in height. Designed by Eric Leighton of Cecil Baker + Partners Architects and developed by Astoban Realty Group, the proposal will preserve the original prewar building’s façade and use the lower floor space for a commercial tenant, resident/tenant storage, parking, retail, and amenity space. The new tower will feature residential space, with the floors 20-24 split into two penthouses beneath the mechanical level at the 25th floor. Philly YIMBY’s recent site visit has revealed no progress at the moment, though a construction permit was issued on November 24.

Freeman Auction House. Photo by Thomas Koloski

1810 Chestnut Street site. Photo by Thomas Koloski

The design was revealed last summer featuring a blocky shape with balconies on the wide northern and southern faces. In these initial renderings, the structure appeared shorter, only rising above 200 feet, but these black-and-white illustrations were apparently not finalized. The revised design was shown by Cecil Baker on its Instagram account a year after the initial reveal.

1810 Chestnut Street. Photo By Thomas Koloski

The façade of the existing prewar building will be incorporated as the main entrance for the new tower. The floors inside will most likely be gutted, with a core on the west side of the building.

Vertical extensions appear increasingly common in Rittenhouse Square and Center City West, with other examples including the 567-foot-tall building planned at 113-121 South 19th Street.

Work has not started yet, but the Historical Commission has given approval on the project. The building could be completed sometime before 2024 if construction starts next year.

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