Center City

Philadelphia City Hall from Arthaus. Photo by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Looks Back at the Renovation of Philadelphia City Hall in the 1980s

8:00 am on April 19, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia’s City Hall has loomed proudly in Center City since it topped out in 1894, but its tower continues to stand only thanks to several renovations. While the municipal floors of the building only rise nine stories high, the clock tower remains the largest freestanding masonry structure in the world to this day. The edifice is topped by a 37-foot-tall statue of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, which brings the tower to a full height of 548 feet. The structure was designed by John McArthur Jr. and Thomas Ustick Walter, and was completed in 1901. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look back at the direly-needed renovation for the top of the clock tower that took place in the 1980s.

1620 Sansom Street. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Tower Crane Erected At 1620 Sansom Street In Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on April 15, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Center City continues to grow upward as multiple projects are changing Philadelphia’s core neighborhood. In Rittenhouse Square, a tower crane was recently erected at 1620 Sansom Street, where a high-rise residential tower is under construction. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Southern Land Company, the building will rise 315 feet and 28 stories high. The tower will also feature 306 rental units and retail space on the ground floor.

Arthaus with Liberty Place and Comcast Center. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Decorative Lighting Spotted On Top Of Arthaus In Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on April 13, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The nighttime Philadelphia skyline is getting brighter as new additions join the existing cluster of towers. In the Washington Square West West neighborhood of Center City, the new condominium skyscraper, Arthaus, rises at 311 South Broad Street, joining the rest of the Center City towers at a height of 542 feet and 47 stories. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (with Arthaus being the firm’s first residential skyscraper in the city) and developed by Dranoff Properties, the tower will feature 108 condominiums along with amenity space that includes a pool and outdoor decks.

Philadelphia skyline from South Street Bridge. Photo by The Philadelphia Inquirer

Observing The Construction Of Mellon Bank Center and Two Liberty Place

8:00 am on April 11, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

In 1984, plans were approved for the first office tower to rise above the unwritten Gentleman’s Agreement height above the statue of William Penn. One Liberty Place broke ground in 1985 and was under construction until the end of 1987, starting a new construction boom for the city that revitalized the city’s skyline. One Commerce Square had topped out the summer before One Liberty Place rose, but, shortly after the completion of One Liberty Place, the structure of the Independence Blue Cross Tower joined the skyline. By the end of 1988, the Bell Atlantic Tower was also rising, eventually bulking up the skyline by 1989.

141-43 North 4th Street. Credit: Design Blendz.

Permits Issued For 141-43 North 4th Street In Old City, Center City

8:00 am on April 1, 2022 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for a large multi-family development at 141-43 North 4th Street in Old City. Designed by Designblendz, the project includes the complete renovation of the existing four-story building on site. A portion of this building will see a one-story overbuild, while a six-story addition will be constructed at 319 Cherry Street, holding six residential units. There will be 36 residential units in total, with ten bike spaces and 13 parking spaces also included. In total, the square footage of the building will more than double, increasing to 37,566. Construction costs are estimated at $2,860,000.

The Laurel Rittenhouse. Credit: Southern Land Company

Facade Close To Completion On The Laurel Rittenhouse In Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on March 31, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The Philadelphia skyline has seen a significant transformation over the past two years, with the construction of two condominium towers and several other high-rises. One of the condo towers, The Laurel Rittenhouse, has risen at…

One Cathedral Square. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Cladding Nears Completion at One Cathedral Square in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on March 29, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The first phase of the two-tower Cathedral Square project is well underway as it is nearing exterior completion. Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by Exeter Development Group and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, One Cathedral Square at 1701 Race Street rises near the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Logan Square, Center City. The glass and concrete tower stands 245 feet and 23 stories tall. Just to the north, the large parking lot will be transformed into a second tower, which will stand 470 feet tall.

Thomas Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion (1101 Chestnut Street) via Jefferson Health

Cladding Rises at Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion in Market East, Center City

7:30 am on March 28, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The east side of Center City is on the verge of a transformation, where a new project is elevating the vertical profile of the dense Market East neighborhood. Designed by Ennead Architects and Stantec and developed by National Real Estate Development, the Jefferson Specialty Care Pavilion at 1101 Chestnut Street officially stands 372 feet and 23 stories tall since it was topped out in February. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look at the latest construction progress.

One Liberty Place from the Museum of Art. Image by Russell Kord via Alamy

YIMBY Offers More Perspectives of One Liberty Place Shortly After Completion

8:00 am on March 24, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

The idea of building higher than the William Penn statue atop Philadelphia City Hall was roundly rejected by city planners and the public for a long time. Boldly, in 1983, Willard G. Rouse III of Rouse and Associates bought a large plot of land and scouted for an architect to design a pair of limit-breaking towers. In April 1984, a proposal was revealed to the city, which was met with with heavy opposition, though the decision to go ahead with the project was eventually approved via a vote. In May 1985, the official designs by Helmut Jahn were revealed at the groundbreaking, inaugurating the construction of two office towers and a hotel, which lasted from 1985 and 1990 and changed the Philadelphia skyline in the process. Although Philly YIMBY has already looked at One Liberty Place shortly after completion, today we take look at more perspectives of the iconic structure from the time when it finished construction.

Facade Nears Top of 2222 Market Street in Center City West

8:00 am on March 23, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Substantial development progress continues in Center City West, with multiple new buildings transforming the neighborhood. Over the course of the past year, 2222 Market Street has risen 295 feet tall and 20 stories above ground. Designed by Gensler and developed by Parkway Commercial Properties, the building is poised as the new headquarters for law firm Morgan, Lewis, Bockius LLP, and will also offer retail space on the ground. In this update, Philadelphia YIMBY looks at the under-construction building, where facade installation is approaching the top of the structure.

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