Center City

The Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street. Rendering credit: DAS Architects

Permits Issued for Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street in Marker East, Center City

7:30 am on September 30, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for the construction of the 14-story Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street in Center City. Designed by DAS Architects and developed by the Estia Group, the hotel will offer 86 hotel rooms on the third through fourteenth floors. Restaurant space will be situated on the first and second floors. The tower will total 51,181 square feet of space. Permits list construction costs at $21.1 million.

One Liberty Place before topping of the spire. Photo from the Philadelphia Inquirer

Philly YIMBY Revisits the Topping-Out of the Spire atop One Liberty Place in Center City

7:00 am on September 28, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Liberty Place development in Center City holds a pivotal place in the Philadelphia skyline, having made a gigantic impact on the and the city’s image and its profile as a business hub. A pointed spire tops the tallest tower, the 945-foot-tall One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street, outfitted with broadcasting equipment. The complex was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY shares images of One Liberty Place from the day the spire had topped out.

Commerce Square from Spring Garden Street Bridge. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back at the Construction of Two Commerce Square at 2001 Market Street in Center City

7:00 am on September 27, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In 1987, construction was finished at One Commerce Square in Center City, with the building opening in October, but the complex was still unfinished as a second tower was planned. Two Commerce Square would rise at 2001 Market Street to the west of the first building, filling in a gap between the finished structure and the Independence Blue Cross Tower. The second tower rises 565 feet and 41 stories tall. Designed by I. M. Pei and Partners and developed by Maguire Thomas Partners of Los Angeles, the Commerce Square complex was completed in 1992 and this became last structure built in the 1980s boom after the unofficial Gentleman’s Agreement height limit was eliminated.

Philadelphia 1945 aerial looking east. Models and image by Thomas Koloski

Observing the “Chinese Wall” Rail Viaduct on the 1945 Cityscape

7:30 am on September 25, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the late 1800s, the city of Philadelphia made a bold move that greatly transformed and influenced both mass transit and the cityscape when they allowed Pennsylvania Railroad to construct a massive rail viaduct in Center City. One of the largest transportation projects in the city, dubbed to citizens as the “Chinese Wall” due to its appearance and presence, had a dramatic effect on the city’s planning for years to come. Designed by the Wilson Brothers, the rail line stood next to Broad Street Station, which sat on the current site of Dilworth Park, and stretched out all the way to West Philadelphia. The structure saw busy rail service for decades, yet it ultimately met its fate in 1953 after it was demolished to make way for future development. Today YIMBY presents an exclusive massing mock-up of how the structure appeared on the cityscape in 1945.

Work Stalled On AC Hotel at 230 North 13th Street in Chinatown, Center City

7:30 am on September 24, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Work appears stalled on the 150-room AC Hotel by Marriott planned at 230 North 13th Street in Chinatown, Center City. Designed by Bergman Associates and developed by Baywood Hotels, the project will integrate a historical building into the design. The 181-foot-tall, 15-story tower will stand out prominently in an area with few tall buildings and will offer fantastic views of the city.

Rendering of 1101 Walnut Street. Credit: JKRP Architects

Revised Design Revealed for 1101 Walnut Street in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on September 23, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

A revised design has been revealed for a high-rise tower planned at 1101 Walnut Street in Market East, Center City. Designed by JKRP Architects, the revised plan will rise 18 stories and include 198 residential units, with a total of 138,150 square feet of space, located on the second, third, and fifth through eighteenth floors. The ground floor will hold 4,420 square feet of retail space and the fourth floor will offer 6,281 square feet of office and amenity space. The project will also include 34 off-site parking spaces, as well as 68 bicycle spaces.

Looking Back at the Construction of One Commerce Square at 2005 Market Street in Center City

7:00 am on September 23, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In 1984, the unwritten Gentleman’s Agreement that forbade building above the 548-foot-high statue of William Penn atop City Hall was about to be eliminated when, in April, developer Willard Rouse proposed a skyscraper development that eventually became Liberty Place. The proposal apparently influenced more developers and architects to build towers above the former height limit. The Commerce Square twin towers were revealed at 2005 Market Street in Center City at the end of the year. Designed by I.M. Pei and Partners and developed by IBM and Maguire/Thomas Partners, the 41-story towers were not built simultaneously, as One Commerce Square was the first building finished in the complex.

12+Sansom at 123-27 South 12th Street. Rendering credit: Studios Architecture

Garage Mostly Demolished at 12 + Sansom Street Site at 123 South 12th Street in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on September 22, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

A massive parking garage that took up nearly an entire block is mostly demolished at 123 South 12th Street in Market East, Center City. The large residential building, dubbed 12 + Sansom, will make a positive impact on the area with its addition of 412 residential units. Designed by Studios Architecture and Bower Lewis Thower Architects and developed by Greystar Real Estate Partners, the building will stand 265 feet and 20 stories tall, a significant height for the neighborhood, though more residential towers are on their way to join the area.

Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center at 214 South 9th Street. Rendering credit: Payette

Garage Closes at the Future Site of Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on September 21, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

A large parking garage at 900 Locust Street in Washington Square West, Center City, is now closed and is expected to be demolished to make way for the Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center. The building will stand 170 feet and 12 stories tall and contain over 220,000 square feet of space. Designed by Payette, the building will feature a glass and wood-colored facade.

Philadelphia skyline from the Walt Whitman Bridge September 2021. Photo by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Observes the Arthaus, The Laurel Rittenhouse, and the Rising Philadelphia Skyline from the Walt Whitman Bridge

7:30 am on September 21, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

A few months ago, during the beginning of spring, Philadelphia YIMBY published a feature that looked at major developments in Center City from the Walt Whitman Bridge. This 378-foot-tall, green-painted suspension bridge was completed in 1957, and has since transported millions of people between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The bridge span rises 153 feet above the Delaware River, and offers a fantastic view of the skyline to the northwest. The western side connects to the sports complex in South Philadelphia, while the east side joins Gloucester City, NJ. In this new feature, Philadelphia YIMBY presents an updated look at several major developments in the skyline as seen from the bridge.

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