Center City

Bell Atlantic Tower. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At Past Designs for the Bell Atlantic Tower in Logan Square, Center City

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

In the 1980s, new skyscraper proposals surged after the proposed Liberty Place project was poised to break the 548-foot height limit established by the tower of City Hall. Five of the proposals now stand in the skyline, which include the 739-foot-tall Bell Atlantic Tower at 1717 Arch Street in Logan Square, Center City. Designed by Kling Lindquist, the setbacks of the 55-story skyscraper were partially inspired by structures such as the Empire State Building and One Liberty Place, which itself is similar to the Chrysler Building. Brandywine Realty Trust has owned the skyscraper since 2010, and is now officially known as Three Logan Square. Today Philly YIMBY looks at the alternate designs that were once considered for the structure.

Riverwalk north tower from I-76. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Interior Work Continues at the Riverwalk North Tower in Center City West

8:00 am on June 1, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Though the first portion of the Riverwalk North tower at 60 North 23rd Street opened back in March, work continues at the residential interiors, which will soon wrap construction. Designed by Gensler, the Riverwalk project consists of two towers standing atop four-story podiums holding retail space. The north tower is the shorter of the two, at a height of 315 feet and 28 stories. The south tower stands 362 feet tall with 32 stories. The project is developed by PMC Property Group, which is also behind other in-progress projects that are helping transform Center City West into a development hub. Notably, Gensler’s founder, Art Gensler, has recently passed away on May 10th, just two days after the passing of Helmut Jahn, another architect notable for his contributions to Philadelphia and beyond.

Steel Erection Continues Atop the Arthaus in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on May 31, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Since Arthaus at 311 South Broad Street in Center City topped its concrete structure, the pinnacle of the building has seen much construction activity as steel at the parapet continues to rise, nearing its final height of 542 feet. The 47-story tower is designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, a firm behind well-known structures such as 30 Hudson Yards and One Vanderbilt in New York City, and the Mellon Bank Center at 1735 Market Street. The developer, Dranoff Properties, owns many properties around the city, such as Symphony House and a future residential building at 337 South Broad Street.

Rendering of 204 South 12th Street. Credit: BLT Architects

Site Cleared at 204 South 12th Street in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on May 30, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Demolition work has been finished at 204 South 12th Street in Washington Square West, Center City, and a recent site visit observed an uptick in activity after a period of pause. Designed by BLT Architects, the tower will rise 32 stories tall and make a meaningful impact on the Philadelphia skyline. The development will hold 448 residential units, occupying 340,253 square feet of space and bringing significant density to the property. The project will also include 39,999 square feet of retail space, creating a significant commercial presence on 12th Street, and 68 underground parking spaces in a 41,380-square-foot garage.

Observing The Comcast Technology Center Shortly After Topping Out

7:00 am on May 30, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Over the past 40 years, Center City has become home to multiple structures over the height of 500 feet. Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest structure in Philadelphia from 1894 to 1986 at 548, then in 1987 the steel structure of One-Liberty-Place eventually passed the statue to soon top out its spire at 945 feet. The same developers of Liberty Place also developed the next tallest skyscraper in the city, the 974-foot Comcast Center from 2007 to 2017. In 2017, across the street to the west, the Comcast Technology Center became the tallest skyscraper in the city since 2017 and its first supertall skyscraper at 1,121 feet. For this development, Comcast had partnered with Liberty Property Trust, which was originally known as Rouse and Associates. The tower was designed by Foster and Partners, which has designed iconic structures such as the Gherkin in London and the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Today Philly YIMBY looks back at the period when the iconic tower’s spire topped out.

Philadelphia 1945 and 2020 south elevation. Model and image by Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia YIMBY Compares Massing Renderings of the 1945 and the 2020 Skyline

7:00 am on May 29, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In the mid-1940s, the Philadelphia skyline still maintained the general look it received during the construction boom of the 1920s and 1930, when several new towers added significant mass to the Center City skyline. The Philadelphia City Hall still topped the skyline at 548 feet tall, but by the 40s more high-rises were nearing the top of the clock tower, with several rising in the 300-foot range. A number of Art Deco buildings stood out, with predominantly light and dark brown shades. Today Philly YIMBY compares massing renderings of the 1945 skyline and the 2020 skyline.

Site Prep Activity Spotted at 316-20 South 11th Street in Washington Square West, Center City

7:30 am on May 28, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Site prep activity has been spotted at 316-20 South 11th Street in Washington Square West, Center City. Nine townhomes are expected at the site. The project involves the demolition of an existing three-story parking garage. Demolition permits were issued in late January, so progress has been relatively slow since that time.

Delaware River Trail. Image via Delaware River Waterfront Corporation

Delaware River Trail Underway Near Penn’s Landing Redevelopment in Center City

8:00 am on May 27, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Delaware River Trail that sits just next to the site of the recently proposed Penn’s Landing redevelopment is underway in between the public space and the Interstate 95. The project is a part the Master Plan for the Central Delaware, which will extend and enhance the waterfront. Developed by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, the project will feature open space extending for six miles along the Delaware River from Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia to East Allegheny Avenue in Kensington, with the trail divided into four zones. The public space will feature new vegetation and planting, bi-directional bicycle lanes, solar lighting, and improved public access to the trail.

Two-Towered Development Planned at 200 Spring Garden Street and 412 North 2nd Street in Northern Liberties

8:00 am on May 25, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

In the last few days, details have been slowly coming to light about a large potential development planned for 200 Spring Garden Street and 412 North 2nd Street in the zone situated between Northern Liberties and Old City. National Real Estate, the developers of the massive East Market complex in Center City, is behind the project. One of the two planned high-rises is a 14-story tower situated at 2nd and Spring Garden that will hold 355 residential units. The tower will stand 149 feet tall and will also include 105 parking spaces. The other building will be located at 412 North 2nd Street and will stand 244 feet and 23 floors high. Here, 397 residential units will be situated along with 106 parking spaces.

The Lewis Tower from Arthaus. Photo by Thomas Koloski

A Look At The Lewis Tower At 1425 Locust Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

7:00 am on May 21, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia is home to a sizable collection of intricately designed skyscrapers that were built between 1920 and 1940, which still stand out on the cityscape despite being drastically shorter than the modern towers of Center City. The east side of the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood features many towers built within that time frame, including The Lewis Tower, now known as The Aria Condos at 1425 Locust Street. The structure rises 389 feet and 33 stories tall, just one block to the north of the 375-foot-tall tower known as The Drake. The skyscraper was designed by Edmund Gilchrist, and Gravell and Hall engineered the steel structure. The Art Deco building was completed in 1929.

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