Center City

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

The Illustrated History of Philadelphia’s Skyscraper Boom of 1984-1991

8:00 am on January 28, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Philadelphia skyline is anchored by a group of particularly tall buildings, but just 40 years ago, not a single tower rose over 548 feet, the height of the City Hall tower that was completed in 1901. An informal “gentlemen’s agreement” held towers back from rising above the limit, but no developer was successful until One Commerce Square was approved in 1984, which was soon followed by a series of even taller skyscrapers. Philly YIMBY looks at the history behind these Center City buildings, which shaped a major portion of the Philadelphia skyline as we know it today.

222-30 Walnut Street. Credit: Cecil Baker + Partners Architects

YIMBY Reveals New Massing Image for 222 Walnut Street in Old City, Center City

8:00 am on January 25, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

A 253-foot-tall, 20-story development is slated to rise at 222 Walnut Street in Old City, Center City, integrating a portion of a three-story building built in 1856. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners and developed by 230 Walnut Street LLC, the project is located near the Society Hill Towers, a high-rise development designed by I.M. Pei.

Demolition Prep Underway for AC Hotel at 230 North 13th Street in Chinatown, Center City

8:00 am on January 21, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Demolition preparations have begun at 230 North 13th Street in Chinatown, Center City, the site of the planned 15-story AC Hotel by Marriott. Designed by Bergmann Associates and developed by Baywood Hotels, the 181-foot-tall structure will incorporate the existing…

Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center at 214 South 9th Street. Rendering credit: Payette

Garage Still Active at the Future Site of Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on January 16, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The five-story parking garage at 900 Locust Street in Market East, one of many parking garages in Center City slated for redevelopment, remains active as per Philly YIMBY’ recent site visit. Jefferson Health plans to replace the garage with the Jefferson University Caroline Kimmel Biomedical Research Center, which will stand 170 feet and 12 stories tall. The structure will be located on the between Walnut Street and Locust Street and will add 220,000 square feet of space medical center’s campus, which takes up a major portion of the neighborhood. Designed by Payette, the glass-walled facility will bring a unique design to the neighborhood.

The Blue Ivy Hotel. Credit: Das Architects

Philly YIMBY Reveals Concept Massings for the Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street in Market East, Center City

8:00 am on January 15, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The Market East section of Center City is rapidly transforming, with a number of developments currently proposed, notably on the 1100 block between Walnut Street and Sansom Street, where three high-rises are proposed close to one another, bringing mass to the local skyline. The shortest of the three is the 200-foot-tall, 86-unit Blue Ivy Hotel proposed at 122 South 11th Street. Designed by DAS Architecture and developed by Estia Group, the structure will be located at the southwest corner of South 11th Street and Sansom Street and will rise 14 stories.

The view from the 36th floor of Arthaus looking northwest. Photo by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Scopes Skyline Views From Arthaus at 311 South Broad Street in Washington Square West, Center City

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

YIMBY recently went on a hard hat tour of the highest currently accessible floor of Arthaus, a 47-story residential skyscraper on the verge of topping out at 311 South Broad Street in Washington Square West,…

PECO Building with the new display. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Crown Lights Restored Atop the PECO Building at 2301 Market Street in Center City West

8:00 am on January 9, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

An upgrade has been completed for the lighting array atop the PECO Building at 2301 Market Street in Center City West. Designed by H2L2 (Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson), the building was completed in 1970, which was soon followed by a number of major high-rise developments in Center City. The tower rises to a total of 27 stories and 384 feet, an an impressive height for its time. While the tower does not feature an outstanding design, it is widely known for its tenant, the PECO Energy Company, which serves customers across the tri-state area and all over the country. However, the tower is best known for its 38-foot-high screen spanning every face on top of the tower, measuring 148 feet across on the north and south façades and 71 feet across the east and west faces. Over the decades, more than 17,500 digital messages have scrolled across the display.

1101 Walnut Street via Civic Design Review

Permits Filed for a 259-Foot-Tall Tower at 1101 Walnut Street in Washington Square West, Center City

8:00 am on January 8, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

The booming area around the Loews Hotel and Jefferson Center, at the junction of the Washington Square West and Market East neighborhoods in Center City, is getting ready for the construction of yet another high-rise development. Demolition and construction permits have been filed at 1101 Walnut Street, a site that is currently occupied by a single-story Wendy’s fast food restaurant. It will be replaced by a 259-foot-tall, 23-story skyscraper with an L-shaped footprint, as the property extends to the north. The structure will house 111 residential units and 6,000 square feet of retail on the first and second floors. JKRP Architects have brought a vibrant mix of materials, with irregular stone patterns that will make the tower stand out on the cityscape. The permits list ARD 1105 Walnut LLC and now LD Investment Partners LLC as the current owner.

One Cathedral Square. Credit: Solomon Cordwell Buenz

Machinery Arrives at Cathedral Square Phase One at 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, Center City

8:00 am on January 7, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

Excavation appears imminent for Cathedral Square Phase One, a 245-foot-tall tower proposed for 222 North 17th Street in Logan Square, on the northern fringe of Center City. The 23-story building is developed by Exeter Property Group and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as part of the two-tower Cathedral Square development, which will rise next to the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Phase One, located at the southeast corner of the block-spanning project, will replace a parking lot with a three story building. The structure will span 265,849 square feet and will offer a total of 273 residential units, over 3,000 square feet of retail space, and 18 underground parking spaces. The tower was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz, which has designed many recent projects across the city.

How One Liberty Place Revolutionized the Philadelphia Skyline

8:00 am on January 5, 2021 By Thomas Koloski

In August 1987, the 945-foot-tall One Liberty Place officially opened at 1650 Market Street as Philadelphia’s tallest skyscraper, soaring above the long-held unofficial height limit of 548 feet, set by the tower of City Hall in 1901. This remarkable skyscraper with a fantastical design ultimately led to the city gaining a new cluster of tall and massive skyscrapers that define the skyline to this day. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY explores the building’s progress from concept to reality, as well as its tenure as the city’s tallest skyscraper for 31 years.

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