Center City

One Liberty Place Rainbow animated scheme from South Street. Photo by Thomas Koloski

My Liberty Lights Program Is Underway at One Liberty Place

Over the course of the past two years, the decorative illumination at the crown of One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street in Center City has been under renovation, as it is being upgraded with powerful lights that can be animated into various schemes and colors. Designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates (later known as the Liberty Property Trust), the tower was completed in 1987 and stands 945 feet and 61 stories tall. The contractor for the illumination upgrade is The Lighting Practice, which has also decorated the W/Element Hotel. The new lighting system is integrated with the My Liberty Lights program, which allows certain users to change the exterior lights atop the building once per day for a duration of five minutes.

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The view from The Laurel Rittenhouse looking west toward Center City West and University City. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Center City West Lands at the 21st Place on Philly YIMBY’s First Anniversary Countdown

Yesterday, Philadelphia YIMBY’s First Anniversary Countdown, which looks at the most frequently mentioned article categories over the course of the past year, looked at Market East, which scored 35 category mentions. Today we visit a Market Street-anchored neighborhood on the opposite side of Center City, where Center City West noted 36 category mentions and as such arrived at number 21 in the countdown rankings. The forlorn neighborhood, a domain of block-spanning parking lots, garages, and otherwise underutilized properties, is the remaining development frontier of Center City, and is finally witnessing a major development surge, albeit one on a smaller scale than it deserves. Today we look at a few of the projects transforming its rather inhospitable streetscape into Philadelphia’s newest neighborhood.

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Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion rendering. Image via Jefferson Health

Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion Rises Above Ground at 1101 Chestnut Street in Market East, Center City

Construction of the first few floors of the Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion is underway at 1101 Chestnut Street in Center City. The building is a part of a project dubbed East Market Phase 3, which spans several blocks within the Market East neighborhood. Designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and developed by National Real Estate Development, the tower will stand 372 feet and 23 stories tall and will feature a curvy exterior. The medical office building is part of the massive expansion plans that Jefferson Health is currently implementing in the area.

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Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion from South Philadelphia. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Market East Takes the 22nd Place on Philly YIMBY’s First Anniversary Countdown

The 22nd place on Philadelphia YIMBY’s First Anniversary Countdown, which looks at the most frequently mentioned article categories over the course of the past year, goes to Market East. This Center City neighborhood, situated east of City Hall along Market Street, has seen rapid development over the past few years. The category owes its relatively high place on our ranking due to our consistent coverage of certain developments, notably East Market Phase 3, as well as analysis of architectural landmarks such as the PSFS Building.

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1620 Sansom Street. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Excavation Underway at 1620 Sansom Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

After demolition finally wrapped up at 1620 Sansom Street, excavation work is underway for the 340-foot-tall, 28-story high-rise. The tower will stand in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Center City, just two blocks to the south of Liberty Place. The building will feature 306 residential units, as well as commercial space on the ground floor. The earlier iteration’s unit and lesser floor count was bumped up two months ago via a permit filing.

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