Center City

17th and Vine rendering via Hiliier Architecture

A Look at an Unbuilt 50-Story Tower Once Proposed at 1739 Vine Street in Franklintown

8:00 am on February 17, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Nearly 20 years ago, a 890-foot-tall, 50-story skyscraper was proposed at 1739 Vine Street in Franklintown, North Philadelphia (or, by an alternate definition, in Logan Square, Center City). Located just to the north of Vine Street, at the intersection with North 17th Street, the tower would have dominated the northern edge of the skyline core. Designed by Hillier Architecture, the project featured a major setback on the north side and a taller, curved section at the south side, with a spire extending above the main structure. Renderings show a façade of light turquoise glass with white metal highlights.

542-Foot Tall Arthaus Tops Out in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on February 15, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The concrete structure at the Arthaus condominium at 311 South Broad Street has officially topped out on February 12th, when the last bucket of concrete was lifted to the pinnacle. A celebratory ceremony was held on that day, as work continued on the 542-foot-tall, 47-story tower, located in Washington Square West in south Center City. The skyscraper will house 108 residential units, along with retail situated on the first four floors. The project is developed by Dranoff Properties, which had acquired the site in 2013 with the intent of constructing the SLS International Hotel. Eugene Kohn of Kohn Pedersen Fox has been the lead designer since the earliest stages, when the development was still planned as a hotel.

Site Clearance in Progress at Penn’s Landing Redevelopment in Center City

8:00 am on February 14, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The massive Penn’s Landing Redevelopment project will dramatically transform the Delaware River waterfront south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Developed by The Durst Organization, the complex will create over 3.6 million square feet of floor space, as well as a 11.5-acre public park. The $2.2 billion project will add 1,834 residential units and a significant amount of office space, while expanding the Center City skyline to the east and likely inviting high-rise growth in the gap between the waterfront and the skyline core.

113-121 South 19th Street. Credit: Pearl Properties/DAS Architecture

New Permits Filed at 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on February 11, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Permits have been issued for the consolidation of the five properties that make up the site of the 567-foot-tall, 49-story skyscraper proposed at 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. The façades of most of the prewar buildings at the site will be incorporated into the future tower’s base. The 183-unit building will feature balconies on most floors on the south side of the tower. The tower was designed by DAS Architecture and Planning and developed by Pearl Properties, which built the 272-foot-tall residential building called The Harper nearby at 112 South 19th Street nearly two years ago. The high-rise will stand two blocks north of Rittenhouse Square, featuring a mix of glass, metal and stone at the façade.

American Commerce Center rendering via Kohn Pendersen Fox

The Story of the American Commerce Center, Once Planned as Philadelphia’s Tallest Tower

8:00 am on February 10, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

During the construction of the first Comcast Center tower, many wondered whether the 975-foot-tall skyscraper would rank as the city’s tallest for much longer. Just a few months before the former’s topping out, details were released about the American Commerce Center at 1800 Arch Street, a proposal that stunned many development watchers with its 1,510-foot height. The project was being developed by Hill International Real Estate Partners and designed by Kohn Pendersen Fox, a firm that is also behind the 792-foot-tall Mellon Bank Center, currently the city’s fifth-tallest building, and Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall skyscraper currently under construction. The development was ultimately canceled and the 1,121-foot-tall Comcast Technology Center was built at the site.

Permits Issued for 19-Unit Structure at 225-27 North 12th Street in Chinatown, Center City

8:00 am on February 9, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for a six-story, 19-unit multi-family development at 225-27 North 12th Street in Chinatown, Center City. Seven bicycle spaces will be included in the project as well as six off-site parking spaces, with one set to be van accessible. The building will total 16,363 square feet of space. Tester Construction is listed as ten contractor for the project, with Coscia Moos Architecture doing the design work, although renderings are unfortunately not available at this time. Project cost is listed at cost $2.9 million.

Arthaus Close to Topping Out at South Broad Street in Center City

7:30 am on February 7, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Topping out appears imminent at Arthaus, a 542-foot-tall, 47-story tower rising at 311 South Broad Street in Center City, a few blocks to the south of City Hall. The project’s height is remarkable for the area and the building already stands high above the surroundings. The tower will have 107 units, with the lower four floors designated for amenity, retail, and parking space. The tower is designed by the renowned architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox, which also designed the one of the city’s tallest buildings, the BNY Mellon Center at 1735 Market Street. Developer Dranoff Properties is also behind the 375-foot-tall, 163-unit Symphony House, completed a block south at 1414 Pine Street in 2007.

The Laurel Rittenhouse. Credit: Southern Land Company

The Laurel Rittenhouse Square Rises Halfway Up, with Façade Starting in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on February 6, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The concrete structure of The Laurel Rittenhouse Square at 1911 Walnut Street, a condominium that will soon dominate Rittenhouse Square, has reached the halfway point. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, the 599-foot-tall, 48-story tower rises just to the northwest of Rittenhouse Square Park. The building replaces a grassy lot to the south and a parking lot to the north. The structure will house 185 rental apartments and 60 condominium units. A three-story structure with retail space and a gym will rise north of the tower. The tower sets back three times from Walnut Street, with the final shape stepping back on all four sides toward a crown where cross-bracing will light up at night.

Philadelphia nighttime skyline from New Jersey. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Decorative Lighting Upgrade Complete Atop One Liberty Place in Center City

7:30 am on February 6, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

One Liberty Place has been a centerpiece of the Philadelphia skyline since 1987, with a nighttime display that highlights the angled crown and spire. Designed by renowned architect Helmut Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates, the 945-foot-tall, 61-story tower is part of a complex that includes the similarly-sized Two Liberty Place tower as well as a hotel and a shopping mall. Recently, an upgrade has been completed on the building’s decorative lighting, restoring its place on the night skyline.

East Market Phase 3 Excavation Complete, Foundation Laid Out in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on February 5, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Excavation is complete at the massive site for the two-tower East Market Phase 3 project at 1101 Chestnut Street and 1153 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City. The towers are individually designed by different architects, with the Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and the residential building to the west designed by Morris Adjmi Architects. The gigantic site for the buildings used to be a prewar style parking garage that was purchased by developer National Real Estate Group. Both towers will have a combined square footage of over 712,000 square feet. The Jefferson building will consist of office space and the residential building will have 396 units. The terracotta clad residential building will stand 329 feet tall and the glass clad Jefferson tower will rise 372 feet tall, adding bulk to the skyline near the Loews Hotel and Jefferson Center (formerly Aramark Tower).

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