Center City

One Liberty Place looking northeast. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking Back to the Moment When One Liberty Place Passed the Statue of William Penn Atop Philadelphia City Hall

7:30 am on January 10, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

For nearly 35 years, the Philadelphia skyline has been dominated by skyscrapers rising well above 500 feet in height. The idea to breach of the height limit informally established by the 548-foot-tall pinnacle of City Hall, also known as the “Gentlemen’s Agreement,” surfaced in 1984. The first tower to rise above the limit was One Liberty Place, a daring structure for the time that rises 945 feet and 61 stories above ground at 1650 Market Street in Center City. The project was designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn and developed by Rouse and Associates (which eventually became Liberty Property Trust), and was completed in 1987. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY takes a look back at when One Liberty Place passed the statue of William Penn on top of City Hall.

1208 Chestnut Street. Credit: SgRA / Michael Alhadad

Demolition Pending at Site of Slender 11-Story High-Rise at 1208 Chestnut Street in Midtown Village, Center City

8:00 am on January 8, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

A slender, 49-unit apartment building is set to rise at 1208 Chestnut Street in Midtown Village, Center City. However, although demolition permits have been issued for the dilapidated three-story structure currently occupying the property, YIMBY’s recent site visit revealed that no demo work has yet taken place. Designed by SgRA and developed by Michael Alhadad, the building will span a narrow, through-block lot on the block between South 12th and South 13th streets, stretching north-south from Chestnut Street to Sansom Street. The building will span 51,436 square feet and will feature a basement, ground-floor commercial space, full sprinkling, and a roof deck. Permits list Christian A. Sanchez as the contractor and a construction cost of $5.5 million.

219 South 13th Street. Credit: Parkway Corporation

Parkway Corporation Seeks to Build Over 180,000 Square Feet at 219 South 13th Street in Midtown Village, Center City

7:30 am on January 8, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

Parking operator and developer Parkway Corporation is looking for opportunities to redevelop a 9,020-square-foot parking lot at 219 South 13th Street in Midtown Village, Center City. The site spans nearly half of a small city block and is bound by South 13th Street to the west, Locust Street to the south, and narrow, cobblestone-paved St. James Street to the north. The site sits under CMX-5 zoning and, according to Parkway, can support up to 108,240 square feet under a floor-to-area ratio of 12 or up to 180,400 square feet at an FAR of 20:1, which may potentially yield a building rising around 25 to 30 or so stories. No development plans are currently known nor have any permits been filed, and it appears that Parkway Corporation is seeking development partners or an anchor tenant for the venture, as it does with a number of other parking lots situated throughout the city.

The Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street. Rendering credit: DAS Architects

Demolition Pending at Site of Blue Ivy Hotel at 122 South 11th Street in Midtown Village, Center City

7:30 am on January 7, 2022 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

A few years ago, circa 2019, plans were announced for a 14-story, 86-room hotel to rise at 122 South 11th Street in Midtown Village, Center City. Since that time, progress on the project has been moving at a snail’s pace, which may be explained by economic uncertainty and a hospitality industry crisis that rolled in the following year. Still, development appears to be ongoing, both in terms of filing activity and on-site action, minimal as it may be. Our recent site visit revealed that the joined pair of low-rise buildings that stands at the site has not yet been demolished, though both appear shuttered, stripped down, and likely gutted.

Harper Square. Image via centercityphila.org

Philadelphia YIMBY Reveals Updated Skyline Massings for Harper Square in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on January 5, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Over the past year, several new proposals for the city of Philadelphia have been revealed that will make a significant mark on the skyline. One of these is situated in Rittenhouse Square in Center City, where a project was revealed at 113-121 South 19th Street. The development, known as Harper Square, will dominate the neighborhood along with the nearly-complete Laurel Rittenhouse. Designed by DAS Architecture and Planning, the residential tower will stand 611 feet and 54 stories tall, and will include 215 units. The slender high-rise is being developed by Pearl Properties, which also developed The Harper, another residential tower located nearby. Today YIMBY presents our latest custom-made building massings that show the proposal’s future effect on the skyline.

One Liberty Place. Photo by Thomas Koloski

Looking at the Philadelphia Skyline from the Observatory Atop One Liberty Place

7:30 am on January 5, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

Philadelphia is home to several tall skyscrapers in Center City, with One Liberty Place among the most iconic in the group. The steel-framed tower rises at 1650 Market Street to a height of 945 feet and 61 stories above the ground. The skyscraper was designed by Helmut Jahn, who has unfortunately passed in May of last year, as part of the Liberty Place project developed by Rouse and Associates. At the moment, only two observatories operate in the city, as one has closed last year. Today we look at views from theh currently closed One Liberty Observation Deck, located on the 57th floor in the skyscraper’s gabled crown.

Rendering of 1810 Chestnut Street. Credit: Cecil Baker + Partners.

Permits Issued for Freeman’s Auction House Overbuild at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on January 4, 2022 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for a multi-family overbuild above the historic Freeman’s Auction House, located at 1810 Chestnut Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Designed by Cecil Baker + Partners, the new tower will add 19 stories above the existing Auction House, bringing the total height to 25 stories, which is certainly not the greatest height in the area, but will still make a large impact from the street. There will be 19 residential units within the he new addition, each a luxury condominium, with several taking up an entire floor. The existing auction house will be restored as commercial space. An underground garage will hold space for seven parking spaces, and there will also be nine bicycle spaces, as well. An additional four bike spaces will be included with the project along Chestnut Street on a new bike rack. A green roof will be situated at the top of the tower.

Philadelphia skyline from the Walt Whitman Bridge. Photo by Thomas Koloski

YIMBY Observes Construction on the Philadelphia Skyline from the Walt Whitman Bridge

7:30 am on January 4, 2022 By Thomas Koloski

In Philadelphia, multiple major roadways lead to the bustling core of Center City, which sports most of the towers that make up the skyline. A number of bridges, including Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Betsy Ross Bridge, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge, surround the city, allowing motorists to cross the adjacent rivers. The Walt Whitman Bridge Just to the north of the Port of Philadelphia. In this feature, Philadelphia YIMBY observes projects under construction throughout the city from this green-painted bridge.

Rendering of 1428-38 Callowhill Street. Credit: J2a Architects.

Permits Issued for 13-Story High-Rise at 1428 Callowhill Street in Spring Garden, Lower North Philadelphia

8:00 am on January 2, 2022 By Colin LeStourgeon

Permits have been issued for the construction of a 13-story high-rise building at 1428 Callowhill Street in Spring Garden, Lower North Philadelphia. Designed by j2a Architects, the building will contain 162 apartments. In total, the new building will hold 117,624 square feet of space. An underground garage will hold 31 parking spaces for building residents. Parking for 74 bicycles will also be available. Construction cost is listed at $19 million.

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

The 1st Place on Philly YIMBY’s December Countdown Goes to Harper Square in Rittenhouse Square, Center City

8:00 am on December 31, 2021 By Vitali Ogorodnikov

The 1st place on Philadelphia YIMBY’s December Countdown December 2021 Development Countdown goes to Harper Square at 113-21 South 19th Street in Rittenhouse Square, Center City. Designed by DAS Architecture and Planning and developed by Pearl Properties, the slender skyscraper will rise 620 feet and 52 stories tall. The 267,874-square-foot structure will hold 215 residential units and 30,180 square feet of commercial space and incorporate existing historic buildings into the base. The development will include 30,180 square feet of commercial space at the lower floors and 183 residential units above.

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