Center City

Garage Demolished at 316-20 South 11th Street in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on October 10, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

A parking garage has been demolished at 316-20 South 11th Street in Washington Square West, Center City, the site of a future townhouse development. When completed, the structure will add nine new townhomes to the site, each standing four stories tall. The buildings will feature stately exteriors with what appears to be a very high standard of brickwork and a molding band running above the second floor and an elaborate cornice situated at the parapet. The tan brick façade will feature large, attractive windows with grid-shaped frames. Each home will have access to an off-street parking garage via a covered drive aisle.

2608 Pine Street and 2610 Pine Street. Looking southwest. Credit: Google Maps

Permits Issued for Two Single-Family Homes to Replace Prewar Rowhouses at 2608 and 2610 Pine Street in Fitler Square, Center City

7:30 am on October 10, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Permits have been issued for the construction of a pair of single-family houses at 2608 Pine Street and 2610 Pine Street in Fitler Square, Center City. The buildings will replace two attractive, well-preserved prewar rowhouses, which are part of an intact ensemble that spans the entire block. Each building will feature a roof deck. Permits list Judith M. Crossan Sanicky and William M. Sanicky as owners for the building planned at number 2608, which will span a footprint of 768 square feet, and Margaret Connor Porter and Scott. T Porter for its neighbor at number 2610, which will rise from a footprint measuring 910 square feet.

Comcast Technology Center. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Revising Construction of the Comcast Technology Center Before it Topped Out

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

Since 1987, when the unofficial “Gentlemen’s Agreement” that advised against building taller than City Hall was eliminated, multiple high-rises that stand well over 500 feet tall have dramatically changed the profile of Center City. The Comcast Technology Center had first joined the skyline at the very end of 2015, and now makes an incredible impact with its height of 1,121 feet and 60 stories as the tallest skyscraper in the city. Designed by Foster and Partners and developed by Liberty Property Trust, the building stands at 1800 Arch Street and houses Comcast corporate offices along with a Four Seasons hotel. In this publication, Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at the Comcast Technology Center before it topped out.

Permits Issued for New Restaurant at 1800 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

7:00 am on October 4, 2021 By Tyler Massar

Permits have been issued for a new restaurant at 1800 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Alterations will cover 1,601 square feet, replacing the Saxbys cafe, which had occupied the first floor and basement since 2018. Permits list JLL Architecture as the design professional. Construction will cost of $345,900

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

Possible Height Change Revealed for 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on October 2, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Recently published permits reveal that another height change is possible for 113-121 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. The permit states that the building will now stand 52 stories, meaning it will likely have a height above 600 feet. Designed by DAS Architecture and Partners, the 267,874 square-foot tower will have 215 residential units and 30,180 square feet of commercial space. The design will feature slender profile and will be clad in light and dark and light shades. The building was developed by Pearl Properties, which was also behind The Harper located nearby.

Independence Blue Cross Tower roof. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look Back at the Former Lighting Scheme at the Independence Blue Cross Tower

7:30 am on October 1, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Independence Blue Cross Tower was Philadelphia’s third skyscraper to breech the former 548-foot height limit of the Gentleman’s Agreement. The tower stands at 1901 Market Street, on the north side of the street, and features a slightly darker shade of glass than One Liberty Place and an interesting design that included lighting highlighting the structure. Designed by WZMH Architects, which also designed the CN Tower in Canada, he tower rises 45 stories above the ground with a total height of 625 feet. In over the first ten years after the building’s completion, the tower was lit up in the night time skyline with blue and gold strips of light.

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.

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