Center City

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

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.

2222 Market Street Nearly Topped Out In Center City West

8:00 am on September 20, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The steel structure of the office building under construction at 2222 Market Street, in Center City West, is nearly topped out. Designed by Gensler, he building is one of the tallest among the city’s under-construction buildings, as it will rise to a height of 318 feet and 20 stories. The project is being developed by Parkway Commercial Properties, which has recently been redeveloping multiple parking lots that it owns. The building will fill an empty void on Market Street, and offers a preview of what is to come to the area in the future.

Former view of the site. Credit: Google.

Townhouse Development Makes Progress at 24th And Sansom Street in Fitler Square, Center City

7:30 am on September 20, 2021 By Colin LeStourgeon

Construction is making headway on a townhouse complex located at 131 South 24th Street, at the southeast corner of the 24th Street and Sansom Street intersection, in Fitler Square, Center City. The complex contains five homes in total, each rising five stories tall. A covered drive aisle at the rear provides access to individual garages, while outdoor areas above maximize the use of space. Other outdoor areas will be included atop the fourth and fifth floors.

Worker on top Two Liberty Place. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Observing the Construction of Two Liberty Place

8:00 am on September 19, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Among the multiple structures that make up the Liberty Place complex, Two Liberty Place is the second tallest, rising 848 feet and 58 stories, yet it is the largest by area, with 1.2 million square feet. As such, the building is one of the most largest skyscrapers in Philadelphia, as the Comcast Center measures nearly 1.4 million square feet and the Comcast Technology Center holds 1.5 million square feet. Two Liberty Place is located near the heart of Center City at 50 South 16th Street. Just like the rest of Liberty Place, the tower was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn, who had unfortunately passed away in a bicycle crash in Chicago in May. The project was developed by Willard Rouse of Rouse and Associates, which eventually became Liberty Property Trust.

Many more conceptual drawings of One Liberty Place. Drawings by Helmut Jahn

Looking Back at an Early Iteration of The Liberty Place Complex in Center City

7:30 am on September 18, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

From 1987 to 2007, the tallest building in the Philadelphia skyline was One Liberty Place at 1650 Market Street in Center City, rising 945 feet and 61 stories tall, closely followed by the adjacent Two Liberty Place at 50 South 16th Street, which stands 848 feet and 58 stories tall and was completed in 1990. Designed by Helmut Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates (later known as Liberty Property Trust), the Liberty Place complex features a fantastic glass, metal, and stone design. Today, Philadelphia YIMBY looks back at an earlier iteration of the complex when the towers were still in designing stages in 1984.

The Laurel Rittenhouse. Credit: Southern Land Company

Concrete Core Topped Out at The Laurel Rittenhouse in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on September 11, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The concrete structure has topped out at The Laurel Rittenhouse at 1911 Walnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Developed by the Southern Land Company and designed by Solomon Cornwell Buenz, a team that is also collaborating on a residential tower underway nearby at 1620 Sansom Street, The Lauren Rittenhouse rises just to the northwest of Rittenhouse Square Park. The building already stands 49 stories tall, and will shortly rise to its final planned height of 599 feet. The development will feature 185 rental units and 64 luxury condominiums.

Broad+Pine at 337-41 South Broad Street. Rendering credit: Cecil Baker + Partners Architects

Demolition Status Remains Uncertain at Broad + Pine at 337 South Broad Street in Washington Square West, Center City

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

Demolition status remains in an uncertain state at the site of Broad + Pine, a skyscraper planned at 337 South Broad Street, in Washington Square West, Center City. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners, the building is planned to rise 361 feet and 23 stories tall, and contain 56 condominium units. The project is developed by Dranoff Properties, which is also behind Arthaus , a high-rise condo under construction just to the north up the block

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